Out of the Blue: A 24-Hour Skywatcher's Guide

by John Naylor

Why is the sky blue and why are sunsets red? When can I see a rainbow? Why is the moon sometimes visible in daylight? In Out of the Blue skywatcher John Naylor offers practical advice about where and when you can expect to see natural phenomena, what you will see and how to improve your chances of seeing it. Naylor takes in both the night and the day sky, and deals only with what can be seen with the naked eye. Drawing on science, history, literature and mythology, and assuming only basic scientific knowledge, Out of the Blue is for everyone who enjoys being outdoors and who feel curious or puzzled about things optical and astronomical. John Naylor was born in England, but spent his childhood in Peru. A graduate of London University with a degree in philosophy, he teaches physics at a secondary school in London.

372 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 1998

Reviews

[Greg Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

The heavens are complicated -- a child can ask why the sky is blue or how rainbows are formed, but the answers are surprisingly complex and difficult to explain. John Naylor does an admirable job in this well-illustrated volume, dividing his attention between the day and the night sky and showing equal skill in describing atmospheric physics and celestial mechanics. The whole is written in consistently clear, engaging prose directed to the curious layman, and it's equally valuable as a reference and as a source of fascinating browsing. Well done.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Daylight thus gives way to moonlight on successive evenings for up to a week, allowing farmers -- so it is claimed -- to work long after sunset during harvest time (hence the name: harvest Moon)." (205)

"[B]ecause a star is a point source, it is not possible to see its surface, even with the largest telescope. All that can be seen is its light. ... This does not happen when looking at an extended object like the Moon through a telescope. In this case, the telescope collects more light and magnifies the object. Both these quantities increase together, and so the surface brightness of the Moon seen through the telescope cannot be greater than that seen by the naked eye." (273)