Understand and Enjoy the Wonders of the Stars with Fun Activities for the Whole Family Gain a deeper appreciation of the universe and our place in it with Night Sky with the Naked Eye. Learn how to spot the International Space Station, follow the moon through its phases, forecast an aurora and watch a meteor shower along with traditional night sky activities such as identifying the bright planets, stars and constellations. Fun activities embrace modern technology with the best apps and websites that make it easy for anyone to observe the greatest spectacles of the sky without a telescope or other expensive equipment. An expert in his field, Bob King teaches night sky courses and makes cosmic mysteries practical and accessible for skywatchers new and old. Understand what makes stars twinkle and where meteors come from in this complete guide to the heavens. Unique illustrations and stunning photos help the reader understand the concepts presented. Tips on how to photograph satellites, eclipses and the aurora are also included. Unravel the secrets of the universe while deepening your appreciation of its beauty through this clear and concise guide.

"James Sowell introduces us not only to the night sky - some of the major constellations, the Moon and eclipses, planets, easy deep-sky objects - but also daytime phenomena, such as rainbows and sun dogs. He also gives a quick lesson on seasons, tides, relative distances, and motions."--Http://www.theskyscrapers.org/content5900.html.

An accessible, informative guide to identifying constellations and other incredible features of the sky, whether you’re hiking, camping, or stargazing from your backyard. Discover the Stars leads you on a tour of all the stars and constellations visible with the naked eye and introduces you to deep-sky objects that can be seen with binoculars or a simple telescope. The tour is conducted by the editor of Astronomy magazine, Richard Berry, whose two-color, computer-plotted sky maps and clear instructions make stargazing fun and productive from your first night out. The heart of Discover the Stars is two sections of big, beautiful sky maps and charts. The first section features twelve maps that show the entire sky overhead as it appears during each month of the year. These outline all the constellations visible anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, and the accompanying text reveals the rich ancient mythology that surrounds the star groups. The second section is made up of twenty-three star charts that depict smaller regions of the sky in great detail. These charts give the names of key stars and lead you to fascinating features such as stars with unusual colors, double stars, variable stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Separate chapters cover basics, such as how the stars move through the sky, how to find your way around the moon and the planets, making an astronomer's flashlight, and choosing and using a telescope—all in terms that are easy to grasp and remember. Discover the Stars is the perfect introduction to the heavens, simple enough to be useful if you're just starting out but packed with enough information to keep you learning and enjoying the stars for years to come.

Gazing up at the heavens from our backyards or a nearby field, most of us see an undifferentiated mess of stars—if, that is, we can see anything at all through the glow of light pollution. Today’s casual observer knows far less about the sky than did our ancestors, who depended on the sun and the moon to tell them the time and on the stars to guide them through the seas. Nowadays, we don’t need the sky, which is good, because we’ve made it far less accessible, hiding it behind the skyscrapers and the excessive artificial light of our cities. How We See the Sky gives us back our knowledge of the sky, offering a fascinating overview of what can be seen there without the aid of a telescope. Thomas Hockey begins by scanning the horizon, explaining how the visible universe rotates through this horizon as night turns to day and season to season. Subsequent chapters explore the sun’s and moon’s respective motions through the celestial globe, as well as the appearance of solstices, eclipses, and planets, and how these are accounted for in different kinds of calendars. In every chapter, Hockey introduces the common vocabulary of today’s astronomers, uses examples past and present to explain them, and provides conceptual tools to help newcomers understand the topics he discusses. Packed with illustrations and enlivened by historical anecdotes and literary references, How We See the Sky reacquaints us with the wonders to be found in our own backyards.

Night Sky presents 200 color photographs of stunning nocturnal vistas all visible to the naked eye. Can you spot the Big Dipper in the night sky? Or Orion's Belt? Or Cassiopeia? Even in cities, and without the aid of a telescope, these are a few of the easier constellations to find. In fact, a great deal can be seen in the night sky with the naked eye - if you know what you're looking for. Night Sky presents gorgeous color photographs of these stunning nocturnal vistas. From the majesty of the Northern Lights (Aurora borealis) as seen from Norway or Canada, and the Southern Lights (Aurora australis) as seen from Australia, to seeing the clarity of the Milky Way over an Italian forest, from witnessing a lunar eclipse in Indonesia to charting the course of the International Space Station across the Indian night, and from seeing a Geminid meteor shower in New Mexico to recognizing the Great Bear (Ursa Major) constellation over New England, the book is a feast of nocturnal delights. Where necessary, additional inset photographs indicate the formation of a constellation. Presented in a handy, pocket-sized landscape format, this is the perfect guide to take out at night when you're stargazing.

Contains 250 questions and answers about astronomy, particular for the amateur astronomer.