"The classic beginner's guide to the night sky."--Page 4 of cover.

Volume packed full of information that illuminates key astronomical concepts along side the history and legends surrounding the stars and planets.

A book of twelve star-gazing activities, one for each month of the year.

"l hope that people all around the world never forget what a wonderful thing it is to lie on your back and look up at the stars" Pete Seeger What is the fascination that constellations hold for people? There are probably as many different answers to that question as there are people. For many, though, the constella tions are the stepping-off point into the fabulous, mind-bending discoveries and concepts of modern astronomy. For others it is their long and intriguing history that beckons. For some people the constellations provide the means for navigation and orientation over the surface of the Earth, and of course there are the millions who place some faith in horo scopes. But for most people the patterns in the sky are a beautiful part of their environ ment to be treasured alongside the forests, fields and rivers that make life worth living. However just as we are losing our green environment to pollution, so we are losing our sky. The glow from cities across the world swamps the stars in the night sky. Astronomers have had to retreat to remote mountain tops to escape that light pollution. The rest of us must make do with what is available. From the centre of a city, or any other brightly lit area, probably no stars at all will be visible even on the clearest of nights. From the suburbs, the brighter stars should normally be seen.

Stargazing is among the most peaceful and inspiring outdoor activities. Night Sky, the award-winning book by Jonathan Poppele, makes it more fun than ever! Take a simple approach to finding 62 constellations by focusing on one constellation at a time, instead of attempting to study dizzying charts. Start with the easy-to-find constellations during each season and work toward the more difficult ones. Better yet, you'll learn how to locate any constellation in relation to the Big Dipper, the North Star and the top of the sky. With two ways to locate each constellation, you'll know where in the sky to look and what to look for! Along the way, you'll be introduced to mythology, facts and tidbits, as well as details about the planets, solar system and more! As an added bonus, the book comes with a red-light flashlight for night reading.

The ninth edition of Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion's famous guide to the night sky is updated with planet positions and forthcoming eclipses to the end of the year 2017. It contains twelve chapters describing the main sights visible in each month of the year, providing an easy-to-use companion for anyone wanting to identify prominent stars, constellations, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies; to watch out for meteor showers ('shooting stars'); or to follow the movements of the four brightest planets, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Most of the sights described are visible to the naked eye and all are within reach of binoculars or a small telescope. This revised and updated edition includes sections on observing the Moon and the planets, with a comprehensive Moon map. The Monthly Sky Guide offers a clear and simple introduction to the skies of the northern hemisphere for beginners of all ages.

An introductory stargazing manual including information and projects on the zodiac, moon, time, solar system, and finding directions and location using the stars.