Observing the Night Sky with Binoculars: A Simple Guide to the Heavens

Observing the Night Sky with Binoculars: A Simple Guide to the HeavensMonth by month, star by star, object by object, Stephen James O'Meara takes readers on a celestial journey to many of the most prominent stars and constellations visible from mid northern latitudes. Filled with interesting anecdotes about the stars and constellations and their intriguing histories, this book is both a useful guide for amateur astronomers, and a great first time reference for those just starting out. After describing a constellation's

Month by month, star by star, object by object, Stephen James O'Meara takes readers on a celestial journey to many of the most prominent stars and constellations visible from mid-northern latitudes. Filled with interesting anecdotes about the stars and constellations and their intriguing histories, this book is both a useful guide for amateur astronomers, and a great first-time reference for those just starting out. After describing a constellation's mythology, readers are guided in locating and identifying its brightest stars in the sky, as well as any other bright targets of interest - colorful stars, double or multiple stars, star clusters and asterisms, nebulae, galaxies, variable stars, and more. This book will help beginning stargazers become familiar with the stars and constellations visible from their backyards, and explore the brightest and best stars, nebulae, and clusters visible through inexpensive, handheld binoculars. To listen to an EarthSky Podcast interview with Steve O'Meara on exploring the solar system with binoculars, visit http: //earthsky.org/space/stephen-omeara-skywatching-with-binoculars. About Steve O'Meara: Stephen James O'Meara, award-winning visual observer, is columnist and contributing editor for Astronomy magazine and former Eye on the Sky columnist for Sky & Telescope. He is the recipient of the prestigious Caroline Herschel Award, the Lone Stargazer Award, as well as the Omega Centauri Award for "his efforts in advancing astronomy through observation, writing, and promotion, and for sharing his love of the sky." The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 3637 O'Meara in his honor. As the first to sight Halley's Comet on its return in 1985, his remarkable skills continually reset the standard of quality for other visual observers. For more exciting titles by O'Meara, please visit http: //cambridge.org/us/astronomy/omeara/.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 11/01/2008
ISBN: 9780521721707
Pages: 149
Weight: 1.11lbs
Size: 11.58h x 8.34w x 0.32d

Review Citations: Choice 04/01/2009