Customer Reviews (5)

Patterns in the Sky: An Introduction to Stargazing (Night Sky Astronomy for Everybody)
Patterns in the Sky: An Introduction to Stargazing (Night Sky Astronomy for Everybody)

This book is filled with very useful information in a clear and concise format. I think it is a terrific book for beginners to the night sky landscape. I was a bit disappointed with the size of the book.

Well chosen title -- get the big picture with this book
It has been nearly 40 years since I dabbled in astronomy, and 50 since I was a boy scout. Back then, astronomy seemed to be more popular which made it easier to look skyward and identify major star constelations. Now, in my 60's, and thanks to a pair of Canon 12x36 IS binoculars, my wife and I are becoming re-introduced to the hobby/science. I still have my old books, but acutally felt a bit intimidated by them as I dusted them off. I wanted something simpler, something that a beginner might grab to refresh my faded memory. This book did quite well at that. Because star gazing is not completely new to me, I might not be able to fully put myself in the shoes of a beginner, but I will try.

The book is definately not intimidating, neither is it comprehensive. It takes you out to your backyard and helps you make sense of what you can easily see without optics, understand why things move the way they do. It helps you position yourself in our immensely large universe and, with a little effort on your part, imagine how things would look from space, or even another hemishpere on earth.

Divided into four main parts, based on the seasons of the year, it provides a decent star chart for each season, and short stories that have attached themselves to some constelations and prominent stars. I found the stories helpful in locating and remembering their subjects. I was pleased that the book does not talk down to the reader, as though a child, nor like a stuffy professor who wants to show you how smart he is.

I doubt that I could give 5 stars for any introductory astronomy book because it must necessarily be short enough to invite reading, but that means it cannot answer all the questions that will arise as one becomes involved in star gazing. This book did not disappoint us and my wife and I are glad we purchased it. We are likely to continue to carry the poor dogeared thing around with us until we can identify the points of interest in it for all four seasons, then maybe I can go back to my dusty library and go deeper.

Great Service and fast !
I have ordered numerous books and other items from AMAZON and have had great service 5 star ! I can recommend using this site! I have used Amazon from the beginning and it gets better each year.

Great for beginners
Got this book while I was helping my daughter work on her sky searcher badge for girl scouts. Great book for a beginner. My daughter read it cover to cover.

Patterns in the Sky
Patterns in the Sky by Ken Hewitt-White
Sky Publishing, 2006, soft cover, 6" x 9", 98 pages

I've been having fun with astronomy for the past 17 years and still consider myself a novice.That is why I get excited about new books written for the astronomy-challenged person that I am.Patterns in the Sky by Ken Hewitt-White
Is just such a book.It is one of the first in the series of books by NightSky written especially for the readers of that excellent magazine. The book is targeted for the beginner and intermediate level student.

The introduction gives the reader a concise overview of basic astronomy with terms to be found in the text and colorful illustrations to make it easy to understand.It contains a list of constellations and stars you will be viewing throughout the year and two fold-out star charts covering all four seasons.
The book is organized by seasons with the best objects visible showcased.
Each season chapter contains interesting astro facts, mythology, charts, photos and diagrams to help the student find those objects in the sky. The book concludes with a helpful glossary and resource information.

You don't need a large telescope or huge binoculars or vast knowledge of the sky to use this book to find these celestial wonders. This is entry level astronomy directed to the masses that can be a stepping stone to a greater understanding of the stars.

Jack Fox, Richmond Astronomical Society
... Read more

Product Description

The Night Sky Companion 2009  takes a look at astronomy every day over the course of the year offering  general history, soft science, trivia, observing guidance and motivation. This book is much more than an observing guide, it's a way of learning your way round the night sky. It is written in an easy-going style ideal for 'dipping in' on the relevant day, or even reading from cover to cover.

Buyers of the 2009 edition is not an updated copy of the previous volume, but rather a completely new book. All historical tie-ins, information and objects are completely fresh.

Unaided-eye observers are offered an opportunity to view many objects or events, learn about their history, science and how just "looking up" can be rewarding. Binocular and small telescope users will find a wealth of things to view using simple star hop instructions and finder charts. For large-aperture telescope users looking for a challenge, some of the finest deep-sky objects are detailed, with finder maps and photographs.

Customer Reviews (1)

The novice ATMer's first stop.
This is primarily a book about astronomical mirror fabrication, and a very good one. Although it discusses the fabrication of three different telescopes, a 5" Newtonian, a 10" Newtonian and a 12" Cassegrain in some detail, don't imagine it's like Richard Berry's classic, "Build Your Own Telescope". Berry's book is concerned principally with fabrication of the mounts and includes cautionary, almost discouraging comments on optical fabrication, but nevertheless includes a couple of very good chapters on elementary optical work near the end of the book.

A "Manual for Amateur Telescope Makers" on the other hand, is more in the tradition of Jean Texereau's classic, "How to Make a Telescope", but is a far more readable and modern format. Using the three different telescope designs mentioned above, it introduces the reader to progressively more demanding concepts and techniques. Abrasive selection, grinding and polishing technique, Foucault testing, fringe testing flat mirrors, judging acceptable tolerances, defect correction, wire test, caustic test and telescope window fabrication are just a few examples.

There are a couple of features I really liked about this book. It has little "tip" boxes in the style of computer books. Things like "A Few Essential Rules for Polishing", "Dealing with a Severe Turned Down Edge", "Blocking Pitch, How Thick" or "Advantages and Disadvantages of the Caustic Test" to give just a few examples from dozens in the book. The text is always succinct, clear and authoritative. Did you know that the thinner the wire, the more precise the wire test and that the diameter of the wire should be slightly larger than the opening of the slit? There are lots of tips and answers to questions that many ATMers have no doubt asked and not been answered in Texereau or Ingalls' books.

In this day of cheap, value for money, mass produced telescopes, why bother to make a telescope anyway? The authors give the following reasons: it enables you to understand your own telescope more fully, it's exciting and it saves you money. Somehow these explanations seems to miss the excitement felt by those who have successfully completed quality instruments. Certainly you'll understand your scope far better than buying one off the shelf. However you'll probably be able to buy a reasonable second hand or even new small aperture (8" or less) scope for about the same price as making your own.Larger telescope fabrication does offer the chance to save quite a bit of money. Mastering techniques of optical fabrication, on the other hand, opens a new world of possibilities to you. Make your own large aperture mirrors, Cassegrain or TCT optics or whatever your imagination suggests. No longer are you confined to the design ideas of the engineers at Meade, Celestron or any other telescope makers, however worthy their thoughts may be. As the authors say, "... the figuring and testing techniques used for the 300mm mirror can be applied in the making of 375- to 500-mm mirrors."

My advice to readers concerning which books to buy about telescope making is this:
If you're a half reasonable handyman and want to get a mirror and build a scope for as little as possible, buy Richard Berry's "Build Your Own Telescope".
If you're a half-reasonable handyman and want a big mirror and scope, but optical fabrication is not your interest, Berry and Kriege's "The Big Dobsonian" just can't be beat. Buy a big mirror.
If you hanker for a deeper understanding of telescope systems and might ultimately like to make larger or more sophisticated optics and instruments of your own design, "A Manual for Amateur Telescope Makers" is the best place to start. If you've got something out of it but still thirst for knowledge, you should follow up with Texereau's, "How to Make a Telescope" and Ingalls' "Amateur Telescope Making". Then if you're still enthused, Willmann-Bell and some other publishers provide a large number of books of more specialized interest.

I have to give "A Manual for Telescope Makers" five stars although it does have some shortcomings. On many occasions it states how to do things without detailed explanations of why. It doesn't say why the authors chose a Coude type arrangement for the 300mm scope, for example, although the experienced ATMer will understand the advantages and disadvantages. Generally the book, although having a pervading tone of authority, is somewhat dogmatic and doesn't state any alternative views or areas of controversy, and it's also a little too brief in some places in order to achieve succinctness. The mount designs are briefly described, seem to be quite functional, but won't win awards for aesthetics, although they're a step up from Richard Berry's designs in "Build Your Own Telescope", which look about as boxy as a 1975 Volvo. Overall I'd say that a book like "A Manual for Telescope Makers" has been overdue and should be the first choice of novice ATMers in the decades to come. The big financial advantage of ATMing in the future will be in the fabrication of large mirrors and this book introduces the techniques involved. I love it. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is intended as a sequel to "Amateur Astronomer's Handbook" and is devoted to the observational techniquest employed in the verious fields of amateur work. It is a work of reference and an invaluable guide to any amateur, whatever branch of astronomy he may be interested in. It contains a vast amount of data collected and brought together with skill and judgement. ... Read more

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Chapters: Amateur Telescope Making, Cherry Springs State Park, Sufi Observing Competition, National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers, Anushandhitshu Chokro Science Organization, Astronomy Now, Sidewalk Astronomy, Israeli Astronomical Association, Astronomy Magazine, Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, Robert E. Cox, Clear Sky Chart, Walter Scott Houston, John F. Gregory, Albert Graham Ingalls, Starpeace Project, Systemic, Plate Optimizer, Messier Marathon, Astroscan, Dunedin Astronomical Society, John M. Pierce, Crayford Focuser, Louisville Astronomical Society, Sky ... Read more

Product Description
This book introduces the beginning astronomy student to the basic foundational concepts of physical, chemical and optical laws before mentioning the more complexconcepts such "stellar evolution" or "double stars." There are more than twenty black and white photos, and more than forty drawings to illustrate the text. ... Read more

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"MADAME: I have dedicated none of my works, save Stella--offered to the liberal-minded, the free and generous friend of progress, and patron of the sciences, James Gordon Bennett, editor of the New York Herald. In this volume, Madame, I make another exception, and ask your permission to offer it to the first woman who consented to be enrolled in the list of members of the Astronomical Society of France, as foundress of this splendid work, from the very beginning of our vast association (1887); and who also desired to take part in the permanent organization of the Observatory at Juvisy, a task of private enterprise, emancipated from administrative routine. An Astronomy for Women[1] can not be better placed than upon the table of a lady whose erudition is equal to her virtues, and who has consecrated her long career to the pursuit and service of the Beautiful, the Good, and the True. " ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy. Headquartered in Paris, France, it acts as the internationally recognized authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies (stars, planets, asteroids, etc.) and any surface features on them, and is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU). The main aim of the IAU is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU maintains friendly relations with organizations that include amateur astronomers in their membership. Working groups include the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), which maintains the astronomical naming conventions and planetary nomenclature for planetary bodies. The IAU is also responsible for the system of astronomical telegrams which are produced and distributed on its behalf by the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. The Minor Planet Center (MPC), a clearinghouse for all non-planetary or non-moon bodies in the solar system, also operates under the IAU. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Amateur astronomy, also calledbackyard astronomy, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the night sky (and the day sky too, for sunspots, eclipses, etc.), and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars. Even though scientific research is not their main goal, many amateur astronomers make a contribution to astronomy by monitoring variable stars, tracking asteroids and discovering transient objects, such as comets. Such efforts are one of the relatively few ways interested amateurs can still make useful contributions to scientific knowledge. ... Read more

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Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: National Australian Convention of Amateur Astronomers, Anushandhitshu Chokro Science Organization, International Astronomical Youth Camp, Miami Valley Astronomical Society, Association in Scotland to Research Into Astronautics, Confederation of Indian Amateur Astronomers, Mars Society Australia, American Association of Variable Star Observers, Khagol Vishwa, Stellafane, Systemic, American Meteor Society, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Mansfield and Sutton Astronomical Society, Hoober Observatory, Astronomical Society of Southern Africa, Atlanta Astronomy Club, Astronomical Society Ruđer Bošković, Dunedin Astronomical Society, Kielder Observatory, Von Braun Astronomical Society, Society for Popular Astronomy, Sutherland Astronomical Society, Louisville Astronomical Society, Escambia Amateur Astronomers Association, Group 70, Mexborough ... Read more