Product Description
This book to explains how the astronomer can investigate the sky without the need for a telescope, expensive materials, or complicated mathematics. The subjects covered include: making different types of sundials; measuring the stars' positions; telling time by the stars; making a simple planetarium; predicting the motions of the moon and planets. ... Read more

Product Description
The author has captured the entire night sky from locations throughout the northern and southern hemispheres in 50 photographs, each taken using a wide-angle lens. The colour plates are presented here to high standards of reproduction and each plate is accompanied by a map of the identical area which identifies the main stars of the constituent constellations, as well as other interesting astronomical objects. Patrick Moore has written a commentary on each plate, highlighting the stars and objects of interest to an observor equipped with binoculars, and provides detailed tabular information on astronomical objects of the region. The format of the atlas is straightforward: the map appears on the left-hand page, the plate of the same region on the facing right-hand page. The following double-spread comprises the detailed commentary and tables of astronomical data for that same region. The whole sky is covered in 50 such "units". Details are included of the photographic techniques involved, and there are appendices of double stars, variable stars and deep-sky stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A photo album of the night sky
This was a great idea-- a book of photographic maps covering the entire sky.I purchased my copy from another website for much less than it was sold here.

The book could have been improved if it had closeup maps enlarging parts of the sky which contain many objects-- even individual constellations such as Cygnus, Orion, Sagitarius, and Virgo, which contain many galaxies, clusters, and other objects of interest to the observer. The wide field photos simply can't show everything of what the sky has to offer.

Still, this is a unique atlas and deserves a place in every amateur astronomer's library.It is the perhaps the only photographic atlas now available which shows many of the stars visible to the naked eye and in binoculars.

A new perspective on star atlases
There are no errors in the plotting of any of the objects shown in this star atlas.Why?Because all the maps are photographs!Each map consists of an unmarked photograph, a black and white copy of the photograph marked with star names and other useful landmarks, and a text description of many of the interesting objects on the map.

The authors have made a supreme and largely successful effort to calibrate the colors and scale to match human perception of the night sky.A few notable nebulae and stars appear different in the atlas than what we would actually see due to the differing sensitivities of film and human eyes to certain wavelengths of light.Also, the limiting magnitude of the maps correlates closely with what binoculars can see, not what the human eye can see.Consequently, sometimes the sheer overload of stars and objects visible on the map can be confusing.

All 88 constellations are covered, some on several photographs.Because each map covers such a large area of the sky, many of the deep sky objects noted in the text are difficult to pick out.Also, it seems that for some maps the text was written for earlier or later exposures than what was actually published.This is evident after looking for variable stars mentioned as "bright" in the text that are not even present on the photograph!

Overall, a great work but no substitute for a "real" star atlas like Sky Atlas 2000.A bit expensive for its usefulness, but obviously a labor of love for the authors and great for casual naked-eye or binocular stargazing.

GREATATLASBUTONEGLARINGIMPERFECTION.
The book is generally awesome. The entire sky is photographeddown to 8th magnitude (meaning you need binoculars to see them all inthe sky) stars. Typically each full-page photo has three back-up pages including narrative and a corresponding chart which identifies all the interesting objects.Now here's where the book is frustrating: Pages 14 through 19 contain ultra wide angle photos which together DO NOT cover the entire sky. Also, these ultra wide angle photos are miniaturized and don't get the same treatment as the photos in the rest of the book.The result is a beautiful book that shows a lot of "trees", elating amateur astronomers, but which does not show "the forest". Beginner astronomers who want to quickly, photographically see the relative positions of constellations must turn elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
The night sky has fascinated humankind for thousands of years. Over the course of millennia, the movements of the stars have become inextricably entwined with complex systems of belief & of prediction that we have come to call astrology. This is a fascinating guide to the astrological beliefs of several important early civilizations. It traces the way in which shape & meaning has been given to the heavens through the arrangement of the houses of the zodiac which mark the passage of the astronomical year. Draws on the surviving records of the cultures of early Greece, Egypt, Persia, & India. Maps & engravings. ... Read more

Product Description
This sky atlas contains star charts and information for all those who observe the night sky with the naked eye, binoculars, or a small telescope, or who just wish to look at constellations and interesting objects. Equally useful for the beginning observer and the old hand, the atlas presents - clearly arranged charts of all the stars visible with the naked eye (limiting magnitude 6m) - enlarged chart sections for binocular observation highlighting 250 interesting nebulae and stellar clusters (limiting magnitude 9m) - data on more than 1000 sky objects - coordinates in equinox 2000.0 - distances of double stars until the year 2010 The Observer's Sky Atlas is a handy, indispensable companion for every observer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Missing Key to Star Charts
This is a great little atlas packed to the gills with information and charts.I have another copy of this star atlas and is great to use at the telescope.I ordered a second copy which came on time and in excellent condition from Amazon, but it seems the publisher, Springer, made an error in the atlas.Although the Key to the Star Atlas is listed in the Table of Contents for page 164, it is missing in the back.There is no page 164.I will either contact Amazon for a return or contact Springer and see what they want to do.

useful, compact but half a loaf
the karkoschka "observer's sky atlas" is a commendably compact volume crammed with information. the aim was to create an atlas with both the simplicity of a naked eye (constellation) atlas and the deep sky coverage of a telescopic star atlas. unfortunately, the cramming is not always well done or convenient to use.

the overall concept of the book is clever. the entire sky is divided up into 50 bite sized "naked eye" star charts down to visual magnitude 6, each chart gerrymandered to enclose a recognizable asterism -- the serpentine line of draco, the pentagon of cepheus -- or a digestible chunk of rich sky (orion, scorpius, bootes, cygnus are split into two or more charts). each chart keys two or three smaller finder charts, locating deep sky objects in a star field down to magnitude 9. all charts are keyed to an index map on the inside back covers. each chart faces a page of tabulated information on 250 deep sky objects, 556 bright stars (magnitude 4 or brighter), 250 binary stars (from among the bright stars only) and 80 variable stars (only one or two per chart). the introductory material gives a good overview of astronomy basics.

my reservations about the book come down to many details of execution. the tables are populated with a variety of fussy and redundant symbols -- dots to show star magnitude, double dots to show binary star position angles, die face dots (one to six) to show binary separation difficulty, schematic thermometers to show star temperature (color), even a tiny diagram to show where in the facing charts the object is found. these take up space, add clutter, and provide no useful information that is not already in the tables (as a separate column of actual data) or in the star charts themselves.

the data are also perplexing: karkoschka provides exact star visual magnitude and distance in light years, which means the precise absolute magnitude can also be computed, but he rounds these to integer values, so that you get a column of 1's, 2's, -1's and so on. the celestial coordinates (right ascension and declination) are provided as decimal values (!) rather than the standard hours/minutes or degrees/minutes, which makes them awkward to use on telescope setting circles (or goto menus), and useless on the star charts (which have no RA/Decl grid printed on them). the binding won't permit the book to lie flat (unless you lay it open, face down, and then stomp on it). finally, many of the big sky charts are oddly cut, and many of the finder charts lack explicit linkage to the bright stars: a novice or casual observer will have difficulty using them.

nearly all the deep sky objects, according to karkoschka's own descriptions of them, are only enjoyable with binoculars or a telescope -- and so this is not, after all, a naked sky atlas. on the other hand, the selection of deep sky objects and binary stars is so sparse that the atlas won't satisfy even a casual small telescope observer. amateur astronomers need detailed references to plan out the objects they observe each night and for that karkoschka is not detailed enough, but it is too complex to be a casual reference.

karkoschka wanted to create an atlas that was between a naked eye and telescopic reference; he succeeded. the problem is that he filled a gap that exists for a reason.

Nice Atlas, Better Binding Please
The Observer's Sky Atlas is a wonderful little atlas in concept and, for the most part, in execution.The book was written by a professional planetary astronomer and offers useful star charts on odd numbered pages and tables of information on the even numbered facing pages about the objects shown on the charts.Additionally, the charts contain exploded views of those areas of the sky that contain the objects listed.The exploded areas shown dimmer stars near the objects, and this allows for easier spotting through a finder scope or the telescope, both of which will show stars much fainter than can be see with the naked eye.The charts also have reference numbers to direct the observer to other charts in the book featuring areas of the sky adjacent to the area under observation.This feature makes for quick navigation through the atlas.Additional features include an informative introduction with basic observing information and explanations about the charts and tables in the atlas, a key to the star charts for quickly finding the right page, an almanac containing a list of meteor showers, a lunar calendar and planetary opposition dates through 2018, and a glossary.

I do many public and school star parties with my astronomy club, and this little atlas is a very handy tool.It focuses on the brighter objects most suitable for viewing with smaller telescopes (mine is a 6-inch) and the best objects for showing folks at star parties.The charts outline the constellations and so may be used as planispheres to help people identify star patterns and the location of the objects being viewed relative to those patterns.Moreover, the facing pages contain information that answers those commonly asked questions such as, "how far away is that?"This book has a permanent place among my observing references, and its small size makes is very portable.

The reason I gave the book four stars, though, has to do with the binding.For some inexplicable reason, to me at least, the publisher decided not to use a spiral binding.I can only guess that it's a cost issue.Therefore, the book will not lie flat when open.After one refers to the charts and then turns back to the telescope, the book flops shut.When observing, one typically goes back and forth between the telescope and the atlas, especially if star hopping to find an object.Using an atlas that will not stay open if not held is exceedingly annoying.Of course, one can always carry a bookmark or turn the book over to keep the place, but that should not be necessary.Why any publisher of an astronomy field-reference would omit a spiral binding is a mystery to me.

On a final note, this book seems to be similar in format to Objects in the Heavens, by Peter Birren.I have not seen that book, but the description on Amazon leads me to that conclusion.Birren's book is spiral bound.

A good guide for deep sky observing
I have a lot of sky atlases as well as guides to deep sky objects. While there are numerous maps that are aesthetically more beautiful and perhaps more useful overal as a scopeside map, and numerous deep sky object guides, none of them presents such an excellent distillation of objects and easily useable maps for practical recreational viewing with binoculars or the small scope. I find with this book, I get the most out of my evenings with little pre-planning necessary. After gaining some experience with this book, one can than follow the general approach to deep sky viewing with more advanced guides and atlases.

A jewel for small telescope owners
I've been an active observer for years. My telescopes have been large instruments requiring some planning and setup. For this reason, I typically do little observing during nights when there is a partial moon out. I've decided to do some observing with a small 80mm telescope.It's easy to move outside and set up within a minute and it's no big deal if I only have a few minutes to observe.

It turns out that what I had in the way of a star atlas was not terribly suited for my new endeavor.My atlases are all geared for deep space observing with big reflectors.They are well worn and tattered and I know from experience that although I have loved them to death, I will learn to hate them if I attempt an observing program with an 80mm telescope.

So..... during the past few weeks, I've been looking for the perfect reference material.A friend of mine turned me on to "The Observer's Sky Atlas" by E. Karkoschka. I briefly looked through his and decided immediately that I "needed" one.I've used many of the other atlases geared towards small telescpes but I've decided that this one will be my new companion over the next few months.

My grab and go observing will be just that... grab and go.I wanted a volume that fits that bill. The atlas is a small paperback about 6 x 8 inches.Within it's pages you'll find 250 deep space wonders along with 250 double stars complete with pictures and easy to use reference charts.

Each set of pages includes a table of interesting objects to see on the left side and a chart on the right.The table lists the objects of interest, along with pertinent data.There's your mix of deep space objects, open clusters, binary stars, and standard stars.Refractors are very nice for just looking at your standard stars you know.You got your big ones, your blue ones, your red ones.... There are two additional pieces of data that this volume provides lacking in so many other references. The first is the estimated distance in light years.I love this!The other is a guide to help you determine the difficulty in seeing the object shown by a die (as in dice).A six is super easy, a one will be more challenging.

Near the back of the book are black and white photos of all 250 deep space objects in the guide.This is really nice for your daytime aspects of your observing program or to tease out what you think you see as you compare it to the photograph.

At the back of the book is a full sky chart showing all of the constellations and a key to help you zoom in on the individual charts in the book.

I am sure that all objects in the book are observable in an 80mm scope and that is why I so heartily recommend this book. This is also a volume that I can highly recommend for budding astronomers. I see little mention of it in observing circles but it is a true little jewel.Get it!

Michelle ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the many surprising ways that Astronomy - A Beginner's Guide can give you a decidedly unfair advantage. Many of them have probably never occurred to you, and they are guaranteed to make your hobby fun as well as great conversational starters.

See what you will learn:

Telescopes and Light – How to select just the right telescope for your home hobby.
Exploring the Stars – Learn the names of the stars and maybe even create your own constellations for fun!
All About the Sun – Learn how to safely explore our most important star.
About Galaxies – Discover how many different types of galaxies there are and how our scientists came to understand them.
Exploring the Solar System – What is The International Astronomical Union (IAU) and what does it have to do with us?
Visiting the Planets – How to locate our nearest neighbors and help your children find them.
Reflecting on the Moon – How to teach your kids about the moon.
What About Comets and Meteors – Learn about important details and where to find more information.
A Discussion on Black Holes – Learn why we should know more about these phenomena and some of the theories surround them.
How Stars Die – What happens when they go poof!
How to Recognize the Constellations – This is the really fun part!
Poor Maligned Pluto – Read about recent findings.

Now, as we discussed before, this isn’t going to make you an expert on astronomy.What it will do is help you create a fun hobby for the entire family. It can also give you great information to use as conversation starters in social situations. Buy it today1 ... Read more

Product Description
An expanded and updated third edition of a basic reference for amateur astrophotographers including equipment recommendations, photographic techniques, digital photography, computerized telescopes and information on observing.An essential reference tool for both beginning and veteran sky observers. Drawing on decades of stargazing experience, the authors suggest what equipment to buy and what to avoid, describe observing techniques, and explain how to hunt down the most interesting celestial objects. Each chapter is illustrated with the latest, breathtaking astrophotography. ... Read more

Product Description
Here are the stories of ten great constellations - from Perseus to Hercules, including Pegasus, Argo, Andromeda and Cassiopeia. This magical introduction to the constellations twinkling above us portrays not just stars, but a vast realm of kings and queens, gods, heroes and mystical creatures. Each constellation is described in vivid prose, mixing fact and fiction, drawing on the latest scientific knowledge and the ancient gods after whom the constellations were named. ... Read more

Product Description
An introduction to the night sky, for children and other beginners; written in very simple language, and tested on delighted children down to the age of eight.At the outset they are told how to set about viewing the stars; the "dome" picture on the back cover helps in understanding how the sky rolls from east to west. Then for each month there is a simple but vivid sky map; the facing text makes two or three constellations per month stick in the memory, by telling their stories and a few other things about them-in January, Orion and Taurus and the Pleiades; and so on around the sky. Other concepts are woven in: the Milky Way, leap-days, the ecliptic and zodiac, meteor showers, the Pole, midsummer, changing clocks, dark trenches in the sky and "silly little constellations" . . . A "Quiz" in September is one of the ways of making it fun.After these monthly pages, there are 14 rather packed pages to turn to for "more explanation"; they amount to a gentle beginning textbook of astronomy. The usually confusing business of the sky's changing appearance is cleared by starting from the simplest truth-space with the far-off stars in it-and only then adding the things that complicate it: Sun, Earth, Earth's motions and atmosphere and curvature. A list of the Top Twenty stars (with their personalities) leads into more about stars: their color, distances, sizes. There is something on observing conditions, naked eye vs. binoculars vs. telescopes, astronomy vs. astrology, Greek letters, distances and angles; there is a glossary of terms, and a short list of further reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A First Astronomy Primer for any Child
This priceless little book [...] is the most complete introduction to astronomy for any child that you can find. The text and drawings are extremely well done and will be treasured by the child who gets a copy for life. It explains the motions of the earth and skies simply and completely as well as providing monthly star charts with fine descriptions of the constellations as well as some history and legends for them.Don't pass this one up. ... Read more

Product Description
Special Report: The Day the Moon Stood Still - Scientists on a supersonic flight experienced 74 minutes of totality during the solar eclipse of June, 1973. By L. Robert Morris Biggest Space Telescope Ready to Launch - Secrets of the Big Bang - Europe's Planck satellite will try to determine how inflation powered the universe into existence. By Thorsten Dambeck The Mystery of Epsilon Aurigae - Epsilon Aurigae will soon begin to dim for only the 8th time since 1821but it's too bright to view with professional telescopes. Learn how you can help unlock the mysteries of this exotic star. By Robert E. Stencel Planet from Hell! First Earth-Size Exoplanet - S&T Editor in Chief Robert Naeye interviews Brandon Tingley, a member of the team that discovered CoRoT-Exo-7b, the first Earth-size transiting exoplanet. Find out why it's called the Planet from Hell. Giant Binos - We take a Quick Look at some amazingly affordable 20x110 binoculars. By Dennis di Cicco Cosmic Relief - Monkeying with the World. By David Grinspoon S&T Report - Sky-Watchers Large Telescoping Telescope Exotic Gems in the Crow Help Solve a Stellar Mystery ... Read more

Product Description
The object of the series is to explain for an average family readership, adults and children alike, the many aspects of science that are not only fascinating in themselves but are also vitally important for an understanding of the world today. To achieve this the book has been made straightforward and concise, accurate in content, and clearly and attractively presented. This book is a readily accessible source of scientific information ... Read more

Product Description
Once upon a time there was a queen called Berenice . . .Lovers of the stars know the story of how her hair was hung up in the temple of the Goddess of Love.It vanished! - and became the constellation we still know as Coma Berenices, "Berenice's Hair."But what really happened to her hair? Our somewhat more adult version of the story is based on what is known about the historical Berenice.For instance, she killed the first man who came to marry her.(Why?Because her mother seduced him.)She was born not in Egypt but in an African mountain town called Cyrene.And just after marrying the king of Egypt she was left to govern that complex realm by herself - a task, to say the least, not without dangers.The story happens to take Berenice to three of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, but none is so awesome as the natural phenomenon that rescues her at the last moment. ... Read more