Price $49.95
The Backyard Astronomer's Guide
Revised
2nd Edition Available Now!
Terence Dickinson & Alan Dyer
This companion volume to Dickinson's NightWatch takes amateurs to
the next level in pursuing their interest in astronomy. More than 200
astrophotos and illustrations accompany instructions on observing a wide
variety of sky objects, with tips from well-known astro-experts. It also
discusses observing sites and equipment selection, with special emphasis
on new products.
Price $29.95
Terence Dickinson
This delightful introduction to backyard astronomy has just been updated for its 3rd edition. Complete with user-friendly sky charts, NightWatch covers observing and equipment basics, telling you just what you need to know. It also suggests where to find more information as your interest in astronomy grows. Suitable for ages 12 and older
Price $29.95
Jay M. Pasachoff
A newly revised 3rd edition of a perennial favorite! It includes hundreds of photographs (many in color), maps of the Moon, 52 newly revised atlas charts, and 72 monthly sky maps for observers in both hemispheres -- all packed into a compact field-guide format.
Price $40
Walter Scott Houston
Highlights from Sky & Telescope's Deep-Sky Wonders column display the independence of thought and devotion to craft that made writer "Scotty" Houston a favorite among readers for almost 50 years. S&T contributing editor Stephen James O'Meara has selected and arranged the best of Scotty's work into a year-round guide to the star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies that lure skygazers into their backyards on clear, dark nights. Scotty intersperses his engaging commentary with expert advice on becoming a more capable observer.
Price $29.95
Leslie C. Peltier
Long out of print, the much-loved autobiography of celebrated comet-hunter Leslie Peltier is being reissued on the 100th anniversary of his birth. In a career spanning six decades and using telescopes from 2 to 12 inches in diameter, Peltier discovered a dozen comets and six novae and made more than 100,000 observations of variable stars. In Starlight Nights he recalls these achievements and reflects on the meaning of observational astronomy as well as all of nature. This new edition features an introduction by S&T contributing editor David H. Levy plus 16 black-and-white photographs from the Peltier family archives.
Price $55
George Robert Kepple and Glen W. Sanner
This book proclaims the wonders of modern visual astronomy for 8-inch and larger telescopes. Written in a conversational style, it is designed for observers who like to search out the dim, distant beauties of the night sky. Kepple and Sanner show you how to find more than 5,500 objects (Volumes 1 + 2) including star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, and they describe what you'll see when you do. Arranged alphabetically by constellation (omitting only those in the far-southern sky), each chapter gives practical descriptions of deep-sky objects as they appear through telescopes of various apertures. There are numerous tables of information on brightness, distances, angular separations, sizes, shapes, orientations, and what size telescope and magnification is recommended for best viewing. All this is accompanied by more than 1,500 sketches (Volumes 1 + 2), astrophotos, and finder charts. Every serious deep-sky enthusiast will want both volumes.
Price $55
George Robert Kepple and Glen W. Sanner
These two books proclaim the wonders of modern visual astronomy for 8-inch and larger telescopes. Written in a conversational style, they are designed for observers who like to search out the dim, distant beauties of the night sky. Kepple and Sanner show you how to find more than 5,500 objects including star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, and they describe what you'll see when you do. Arranged alphabetically by constellation (omitting only those in the far-southern sky), each chapter gives practical descriptions of deep-sky objects as they appear through telescopes of various apertures. There are numerous tables of information on brightnesses, distances, angular separations, sizes, shapes, orientations, and what size telescope and magnification is recommended for best viewing. All this is accompanied by more than 1,500 sketches, astrophotos, and finder charts. Every serious deep-sky enthusiast will want both volumes. Volume 2: Spring & Summer
Price $35
Harvard Pennington
Each year, many amateur astronomers do the "Messier Marathon" -- a mad dash to observe all 109 Messier objects in a single moonless night in late March or early April. Amateur astronomer Pennington helps you train for the race by learning bright star and constellation "finders" that will help you locate each object. Tips for rapid telescope pointing and field identification and a variety of maps, drawings, and descriptions are included. The Messier Marathon is a great way to test your sky knowledge -- and this book is your personal trainer!
Price $40
Stephen James O'Meara
Introducing the Messier guide for the modern age! This first book in the Deep-Sky Companions series by noted observer and Sky & Telescope contributor Steve O'Meara provides a fresh perspective on these perennially favorite viewing targets. Along with pages of observing tips for novice stargazers, O'Meara presents the most recent scientific data about each object, accurate drawings done at the eyepiece, new insights on the "missing" M objects, and more!
Price $55
Michael A. Covington
This is a much expanded and fully updated edition of Covington's best-selling handbook of astronomical imaging. Suitable for beginners and advanced amateurs alike, it's a remarkably complete guide to taking pictures of celestial objects using both film and electronic detectors. Covington explains how to capture stunning views of the Sun, Moon, and planets; stars and star clusters; comets and meteors; galaxies and nebulae; eclipses and more, using readily available equipment and materials. New chapters cover CCD imaging and digital image processing, choosing a telescope and camera, and modern films. Includes exposure tables, film and filter specifications, and hundreds of photographs, many in color.
Price $55
Robert Reeves
The easiest way to capture the night sky on film is to use an ordinary 35-mm camera with interchangeable lenses. Such equipment affords a wide field of view, making easy work of imaging constellations, comets, meteors, the Milky Way, and much more. This book is a wonderful introduction to wide-field astrophotography. The techniques it describes will help you produce stunning astronomical portraits time after time. The author discusses cameras, lenses, filters, film, and photographic accessories, exploring both the theory and practice of astrophotography. The book is filled with numerous images of equipment and celestial objects. Both novice and experienced skyshooters will find it to be a valuable source of information and inspiration.
Price $60
Rainer Beck, Heinz Hilbrecht, et al.
This observer’s guide to the Sun is lavishly illustrated with black-and-white diagrams and photographs. Includes a buyer’s guide to telescopes and accessories for solar astronomy, an inspiring discussion of observations amateurs can do themselves, tips for planning eclipse expeditions, and an extensive bibliography.