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Celestial Sampler: 60 Small-Scope Tours for Starlit Nights
Book by French, Sue
- GenresAstronomy
170 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 14, 2014
One of the many great things about star guides is that they don't go out of style or become obsolete. M42 is always going to be there to enjoy. And no one makes the night sky more enjoyable than Sue French. She loves the night sky, her enthusiasm is obvious here, and it's catching.
In this guide you in the Northern Hemisphere are guided month by month to the deep sky wonders--double stars, clusters, nebulae, and galaxies await you. French describes the objects as seen through small and medium telescopes, the ones beginners and intermediate stargazers will most likely use. She star hops you through a section of the sky, so if you do not have "goto" technology on your scope, you can follow along using the star charts provided. About half of the objects she describes can be seen with binoculars, too. She describes colors and shapes, often with pleasantly whimsical metaphors. Photos (how these wonders would look in long-term exposures) and sketches (nearer how they look to our eyes) are provided, too.
These were originally articles published in Sky and Telescope magazine, but even subscribers to that magazine enjoy having this guide collect them in one volume. Because of the source material, there is a bit of overlap, but it's not a major detraction--most astronomers revisit favorite objects several times each year anyway.
I can't recommend it enough. Most of us occasional astronomers with binocs or scopes up to 10 inches only need the pocket atlas from S&T or this, our red flashlight, and a glance at locations of planets and comets for the night's viewing. While technology keeps offering us more on our kindle or smart phone, I'll never tire of the one paperback book, the desert, the un-light-polluted night skies, and the howl of coyotes in this distance while I explore the universe with Ms. French.
In this guide you in the Northern Hemisphere are guided month by month to the deep sky wonders--double stars, clusters, nebulae, and galaxies await you. French describes the objects as seen through small and medium telescopes, the ones beginners and intermediate stargazers will most likely use. She star hops you through a section of the sky, so if you do not have "goto" technology on your scope, you can follow along using the star charts provided. About half of the objects she describes can be seen with binoculars, too. She describes colors and shapes, often with pleasantly whimsical metaphors. Photos (how these wonders would look in long-term exposures) and sketches (nearer how they look to our eyes) are provided, too.
These were originally articles published in Sky and Telescope magazine, but even subscribers to that magazine enjoy having this guide collect them in one volume. Because of the source material, there is a bit of overlap, but it's not a major detraction--most astronomers revisit favorite objects several times each year anyway.
I can't recommend it enough. Most of us occasional astronomers with binocs or scopes up to 10 inches only need the pocket atlas from S&T or this, our red flashlight, and a glance at locations of planets and comets for the night's viewing. While technology keeps offering us more on our kindle or smart phone, I'll never tire of the one paperback book, the desert, the un-light-polluted night skies, and the howl of coyotes in this distance while I explore the universe with Ms. French.
August 26, 2012
Practical in the field, fun to read on the couch. I love Sue French and the way she writes about astronomy. Perfect for those with smaller scopes and not much experience.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews