Star and Planet Spotting: A Field Guide to the Night Sky

Provides star maps, explains how to locate and identify major stars and planets, and offers advice on working with a telescope

This is a revised version of a handbook first published in England in 1974. There are several introductory chapters on the early history of sky observing, the major categories of stars, astronomical nomenclature, and observing aids. These are followed by numerous charts of sections of the sky and capsule descriptions of the more interesting objects in each of the Northern and Southern hemisphere constellations. Finally, there are brief comments on planetary observing and miscellaneous tables of data. Clearly, the intended audience is beginning amateur observers; the work is a useful guide for that particular group, but there is room for more extensive revision than is evident here. Not an essential purchase. --Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.