National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, 2nd Edition [Spiral-bound] Andrew Fazekas

by Andrew Fazekas

Explore the star-studded cosmos with this fully updated, user-friendly skywatcher's guide, filled with charts, graphics, photographs, and expert tips for viewing -- and understanding -- the wonders of space. Stargazing's too much fun to leave to astronomers. In these inviting pages, "Night Sky Guy" Andrew Fazekas takes an expert but easygoing approach that will delight would-be astronomers of all levels. Essential information, organized logically, brings the solar system, stars, and planets to life in your own backyard. Start with the easiest constellations and then "star-hop" across the night sky to find others nearby. Learn about the dark side of the moon, how to pick Mars out of a planetary lineup, and which kinds of stars twinkle in your favorite constellations. Hands-on tips and techniques for observing with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope help make the most out of sightings and astronomical phenomena such as eclipses and meteor showers. Photographs and graphics present key facts in an easy-to-understand format, explaining heavenly phenomena such as black holes, solar flares, and supernovas. Revised to make skywatching even easier for the whole family, this indispensable guide shines light on the night sky--truly one of the greatest shows on Earth!

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Astronomy, Nature, Reference, Travel

288 pages, Spiral-bound

First published March 19, 2019

Reviews

[Melinda Flaugher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for the beginning astronomy student or the person wanting to learn astronomy as a hobby.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Backyard Guide to the Night Sky is an excellent reference tool for finding celestial objects.  This book offers a roadmap to the stars and guides you on how to spot many different elements in the night sky.  With the Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, I have learned how I can find moons, planets, comets, meteors, nebulae, galaxies and of course, the constellations.  

One page explanations give the reader a quick insight into what is in the sky and how to best view it.  The writing will awaken your curiosity and give a cursory understanding to what you will be looking for, this is not an in-depth explanation.  Written as your field guide to the night sky, the Backyard Guide to the Night Sky offers valuable information to what you can see in outer space and how you can see it.  A useful tool for both beginners and more advanced stargazers, the Backyard Guide to the Night Sky is a perfect take-along guide for your next nighttime observation.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Hallie (Hallie Reads)]

I am very much a newbie when it comes to the night sky. Though I have always been fascinated by it, I never pushed myself to learn what I needed to know—but this new edition of Backyard Guide to the Night Sky seems capable of remedying that.

Andrew Fazekas covers a wide range of topics, from stars, constellations, and planets to telescopes and more. Information-packed, accompanied by stunning graphics, but accessible even to a non-science person like me, Backyard Guide to the Night Sky is handy, useful, and visually appealing. I look forward to spending even more time with this guide and gaining a better understanding of the night sky.

This review is also posted on Hallie Reads.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a complimentary copy of Backyard Guide to the Night Sky and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

[ALEXXX · Rating 4 out of 5]

niezwykle intrygujaca

[Austin Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that covers the basics to astronomy and how to find the stars and galaxies

[Gabriel Geraghty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a lot.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

you can't really go wrong with National Geographic. I can't really claim to have "read" this book, but certainly at least assessed. This is a book I wish I had when I was home educating my daughter. It is still I book I wish to have on my bookshelf.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is time to start star gazing as warmer weather approaches in my location and the 2nd edition of the National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky by Andrew Fazekas and Howard Schneider is a very highly recommended perfect companion to this pursuit. This updated guide is user friendly and well organized to aide the novice in learning about the night time sky. (Since my current guide was a much earlier edition, any update is an improvement because of the many advances in telescopes, photography, and knowledge.)

The National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, 2nd Edition, is well organized, especially for educational purposes. It starts with the basics and gives the reader simple tasks, studying the phases of the moon, tracking the motion of the stars and planets over weeks, and learning to recognize some of the brightest constellations. This sets a foundation for future sky watching. There is also a wonderful opening illustration on Sizing up the Galaxy, which will help set the scope of the nighttime sky. Take note of the use of your hand to find your way while observing the sky. This is a great idea for beginners, especially children. Even more than that, before we even get into space, there is information on our atmosphere and tricks of light that many people have observed, like a green flash, light pillars, halos, sundogs, auroras, noctilucent clouds, and sprites, for example. There are techniques presented for making the most of viewing eclipses and meteor showers. Then there is information about the more esoteric phenomena such as black holes and supernovas.

Chapters are logically organized into: Discovering Starry Skies; The Atmosphere; The Sun; The Moon; The Planets; Comets & Meteors; Beyond The Solar System; Beyond The Milky Way; Navigating The Night Sky; Sky Charts; Viewing The Naked-Eye Planets; Further Resources and an index. Since it is a National Geographic guide, expect beautiful photographs and illustrations, charts and graphics. There are also a plethora of tips and techniques to assist in viewing the night sky with your naked eyes, binoculars, or a telescope. Since we are closely related to someone who lives out away from light pollution and has the perfect place for viewing the night sky, this is going to be a well used guide.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of National Geographic in exchange for my honest opinion for TLC Book Tours.

[Stephanie Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

National Geographic has once again proven it's spot as the best in blending facts and fun along with stunning photography. This book is a guide to stargazing and so much more for both beginners and those who have been studying it for awhile. The book covers everything from all the planets in our solar system and their various characteristics, to the earth and the moon, to the sun and beyond. There's a ton of information packed into this small book - a lot more than I expected. I learned a lot just from reading through it once and I know I'll be referring to it again and again for more interesting tidbits to learn about. The photography is nothing short of incredibly gorgeous, which I've come to expect from National Geographic. Every single page of the book is packed full of valuable information, intriguing side notes, historical facts, and lots of photos. Anyone who has ever been interested in stargazing or astronomy should definitely pick up this book!

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Aprilleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

While it doesn’t have a lot of information about choosing equipment or accessories, the information it does have about astronomical objects and concepts is actually pretty impressive and chopped into convenient 2-page chunks. This is a very easy book to read because the sections are too short to be overwhelming and you can read just a little bit at a time. There are seasonal star charts and small constellation charts with short descriptions of the major objects found in each (and occasionally some of the more interesting mythology,) but overall this book’s strength is the amount of information and how well it’s presented.

If you’re looking for a seasonal guide to what to look at, this won’t have enough coverage. The rest of the book more than makes up for it and the coverage is different enough from the books that do serve that purpose well that you won’t feel like you’ve duplicated your material if you buy this one, too.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘛𝘰𝘶𝘳 | 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸⁣⁣
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Thank you TLC Book Tours and Andrew Fazekas for the gifted National Geographic book 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐤𝐲!⁣⁣
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This book is INCREDIBLE! As soon as I opened up this book, my 7-year-old son put it in his room. We've been reading it with him before bedtime and have loved learning more about constellations, the sun and moon, the history of astronomy and our solar system. The photos are incredible and the details are thorough. This book has become a family favorite and we can't wait for summer nights in our backyard or camping in the mountains and star-gazing 🌠🌌⁣⁣
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Check this book out if you love non-fiction and beautiful skies.⁣⁣
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Pairs well with a blanket and s'mores.⁣⁣
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[Sara Strand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for those wanting to learn things on the go or for those who want to learn a little more. I love the size (it easily fits into a bag or backpack, perfect for one night camping trips or star gazing vacations). I love how organized it was, it also gave you good information if you're in the market for a new telescope and such, it explains what you need for what you want to see. My favorite section was all about the planets where my kids liked learning about sun and seeing what a solar flare would look like close up? Big topic of discussion here.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for having me on this tour!

[Dominic · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recently purchased this book. While initially browsing this book, I came across a picture the phases of the Moon with the following caption underneath, "Earth shadows the Moon from the sun, causing Moon phases". That is not at all what causes the apparent phases of the Moon! Even if the rest of the book is amazing and well written, coming across this "inaccuracy" has turned me off to whatever else this book has to offer. I think I expected a lot more from National Geographic. (If someone could point out to me how that caption is in fact accurate, I would be happy to withdraw this review.)

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A portable, handy manual to the massive (albeit at times inaccessible due to the havoc wrought by inordinate pollution on the visibility of the Milky Way's ethereal elements) universe. Rife with clarifying illustrations and easily comprehensible explanations, this mini guide serves as a superb tool to youngsters and aging astronomers alike in their admirable quest to survey the grand expanse that, for the most part, remains unseen.

[Esther Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect book for stargazing and learning a LOT more about our night sky. Not only was it informative but the graphics and photos were absolutely gorgeous. This is now a table book in my Family Room so that guests can peruse it as well when we have them over.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, 2nd Edition by Andrew Fazekas and Howard Schneider – This may be a father’s day present that I really wanted myself as well. Self-serving book presents are still gifts from the heart right? Happy Reading!

[James Strawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an approachable book on the most fascinating subject. The illustrations are excellent. The whole book really helped me appreciate the wonders of the night sky in my own backyard (OK front yard in my case). Five quintillion stars!

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide has been a fun addition to share with a young astronomy student.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Easy to read. Packed with knowledge. I highly recommend

[Cherry]

fantastic guide book

[Annonkerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don’t know how much i actually picked up from this book- i am not a star at math or anything like that. but, this was super interesting and beautiful!!

[Jocelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broadening my perspective . . . .

[Wanda B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, interesting, and informative book about the night sky and more. I learned so much from this reading! If you are a beginner of night sky watching I highly recommend this book.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

In-depth guide.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for any amateur astronomers wanting to learn practical information on astronomy.

[Balen W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an incredibly interesting read, a fully comprehensive guide with slightly complicated topics at some times. However, this book covered the vast majority of what I wanted to know while reading it, along with numerous other interesting facts. Some constraints or improvements that this book could have were that almost all of the pages, there were many things left unsaid. The book, however, was amazingly interesting and taught me many interesting things. This nonfiction book was especially interesting when I would keep it in my living room and read sections of it now and then. Despite my inconsistent reading of this book it managed to pique my interest with almost every page. This book is truly the best book for any reader who wants to get started with star gazing and astronomy. From suggestions on telescope and binocular purchases to explaining the life cycle of stars this book is a must-read for any beginner star gazer or astronomer.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I can remember I could look up at the sky and see the patterns in the stars. While I didn’t always know what constellation I was seeing, I could always pick them out. As I got older I learned to identify several, starting with Orion. I now have put names to many of those star groupings I have been seeing since I was a small girl. Not to mention that since moving to rural Montana I have found a few more given the amazing way the night sky looks here.

National Geographic’s Backyard Guide to the Night Sky is a fantastic entry for anyone wanting to learn more about the wonder of watching the stars and planets. Even if you just want to walk out your door on a clear night and look up with the naked eye this guide will show you how to identify the named constellations, give you a map to where they appear at the different times of year and teach you about the different stars and other things of note in each constellation.

The book also delves into other celestial objects like the planets and their moons, artificial satellites and asteroids. meteor showers, and comets. I know how much I look forward to the annual Perseid, Leonid and Geminid meteor showers. I can also attest to the excitement of seeing comets like Hale Bop and yes, I was lucky enough to see Halley’s Comet from a deserted island in the Sea of Cortez. It was HUGE!

The Backyard Guide to the Night Sky is full of information about how the constellations were chosen, why the Big Dipper is NOT a constellation but rather an asterism. (read the book. HA!) It’s part of Ursa Major constellation. You will learn about the aurora (be still my heart) and so much more.

I’ve enjoyed reading a chapter here and a chapter there in between my regular reading. If you have any interest at all in ordering the stars when you look up this book will be a perfect start.