Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe

Amazon.com
The third edition of Nightwatch continues its tradition of being the best handbook for the beginning astronomer. Terence Dickinson covers all the problems beginners face, starting with the fact that the night sky does not look the way a modern city-dweller expects. He discusses light pollution, how to choose binoculars and telescopes, how to pronounce the names of stars and constellations, telescope mounts, averted vision, and why the harvest moon looks especially bright. Most of the lovely photographs in the book were taken by amateurs, which gives the section on astrophotography a particularly inspirational gleam.

Dickinson's star charts are very handy, each covering a reasonable field of view and mapping the most interesting amateur objects. He gives good advice for planet watching, which he notes "is one of the few astronomical activities that can be conducted almost as well from the city as from dark rural locations."

FROM OUR EDITORS

NightWatch is a large-format, colorfully illustrated guide to the night sky. Ranging from picking the right equipment for stargazing to complex charts of the major constellations, it tells you what things are up there and where to find them, which, given the fact that the earth keeps moving, is no easy trick. Terence Dickinson has built a career as a successful science reporter, explaining the night sky to a generation of amateur astronomers. His strength is his gift to explain clearly and with an infectious passion.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

With 250,000 copies in print since its initial publication in 1983, NightWatch has become a standard reference guide for stargazers throughout North America.

Now with a completely revised text updated through to 2010, NightWatch includes new star charts, tables, and diagrams, plus more than one hundred new color photographs and illustrations. Technological advances, including computerized telescopes, new telescope designs and accessories, and astronomy on the Internet are also included. Astrophotographers will appreciate an expanded chapter that lists the best modern films and cameras for shooting the night sky. In addition to writing the lively, informative text, Dickinson also contributed most of the stunning photos in the book.

The author's primary goal is to provide a complete reference book for amateur astronomy. Dickinson writes clear, no-jargon text, and supports it with photos, diagrams and charts that increase understanding and provide a guide to what can be seen on a clear night. Here is just some of what this book includes: Instructions on how to find all the major stars and constellations using only the Big Dipper and Orion as pointers Three separate levels of "ultra-simplified" stargazing charts that gently guide the way to familiarity with the constellations An 11-step expanding perspective, each step one million times larger than the one before, that carries the reader from the Earth to the edge of the universe - dramatically revealing the immense scale of the cosmos Details of how to get started in stargazing using binoculars before buying a telescope How to use your 35mm camera to take pictures of the celestial phenomena The secret of the $25 observing chair that is more comfortable and practical than a lawn chair Tables with dates and times of meteor showers, solar and lunar eclipses, planet positions and conjunctions that are complete through the year 2010 Moon maps showing dozens of prominent features as well as the location of the first moon landing Detailed information on how to observe auroras, comets, planets, galaxies - all the major classes of visible objects in the starry night Everything you need to know to select the right telescope for your needs and location An extensive resource section listing equipment suppliers, essential atlases, accessories, web sites, observatories, and much more This beautiful, information-packed book is a comprehensive "must" for beginners and experienced backyard astronomers alike.

About the Author: Terence Dickinson is the author of fourteen books on astronomy, including The Universe and Beyond, Exploring the Night Sky, Summer Stargazing, and Splendors of the Universe (with Jack Newton). More than a million copies of his books are in print in three languages. A former editor of Astronomy Magazine and staff astronomer at two major planetariums, Dickinson is currently editor of SkyNews Magazine and astronomy columnist for the Toronto Star and the Discovery Channel Canada. He teaches astronomy part-time at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario and his articles have appeared in many publications including Reader's Digest and Popular Mechanics.

FROM THE CRITICS

Chet Raymo - Sky & Telescope

NightWatch is an ideal first book for the backyard astronomer. It is an ideal second book too, one that will grow along with the observer's skill.

Jeanne Bishop - The Science Teacher

An incredible amount of helpful information is packed into the book. Included are seasonal star maps with and without line connections and 20 detailed charts of sections of the sky. Not only is this a helpful guide, it is also one of the most beautiful astronomy books I have ever seen. ... I recommend the book for all high school and college libraries and to all teachers who have an active interest in astronomy.

Air & Space

One of the best all-around general astronomy books ... The text is simple to understand and has just enough of a 'gee-whiz' tone. ... [It will also] provide good cloudy night reading and encourage exploration.

Canadian Living

One of the top stargazing guides in the English language, gives novices just the right information to feed their curiousity.

Glenn Chaple - Astronomy

A great all-round astronomy guide. Read all 8 "From The Critics" >

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