National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, 2nd Edition

Description

Revel in the skies above with this handy stargazing guide, complete with constellation charts and expert tips for observing—and understanding—the wonders of the universe. Detailed visuals help you find the top 58 constellations of the Northern Hemisphere. In these inviting pages, author Andrew Fazekas—The Night Sky Guy—shares knowledge and offers advice that will delight amateur astronomers of all levels. Maps, photographs, and infographics at every turn of the page make this an entertaining and fact-packed read about planets and stars, astronomical phenomena and our universe. Essential information, organized logically, highlights features of the night sky visible from your own backyard. Start with the easiest constellations and then "star-hop" across the night sky to find others. Fazekas offers hands-on techniques for observing with the naked eye, with binoculars, or through a small telescope, revealing the wonders of planets and astronomical events such as eclipses and meteor showers. A total of 66 authoritative maps show constellations, season by season, accompanied by interesting facts about the myths they represent and noteworthy stars they contain. Photographs and graphics go beyond what's visible to explain phenomena such as black holes, solar flares, and supernovas. For all who look up with wonder at the starry sky, this indispensable guide illuminates the greatest nighttime show on Earth! Review: Book on Astronomy with Microscopic print - Nice as any standard National Geographic product, but given the kind of content the size of the book and fonts could have been larger. Maps are too small to be legible. It could have been a very good book, but if reading is stressed the efficacy of the book is compromised. Review: Not a handbook for observers - A little let down as I expected book for observations. This is very similar to the space atlas by the same publisher. I can expect something better from National Geographic.