100 Things to See in the Night Sky: From Planets and Satellites to Meteors and Constellations, Your Guide to Stargazing

by Dean Regas

A handy field guide for the best stargazing experience whether in your own back yard, camping, or travelling—including information showing you which planets, constellations, stars, and manmade objects you can see with a telescope, or just your naked eye!

The night sky is full of amazing things to see—from shooting stars and constellations to planets and satellites—but it can be hard to tell what you’re seeing, or where to look for the best view. 100 Things to See in the Night Sky gives you a clear picture of what you can see on any given night, either using a small telescope, or just your naked eye.

Each object is presented as a separate entry, with background information on the makeup, appearance, and history of the object, along with easy-to-follow instructions on how to find it. For astronomy and space fans of all ages, this guide helps you explore the galaxy and see the stars—while keeping your feet on the ground.

Genres: Science, Astronomy, Nonfiction, Space, Physics, Nature, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2017

Reviews

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

about as good as you can get for explaining so many cool astronomical sights to amateurs like me. an excellent guide and reference.

[miranda nikole 🧮 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2024 Reading Challenge #9: More Than 5 Words in the Title
2024 Goodreads Challenge - Book #19/25 (Last book of the year T^T)

Thiiiiis I downloaded on kindle to try and kinda get through my reading goal with short books. It wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, though. I thought it might go more in-depth discussing the mythology behind the night constellations and things like that. I did learn a few interesting things, though. Like the fact that I'm younger than a Saturn orbit!!! That makes me feel good. In fact, Saturn will complete one of its 29.5 years long orbits in approximately March of this year which is kinda cool, congrats in advance for completing a lap finally Saturn <3
3/5 Stars

[Youmna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun coming back to this book every few months this past year to learn about the constellations of the season. I also enjoyed learning about the mythology behind each constellation and the meanings behind the names of stars (so many of Arabic origin!).
It does get very repetitive though just because of how the entries are structured: first a page on the constellation, then a page on the main star in that constellation which has almost all the same information. So it might be better to just use this book for reference rather than read it sequentially. The language is also a bit childish but that's on me for not realizing it's a kid's book hahaha
My favorite memory from reading this is the time I was stargazing with my friend and happened to be open on the exact page that showed us what we were looking at (the summer triangle) 😊

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this basic guide to stargazing, readers will discover some basic information about the sun, the moon, and the planets that are visible without a telescope. Then they will explore the stars and the constellations in the northern sky, the winter sky, the spring sky, the summer sky, and the fall sky.

Discover man-made objects in the night sky; then learn about meteors and meteor showers.

Follow that with other astronomical events, including lunar and solar eclipses, planetary conjunctions, comets, auroras, and more.

Explore the night sky and explore planets, satellites, meteors, and constellations using this basic guide to stargazing. You’re sure to discover something new every night.

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After a brief introduction and a few pages of “How to Use This Book” instructions, this book helps beginning stargazers discover what they can see using their eyes or a small telescope. Designed for readers new to stargazing, this book focuses on helping stargazers develop a foundation of knowledge about the night sky rather than providing detailed information.

Easy-to-follow instructions and detailed star maps will help the novice stargazer identify a variety of objects in the night sky. Happy stargazing!

Highly recommended.

[Yannick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for beginner stargazers.

[Mike S · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 Things to See in the Night Sky is a guide by Dean Regas, published in 2017 and updated in 2020, that teaches/helps people locate various objects in the sky. The objects are those that can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere at different times of the year. It begins with the simplest objects we see every day-- the sun and the moon. In the discussion of the sun, Regas talks about how to safely observe it without damaging your eyes. He also talks about the best times to observe the moon through binoculars or a telescope, and what to look for when you do. He then discusses the planets visible to the naked eye, followed by various constellations and the stars that form them. He also mentions some deep sky objects that would require binoculars or a telescope to see, such as the Andromeda Galaxy and various star clusters, and how to find them relative to the constellations. He concludes with a discussion on observing things such as comets, meteor showers, and even satellites.

The hardcover version of the book is a little under 250 pages long, but it has a lot of photographs and illustrations, so it is not 250 pages of actual text and reads quickly. Regas does an excellent job of detailing where to look for the various objects he discusses, as well as providing a short history of how they were first discovered (for those there are a record) or the stories behind how they were named. Ultimately, it is a fascinating book that is perfect for amateur astronomers. It is absolutely worth reading.

[Bee Ostrowsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is something of a bird book for heavenly bodies: it briefly describes some of the prominent or important ones, and gives some lightweight advice on watching them, but doesn't give much of an understanding of their inner workings or life cycles.

It's frustratingly light on details. Mr. Regas writes "Many people think the Big Dipper is a constellation, but it's actually an asterism, a recognizable shape of stars." Aren't constellations also recognizable shapes of stars? Does the distinction point to clusters of stars that are physically near each other versus those that are merely in the same general direction from our perspective on Earth? (The answer appears to be that constellations are asterisms that have been officially recognized by the IAU.) The effect on this reader is that of a guy at a party who begins a recognizable fraction of his sentences with "well, actually". Technically may be the best kind of correct, but it doesn't make for a satisfying read.

[Thomas Scholtes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for any Northern Hemisphere aspiring astronomer, or any excited stargazer!

As a child, I was always interested in the night sky; the moon, the planets, meteors (and especially extraterrestrials). I was two classes away from a minor astronomy degree (but had to use all my later class time for business :( ). This book is packed with not only 100 interesting things to see in the sky, but cool facts, histories, and myths surrounding them. If you like Greek and Roman mythology, you'll like this book. And other stories and names of stars come from lots of different cultures around the world. Then on top of that, the book tells you the best times, places, and locations to see each of the 100 things, and tips on how to find them and reference points to make sure you're looking in the right location. It's so useful you'll almost wish you had a pocket-sized version that you could take with you and your telescope out to the country with less light pollution. While reading it page-to-page like a novel may give you a lot of repetition of information, it's incredible useful as a guide and refresher to learn-up on whatever new constellations and heavenly bodies are in view on any given night.

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice introduction to stargazing. The book was accessible and easy to understand. The diagrams of the constellations were helpful, as were the directions as to how to find them in the night sky. I also liked learning about the mythologies that previous cultures have ascribed to the constellations and planets, it made the book very enjoyable to read.

I feel as though I’ve gained a more thorough understanding of the stars, planets, galaxies, and various celestial phenomena that grace our skies. A nice jumping point for more in-depth research!!

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work in space physics in my day job, and I picked this book up at Five Below ($5!) hoping for a nice resource for friends and family to navigate introductory astronomy topics and pique their interest. This book did not disappoint! It is excellent for introducing the night sky to beginners, and I learned a few things myself!

[ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beginner-friendly book . Easy to read and digest. And a reference for constellations and stars for beginners . As a beginner, you need this book with little knowledge about celestial coordinates and dive into the wonders of universe.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book that describes some great objects and constellations to know about in the Northern Hemisphere.

[Jodi Geever · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and simple introduction to stargazing.

[Pía López Copetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a truly formative book on Astronomy. The only drawback from my side is that’s oriented to people who live in the Northern Hemisphere

[Lore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beginner's book, but I loved the many forays into different, lesser known mythologies.

[Jonathon Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great starter book. I like to take it with me when doing astrophotography or stargazing.

[Chip Southworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well organized. Concisely written but does add the diverse constellation stories from different cultures.

[DeWayne Dorsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very informative book for any curious and budding astronomers. I highly recommend

[Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very accessible intro to star gazing and constellation finding.

[Sonia Jarmula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-own reference book.

[PottWab Regional Library]

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[Emily K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for amateur stargazers like me!

[Rodolfo Vázquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book to understand the myths around most popular constellations. Funny and beautifully written, I wish there were more books like this one.

Recommended for anyone starting to spend more time with the stars.

[Aprilleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m pretty impressed with this book. It’s small enough to tuck into a bag with the rest of your astronomy equipment, is formatted in a clear, simple style with only a few useful star charts for finding and orienting yourself with the constellations, and is printed in a dark blue ink that will result in great contrast when viewed under a red astronomy light. Even the binding seems to be unusually sturdy.

After a half dozen pages with some useful information to help beginners get started, Part 1 covers the sun (including how to view the sun safely), the moon, and the planets that can be seen with the naked eye (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn). Each entry includes What Is It?, a difficulty level (easy, moderate, or difficult), and a description, as well as some interesting things specific to that object (moon phases, transits of Mercury, the ring tilt of Saturn, etc.).

Part 2 is the largest section and covers stars and constellations (it also includes some star clusters, a nebula, a galaxy, and a few asterisms), organized by the season in which they are best seen, and another group that are visible year round in the northern sky. Each entry includes What Is It?, a difficulty level, a description, as well as directions how to find it. These directions are based on easily identifiable objects and patterns in the night sky rather than right ascension and declination. This makes it easy to really learn your way around the night sky rather than relying on the numbers. Plenty of time for that later.

Part 3 covers a variety of other objects, including satellites, meteors, auroras, eclipses, and more). The basic layout is the same as Part 2, and a list of dates is given for future total lunar and solar eclipses in the U.S. (some of the lunar events have already occurred).

The level of detail isn’t overwhelming, which is a point in its favor for beginners. Some of the information includes relevant history, mythology (did you know that Taurus was painted 17,000 years ago in a cave in France?), and some basic facts about astronomy. It’s a well-balanced introduction to the beauty of the night sky and very easy to read without getting bogged down in too much detail. Even better, everything in here is easily within reach with only modest equipment. If you’re lucky enough to live in or have access to dark skies, you can see most of these with the naked eye or a modest pair of binoculars.