Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Not only is this book interesting to read, but each night I go outside I'm able to identify something new in the night sky. The text is very interesting and accessible, and the diagrams and figures in this book are really clear and explanatory.
What made me choose this book over others is one figure that shows some of the stars in the night sky, (white stars on black background), the same figure only black dots (stars) on white background, and the third figure the same black stars with constellation groupings drawn in. (What I've just described can be seen in the "look inside this book" section on Amazon.)
There is another figure of a patch of night sky with different viewing conditions: in a brightly lit city (only a few stars visible), on the outskirts of a city (more stars visible), and in a dark area (lots of stars visible). This kind of image is invaluable to me as a novice living in a city - it is now easy to recognize the different constellations in my night sky because I'm not lost in a star map with too many dots.
This same map technique is carried over into celestial maps of different areas of the sky, only instead of showing different viewing conditions, there is a star map (black dots/constellations/stars shown on white background with corresponding names & labels) and then the same view, with just the white stars on the black background, just as one will be seeing it in the night sky.
There are lots of other drawings,diagrams and tables that illustrate things like the ecliptic, the celestial equator, the position of the sun in relation to the constellations of the zodiac, methods for approximate measurement of angular distances, etc.
As if that weren't benefit enough, the author's explanations and writing style are clear AND interesting, and the reader gets a good foundation in "the anatomy" of the night sky, as it were.
I am thrilled to have found this book, and I am very grateful to Guilherme de Almeida for writing it. He says in his introduction, "If one clear night the reader feels some sense of contentment and satisfaction when looking at the starlit sky, this book was worth writing." Well, Mission Accomplished!
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Navigating the Night Sky: How to Identify the Stars and Constellations (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)This book will interest anyone who marvels at the night sky and would like to learn to recognise constellations and identify the brightest stars by name. Renowned amateur astronomer, Guilherme de Almeida, dispels the myth that specialist knowledge and elaborate instruments are a prerequisite for all astronomical observation. His book emphasizes the point that getting to know the night sky with the naked eye is an essential platform from which to start any astronomical observation. Step-by-step, the reader is guided through the knowledge needed to recognise key constellations, identify stars and planets, and interpret changes in the overall appearance of the sky throughout the year. The text is enhanced by the use of maps and illustrations, making this practical guide an invaluable text for all but the most advanced amateur astronomers.
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