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It gives you a great analysis of amateur stargazing and telescoping. Realizing that I got right back into it and read how there are ton of other things that are much better to look at and the reason the Andromeda galaxy is so blurry is the fact that its 2.5M Light Years away. His comment on the Andromeda galaxy was spot on. Understanding this, my love of stargazing is just beginning and the more I know the more I am completely in awe. He includes 20 charts of the constellations and what an amateur stargazer can expect to see within each constellation (what galaxy's, nebulas, binary stars, etc). It was awesomely educational. The reviews say it all on this book. Realizing all that I moved on and was much more impressed of other objects he suggested.PLanets are the best in my view, Orion Nebula is awesome too, and binary stars are very cool.
The rewards will be great. Its actually the farthest object in the sky one can see with the naked eye (of course in optimal conditions). Knowing your way around and educating yourself of the immense beauty of this universe is the biggest reward you will receive. I was almost turned off right there, saying to myself, ARE YOU serious this is what Im going to see thru my scope, what a disappointment. I found the best thing was the back charts. His best advice, and he is SPOT on, is buy binoculars first.
I was so disappointed in what I saw the first time I looked at this galaxy cause all it was was a white blob. But this guy really explains the best things to see in the sky and he harners your expectations by saying you will not see anything like you see in magazines because those pictures are photographed and layered for hours. Learn and educate yourself of the sky before trying to blindly point your scope in the sky. BUY THIS BOOK.
The charts and stargazing guidelines are relevant through 2018, and the information detailed within breaks events in the sky down to the positioning of constellations at various seasons throughout the year. The photographs and illustrations in this book are absolutely stunning. The images make this book an excellent coffee table book and conversation starter. Perfect beginner book of astronomy. Easy to read and beautiful to page through.
This book strikes the perfect balance between being too technical and being too abstract. Once you learn to navigate with those, you're ready for a "real" star atlas. I'm guessing a newer edition will be more up-to-date with that, but those revisions could probably be found on astronomy sites.Dickinson is an engaging writer, and the illustrations are well-done and well-chosen. However, if you ARE one of those people, and you know someone who's interested in astronomy but will never enroll in a physics course, you can recommend this book in good conscience.There's a substantial section about telescopes and how to buy them; if you already have a decent telescope, it seems like too much print is wasted on consumer education. But this book is the best introduction out there. But one of the biggest pitfalls to beginning this hobby is that people get sucked into buying what they think is a "starter" telescope but which is actually useless. The author, Terence Dickinson, breaks down amazingly complex information so that non-scientist stargazers, like myself, can glean all the enjoyment and wonder out of the heavens without getting a major headache.NIGHTWATCH is not for experienced stargazers or anyone schooled in the physical sciences, but that becomes obvious immediately. Also, there are dates given for different phenomena, which only goes to 2009 or 2010.
Then they get frustrated and quit stargazing completely. The author is very careful to point the reader toward a 'scope that meets his or her needs and that will provide years of enjoyment.The spiral-bound edition of this book makes it portable enough to take into the field, and although the star maps are very simple, they're adequate for beginners. When you get comfortable with your little corner of the galaxy, you can move on to more "advanced" books. It'll get you looking up, and thinking about those Larger Questions, like, "If I could go beyond the edge of the universe, would I disappear because I went past the beginning of time." and "Who really made the crop circles."
If you are a beginner star gazer like me and know nothing about stars and planetary location, this book will guide you to open up your eyes to the wonderful unknown world. It is detailed but will not overwhelm you with information like so many other books out there. I highly recommend to others.
This is way you should start out with visual astronomy. I read dozens of books when I first started out. Period. Trust me on this. This one is THE #1 BEST. Start here FIRST.
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