David Levy's Guide to the Night Sky

Beginners who have just joined an astronomy club will not find a better first book.

David H. Levy (Author)

9780521797535, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 22 November 2001

372 pages, 116 b/w illus. 6 tables
24.5 x 17 x 2 cm, 0.59 kg

'… essential reading when preparing for a night under the stars … a book which should find a place on every astronomer's shelf, and in every astronomer's heart.' Astronomy & Space

The perfect introduction for the novice astronomer, this book stirs the imagination and puts observation in a framework of social activity and personal adventure. Written by an award-winning astronomer, it is a technical guide to the sky, full of helpful practical hints. The author's lively style engages, entertains, and informs. Newcomers will learn how to enjoy the Moon, planets, comets, meteors, and distant galaxies observable through a small telescope. Levy describes the features of the Moon from night to night; how to observe constellations; how best to view the stars, nebulae, and galaxies; how to follow the planets on their annual trek among the constellations; how to map the sky; how to find a new comet; how to buy or even make a telescope; what to see in a month of lunar observations or a year of stellar observation; and much more.

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Part I. Getting Started: 1. First night out
2. Without a telescope
3. Meteors
4. Choosing a telescope
5. Telescopes, advanced
6. Recording your observations
Part II. Moon, Sun and Planets: 7. The moon
8. Moon II: advanced observations
9. The sun
10. Jupiter
11. Saturn
12. Mars
13. Five planets worth watching
Part III. Minor Bodies: 14. Asteroids
15. Comets
Part IV. Deep Sky: 16. Double stars
17. Variable stars
18. TV corvi: a variable star adventure
19. The deep sky
20. Messier hunting
21. The sky on film
22. The electronic revolution, part I: CCDs
23. The electronic revolution, part II: astrometry
Part V. Special Events: 24. Solar eclipses
25. Lunar eclipses and occulations
Part Vi. A Miscellany: 26. Passing the torch
27. The poet's sky
28. My favorite objects
Appendix: resources
Index.

Subject Areas: Popular astronomy & space [WNX], Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods [PGG]