Explaining everything a beginner needs to know to get started, this heavily graphical book provides a solid grounding in the fundamental concepts and terminology of astronomy and includes specific advice about choosing, buying, using, and maintaining observing equipment.

With the advent of inexpensive, high-power telescopes priced atunder $250, amateur astronomy is now within the reach of anyone, and this is the ideal book to get you started. The IllustratedGuide to Astronomical Wonders offers you a guide to theequipment you need, and shows you how and where to find hundreds ofspectacular objects in the deep sky -- double and multiple stars aswell as spectacular star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.You get a solid grounding in the fundamental concepts andterminology of astronomy, and specific advice about choosing, buying, using, and maintaining the equipment required forobserving. The Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders is designed to be used in the field under the special red-coloredlighting used by astronomers, and includes recommended observingtargets for beginners and intermediate observers alike. You getdetailed start charts and specific information about the bestcelestial objects.The objects in this book were chosen to help you meet therequirements for several lists of objects compiled by TheAstronomical League (http://www.astroleague.org) orthe Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (http://www.rasc.ca): Messier Club. Binocular Messier Club Urban Observing Club Deep Sky Binocular Club Double Star Club RASC Finest NGC List Completing the list for a particular observing club entitles anyonewho is a member of the Astronomical League or RASC to an award, which includes a certificate and, in some cases, a lapel pin.This book is perfect for amateur astronomers, students, teachers, or anyone who is ready to dive into this rewarding hobby. Whoknows? You might even find a new object, like amateur astronomerJay McNeil. On a clear cold night in January 2004, he spotted apreviously undiscovered celestial object near Orion, now calledMcNeil's Nebula. Discover what awaits you in the night sky with the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders.

For students, DIY hobbyists, and science buffs, who can no longer get real chemistry sets, this one-of-a-kind guide explains how to set up and use a home chemistry lab, with step-by-step instructions for conducting experiments in basic chemistry -- not just to make pretty colors and stinky smells, but to learn how to do real lab work: Purify alcohol by distillation Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis Smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself Analyze the makeup of seawater, bone, and other common substances Synthesize oil of wintergreen from aspirin and rayon fiber from paper Perform forensics tests for fingerprints, blood, drugs, and poisons and much more From the 1930s through the 1970s, chemistry sets were among the most popular Christmas gifts, selling in the millions. But two decades ago, real chemistry sets began to disappear as manufacturers and retailers became concerned about liability. ,em>The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments steps up to the plate with lessons on how to equip your home chemistry lab, master laboratory skills, and work safely in your lab. The bulk of this book consists of 17 hands-on chapters that include multiple laboratory sessions on the following topics: Separating Mixtures Solubility and Solutions Colligative Properties of Solutions Introduction to Chemical Reactions & Stoichiometry Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions Acid-Base Chemistry Chemical Kinetics Chemical Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's Principle Gas Chemistry Thermochemistry and Calorimetry Electrochemistry Photochemistry Colloids and Suspensions Qualitative Analysis Quantitative Analysis Synthesis of Useful Compounds Forensic Chemistry With plenty of full-color illustrations and photos, Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments offers introductory level sessions suitable for a middle school or first-year high school chemistry laboratory course, and more advanced sessions suitable for students who intend to take the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry exam. A student who completes all of the laboratories in this book will have done the equivalent of two full years of high school chemistry lab work or a first-year college general chemistry laboratory course. This hands-on introduction to real chemistry -- using real equipment, real chemicals, and real quantitative experiments -- is ideal for the many thousands of young people and adults who want to experience the magic of chemistry.

Have you ever wondered whether the forensic science you’ve seen on TV is anything like the real thing? There’s no better way to find out than to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. This full-color book offers advice for setting up an inexpensive home lab, and includes more than 50 hands-on lab sessions that deal with forensic science experiments in biology, chemistry, and physics. You’ll learn the practical skills and fundamental knowledge needed to pursue forensics as a lifelong hobby—or even a career. The forensic science procedures in this book are not merely educational, they’re the real deal. Each chapter includes one or more lab sessions devoted to a particular topic. You’ll find a complete list of equipment and chemicals you need for each session. Analyze soil, hair, and fibers Match glass and plastic specimens Develop latent fingerprints and reveal blood traces Conduct drug and toxicology tests Analyze gunshot and explosives residues Detect forgeries and fakes Analyze impressions, such as tool marks and footprints Match pollen and diatom samples Extract, isolate, and visualize DNA samples Through their company, The Home Scientist, LLC (thehomescientist.com/forensics), the authors also offer inexpensive custom kits that provide specialized equipment and supplies you’ll need to complete the experiments. Add a microscope and some common household items and you’re good to go.

Perfect for middle- and high-school students and DIY enthusiasts, this full-color guide teaches you the basics of biology lab work and shows you how to set up a safe lab at home. Features more than 30 educational (and fun) experiments.

"The quality of the deep-sky images is outstanding--a tribute to the various photographers as well as the book's printer. But it's the written word that will make or break a book like this, and Sue's writing is superb... [For] an occasional stargazer, a serious observer, or anyone in between, you won't go wrong with Deep-Sky Wonders. This is a great introduction to deep-sky stargazing for novice and experienced amateur astronomers alike." --Mercury, publication of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Sue French writes the popular column "Deep-Sky Wonders" for Sky and Telescope magazine and also teaches deep sky observation. She has earned a loyal following among enthusiasts and is welcomed by beginners for her skill at presenting astronomy in an understandable way. After selling 10,000 copies of Deep-Sky Wonders in hardcover, we expect a good response for this paperback edition at an accessible price. Deep-Sky Wonders is a collection of 100 of French's best "Deep-Sky Wonders" columns originally published in Sky and Telescope, which has a monthly readership exceeding 100,000. The book is organized by season and subdivided into months for a total of 100 in-depth tours of the deep sky. Each deep sky tour illuminates little-known seasonal wonders that lie off the beaten path. Features include: Full-color photographs and detailed sketches of each deep sky tour Descriptions of double and variable stars, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and exotics Historical and scientific background of particular interest A tabular listing of the deep-sky sites Color charts showing the position of each target in the night sky An index to all of the deep-sky objects covered. Deep-Sky Wonders also features a variety of challenging objects that encourage observers to test the limits of their equipment and skills. Suitable for beginner and intermediate small-scope astronomers as well as large-scope viewers and astrophotographers, this book will be greeted enthusiastically by all Sky and Telescope readers. It is also an outstanding introduction to deep-sky viewing for novice observers.