Freedom, State Security and the Rule of Law: Dilemmas in the Apartheid Society (Perspectives on Southern Africa)

Book Description

A night-by-night guide to studying the moon.

The moon is usually the first celestial body that captures a stargazer's attention and imagination. Throughout history, the moon has endured as a universal subject of myth, poems, entertainment and intense scientific endeavor.

In clear language and with full color photographs and illustrations throughout, Moon Observer's Guide offers practical guidance to amateur astronomers viewing Earth's only natural satellite. There is valuable advice for observing the Moon with the naked eye, binoculars and telescopes. Central to this book is a detailed 28-day guide to lunar features. Lunar geology and the various causes of physical features, such as craters and volcanoes, are described.

Also included are:

Guidelines for choosing binoculars and telescopes
Ways of recording observations
Digital and conventional photography
Using Internet resources, personal computers and lunar software programs
Safety tips for observing the moon during solar and lunar eclipses
Detailed moon maps

This book is an ideal reference for the growing numbers of beginning astronomers.

Customer Reviews:

There are better books out there.......2006-05-19

The book covers a lot of good information, but it is poorly written and not laid out well. The first chapter rambles on for pages at a time about physical features on the moon and never shows a picture or map of where the feature is. For the current price (under $10) its not a total loss, but this is the second Firefly book I have read and they were both pretty bad.

Bottom Line: Bad book - Buy Exploring the Moon by Steve Massey instead.

Well intentioned, but maps inadaquate.......2004-06-11

This book has quite a bit of information on various lunar features. Unfortunately the included maps are very small and hard to read. Even worse, some features mentioned in the text are not even labeled in the maps. On the other hand, the labeling of the maps is overdone, and the format of showing slivers of the moon (centering around the terminator) makes it hard to get one's bearings even with an outline globe showing where the current map is featuring.

Given the shortcomings of the maps, the text could be just a tad more clear as to where one feature is in relation to another. Read the book slowly to get the maximum out of the descriptions. Other parts of the book regarding lunar geology and general observing are helpful. Get a good moon map or maybe a good magnifying glass to get the most from this book.

Average customer rating:

Very good first star atlas

You NEED this book.

Night Sky Atlas: The Moon, Planets, Stars and Deep Sky Objects
Robin Scagell
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Math | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
Rocks & Minerals | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Deep Sky Observer's Guide

NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe

Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them

Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas

The Next Step: Finding and Viewing Messier's Objects

ASIN: 1554070260

Book Description

A practical guide to binocular and small telescope observing.

Night Sky Atlas combines clear, accurate star maps with reliable and informative text. This is a highly practical atlas for beginning sky gazers using binoculars or a small telescope.

Sturdy binding makes it suitable for outdoor use. Cover flaps can be used as page-markers. The sewn binding allows the atlas to be opened flat. The star maps are drawn with black stars on a white background, allowing observers to pencil in their own observations. The high quality paper can withstand repeated use of an eraser.

The book begins by presenting the whole sky in a series of six maps, showing stars down to magnitude 5.5 -- all visible with binoculars or a small telescope. Opposite each map is a photo-realistic image that shows how the same portion of sky looks to the naked eye, allowing less-experienced observers to quickly find specific objects of interest.

The maps can be used for planning observations, navigating from one part of the sky to another and for a quick reference guide.

Other features include:

Forty large scale constellation charts
A full set of seasonal charts
Maps of the Moon and the planets
Deep sky maps identifying double stars, nebula and more.

A comprehensive index provides the location of information for all the night sky objects and features covered in the atlas.

The Night Sky Atlas is the ideal portable reference for backyard astronomers.

Customer Reviews:

Very good first star atlas.......2005-11-24

This is a very nice first atlas. It starts with a introduction section which covers the basics on celstial movement, observation techniques, and a few pages on the planets and the moon (including 4 pages of charts on the moon's four quaters and 4 accompanying pages of descriptions of each). It then has a very nice sky atlas section with the left page showing a black star on white background atlas and the right page showing the same view with white stars on black and all markings removed. This is helpful for getting a good idea of what you'll see, but the stars are artifically enlarged to show magnitude differences so its not exactly what you'll see in the sky.

My one gripe about this atlas comes in the third and final section on individual constelations. Its very well detailed and uses a page or so per constelation with textual descriptions of various objects, a few photographs, and a finder chart. However, the charts are printed with yellow stars on blue background, which washes out quite horribly when used outside under a red light. A white light only fares slightly better. I've found that this section is best used indoors. You can use many available software pacakages to print finder charts that are more exact to what you're looking for and will display better outdoors.

Overall, a very good buy.

You NEED this book........2005-09-16

I have many Astronomy books, but this is one of my favorites. The atlas is a classic star chart of an area of the sky, and on the next page is a photo of what you can expect to see. No more looking at your star chart, and then looking UP to try to find what you're looking for. It's so cool, and makes finding deep sky objects (or whatever your fancy) much easier. The back of the book also shows each constellation, and has a list of interesting objects in each with pictures that are stunning. Lots of great reference data also. Highly recommended and a GREAT PRICE too !!!!

The Moon and How to Observe It (Astronomers' Observing Guides)

Average customer rating:

The Moon and How to Observe It (Astronomers' Observing Guides)
Peter Grego
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 1852337486

Book Description

This revolutionary new book is written for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know the details of exactly what they are looking at. The Moon is the most commonly observed of all astronomical objects. This is the first book to deal equally with the Moon itself - its formation, geology, and history - as well as the practical aspects of observation. The concept of the book - and of the series - is to present an up-to-date detailed description of the Moon, including its origins, history, and geology (part one); and then (part two) to consider how best to observe and record it successfully using commercially-available equipment. The Moon and How to Observe It is a mine of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced

Observing the Moon: The Modern Astronomer's Guide

Average customer rating:

More a reference than a read
Not the best Moon book!
Solid, But Far Too Compressed

Observing the Moon: The Modern Astronomer's Guide
Gerald North
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0521622743

Book Description

What do scientists know about the Moon? What are some of the mysteries that remain to be solved? Written by an experienced and well-known lunar expert, this is a "hands-on" primer for the aspiring observer of the Moon. Whether you are a novice or already experienced in practical astronomy, you will find plenty in this book to help "raise your game" to the next level and beyond. Gerald North shares extensive practical advice and his sophisticated background knowledge of the Moon and of lunar observation. He covers the selection and construction of equipment and optimizing of existing equipment for such projects as drawing, photographing and CCD imaging of the Moon, together with analysis and computer processing images, and many other practical topics. Observing the Moon will allow both amateur and seasoned astronomers alike to immerse themselves in contemporary efforts to solve the lunar mysteries, as well as to enjoy more fully our Moon in all its magnificence.

Customer Reviews:

More a reference than a read.......2002-08-01

North's very attractive book struck me less as a "good read" than as a useful reference for the amateur astronomer. The half of the book devoted to an "A-Z" of lunar landscapes in particular is quite good for this purpose -- if you've been out viewing the moon and are curious to know more about a particular feature, both the text and photographs are of value. I agree with a previous reviewer that this would have been better as two books. The overview chapters are well written but not of much value to the advanced astronomer; the information on CCDs, software etc. is likely to age pretty quickly. The info on transient lunar phenomena is interesting but not of much use unless you have a big 'scope. Still, as a reference book for lunar features I haven't seen much else that compares with it.

Not the best Moon book!.......2001-08-29

It is difficult to know what to say about this book. The author has invested much time in preparing it, and Cambridge has done an excellent job of reproducing the many fine drawings and photographs included. Yet it leaves me surprisingly flat; I suspect this is a book which will sit on my shelf rarely opened.
The book is strangely lopsided. Its longest and best section, fully half the book, is a set of detailed descriptions of forty-eight selected regions of the Moon, selected for their topographic variety and interest. Each region is illustrated by photographs and drawings under various illuminations, and North provides descriptive text and an at-the-eyepiece tutorial. The drawings are typical of the British school of lunar drawing: meticulous pen and ink drawings which are striking to look at, but so stylized as to bear little resemblance to what one sees through the eyepiece.
This massive descriptive section is preceded by seven short chapters to provide the reader, whom North typifies as an "interested amateur astronomer who is yet to become a lunar specialist," with the background necessary to begin observations of the Moon. After an introductory chapter, there are sections on the history of lunar observation, equipment and visual observation, photography, electronic imaging, the physical nature of the Moon, and reference sources. Following the large descriptive chapter, there is a chapter on transient lunar phenomena, obviously a subject dear to North's heart. Much of this material is superficial, but it is interlaced repeatedly with rather technical sections, almost as if the author wished to show off his scientific credentials.
When I initially started to read the book, I gravitated to the chapter on reference sources. Clearly North's favourite source is Lunar Sourcebook-a User's Guide to the Moon. Unfortunately this is currently out-of-print. North lists seven books and maps taken from Sky Publishing's web site, which includes such standards as Antonin Rükl's Atlas of the Moon, and then makes an extraordinary statement: "I must admit that I have no personal experience of the adequacy, or otherwise, of any of these items." In other words, he has not bothered to consult a large part of the standard reference works for lunar observers! This was when I seriously began to doubt the quality of the research underlying the rest of the book.
Finally, there is the question of North's writing style. This is what I call the "chatty British eccentric" style, typified by the writing of Patrick Moore and Gerald Durrell. While charming to some in small doses, it definitely becomes tiresome in a long book. Then there is his constant whining about the page limitations imposed on him by his publisher, which he repeatedly uses as an excuse to flog his other book and just about anything else published by Cambridge. It took a major effort of will for me to wade through all this.
So what is an amateur astronomer interested in the Moon to do? My favourite book on the Moon, Rükl's Atlas mentioned above, is currently out-of-print, but due to be reprinted by Sky soon. It is what I always keep at hand while observing the Moon, and is well worth seeking out on the used market. I can't in all honesty recommend North's book to either a beginner or a more advanced student of the Moon.

Solid, But Far Too Compressed.......2001-08-17

North is a respected person in the amateur lunar community. Given that, I can't help but wish this book could have been somehow better.

North starts out by giving a good account of the Moon itself, dealing with such concepts as gravity, tides, phases, libration, lunar coordinates, and occultations. He then goes forward to give a short account of pioneering lunar selenography. Then he goes onward with chapters dealing with drawing the Moon through a telescope and photographing the Moon with both cameras and CCDs. All of these chapters, while good, could have been more in depth, I think.

A (very) short chapter on the Moon as it is studied from the desktop is included. This so barely scratches the surface the chapter is easy to miss.

The largest portion of the book is a chapter (over 100 pages long) on selected lunar landscapes. This is a great part of the book and North does a great job with it. It seems the only part of the book that isn't cut short due to space considerations, but here more could possibly been done.

Finally, there is a short, but good chapter on Transient Lunar Phenomena, the subject that North has been working on for some years.

In the end, the most annoying part of the book for me was North saying again and again and AGAIN that "much more could be said about this, but I'm already over the page allotment that my publisher set." In the end, due to this, "Observing the Moon" is largely an average book...that has two GREAT books struggling to get out of it.

Want a first book on the Moon? You can start with this, but it will only whet your appetite for more...which may not be a bad thing.

Book Description

In the ten years since this award-winning book was originally written by Michael Porcellino, the field of astronomy and its discoveries has grown by leaps and bounds. From the astounding images sent back by the Hubble Space Telescope, to the bright comet Hale-Bopp from the fleet of Martian probes, to the long-distance explorations of the Moon, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn--the universe has become more accessible than ever. And thanks to this revised and thoroughly updated new edition by astronomer and science writer, Patricia Barnes-Svarney, anyone with an interest can delve into its wonders. From the very close up to the far reaches of space, THROUGH THE TELESCOPE presents a uniquely "user-friendly" view of the universe, and offers both novice and advanced amateur astronomers some of the best tools available to watch the nighttime skies. You’ll learn all about: * Setting up a good, user-friendly telescope system * How to look at the universe in order to really see it * Upgrading your telescope for peak performance * How to spot a star cluster, a nebulaÖeven a supernova * Forming your own network of amateur astronomers. Complete with a web site appendix and fully updated charts on eclipses and planetary oppositions well into the year 2000, this edition of an acclaimed book will be an invaluable users guide for aspiring astronomers entering the new millennium.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent guide.......2002-02-01

This is an excellent guide for the amateur astronomer, with copious information on both what to look at in the sky and what to buy to do so, including both binoculars and telescopes. It has copious information on every aspect of skywatching, down to the best filters to view the various planets through. It's very supportive of amateur astronomy, consistently pointing out the contributions that amateurs have made and continue to make to the science (one of the few sciences where this is still possible).

Quibbles: a few formatting problems, where the formatting notation shows up instead of italics or whatever was intended. And they repeat the urban legend about Galileo going blind from observing the sun (though admittedly I just recently found out that this is mistaken).

Other than that, it's an excellent book, though more of a reference than a "sit-down-and-read" book, which is what I did with it, at least for now.

Meanwhile, I wonder if some of the other reviews (below) apply to the earlier edition of the book, since I did not encounter the same problems.

A poor excuse for a book on amateur astronomy.......2000-12-14

I pity the novice who purchases this book with the intention of learning about amateur astronomy. The book is a demonstration of what happens when someone rushes it to publication, does not KNOW the subject and builds poorly on a work that wasn't very good in the first place. There are so many terrifically awful errors in this book, it would take another book to document them. Pictures of microscopes where telescopes should be, refractor telescopes described as Dobsonians, etc, etc. The illustration/pictures are also slipshod, out of focus and poorly rendered. I cannot believe a suposedly reputable publishing house could release this "joke" of a text on amateur astronomy. It should be withdrawn from the market NOW and burned. -Richard Anderson

Badly in need of copy editing.......2000-07-05

It's amazing McGraw-Hill let this one out at all. There are typographical and syntactical errors on almost every page. I can't comment on technical accuracy, as I am a beginner at astronomy. But I do know when I've seen the same photograph twice with different, and inconsistent, captions. The publisher did a real disservice to the author of this edition--and to the memory of the author of the original version--by rushing this to market without at least showing it to a copy editor.

Warning: bad book!.......2000-03-04

This is the worst astronomy book I've encountered in forty years as an amateur astronomer! It is full of errors and has some of the poorest illustrations (out-of-focus, incorrectly labeled) I've ever seen in a commercial publication. Anyone interested in buying and using telescopes would be much better served by NightWatch by Terence Dickinson, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Dickinson and Dyer, or Phil Harrington's Star Ware.

Excellent reference book.......1999-09-18

As an amateur in astronomy, I found this book very educative. It covers all aspects of astronomy - from naked eye view of the sky to deep space objects, binocular to large telescope obesrvation, etc. Though it was written in 1989, the book will continue to be a reference book to all interested in astronomy.

Planets, Moons and Meteors (The Young Stargazer's Guide to the Galaxy)

Average customer rating:

Planets, Moons and Meteors (The Young Stargazer's Guide to the Galaxy)
John Gustafson
Manufacturer: Silver Burdett Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science & Technology | Teens | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Science & Technology | Teens | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0671725351

Average customer rating:

Guide to Observing the Moon
British Astronomical Association
Manufacturer: Enslow Pub Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0894900854

Moon, Mars and Venus: A Concise Guide in Colour (Concise Guides in Colour)

Average customer rating:

Moon, Mars and Venus: A Concise Guide in Colour (Concise Guides in Colour)
Antonin RUkl
Manufacturer: Transatlantic Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Mars | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0600362191

The Moon: An Observing Guide for Backyard Telescopes

Average customer rating:

Alachua Astronomy Club (AAC) Review by Don Loftus

The Moon: An Observing Guide for Backyard Telescopes
Michael T. Kitt
Manufacturer: Kalmbach Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Rocks & Minerals | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Alachua Astronomy Club (AAC) Review by Don Loftus.......2004-07-05

http://www.floridastars.org/9509loft.html

Oozing the Moon: A Sky And Night Woods Guide to the Galaxy

Average customer rating:

Part memoir, part philosophical treatise

Oozing the Moon: A Sky And Night Woods Guide to the Galaxy
Dennis Roth
Manufacturer: Fithian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564744604

Book Description

This remarkable journal chronicles one man's gazing at the sky, mostly at night, and largely upside down. The author has spend a great deal of time outdoors appreciating the night sky. A lot of his observations have been from an unsual perspective: hanging upside down from a park picnic bench, for example, for a new view of trees, of sky, of the stars and planets, and especially of the many-faceted moon. The unconventional perspective is also tied to a great senses of fun with language. The wisdom gained from his nocturnal observations coalesce disciplines, philosophies and mythologies from throughout the world, from antiquity to modern times. The book is, in addition to being inspiration, scientifically hip. It's greatest value though, is its enthusiasm ad its appreciation of the galaxy we all call home.

Customer Reviews:

Part memoir, part philosophical treatise.......2007-01-06

Cultural anthropologist, historian, social scientist, and outdoorsman Dennis Roth presents Oozing the Moon: A Sky and Night Woods Guide to the Galaxy, a memoir of his search for vision and illumination through experiencing the outdoors and the night sky. Roth used unconventional approaches to literally and metaphysically peer into the mysteries of nature: not only did he walk at night and very early morning to experience the quiet and the dark, he hung upside down from trees, squeezed his vision through cracks between leaves and branches, or contemplated the same sight night after night to personally soak in the progression of differences. Written in a day-by-day (or night-by-night) journal entry format, Oozing the Moon describes the rapturous wonder of simply contemplating natural life, the galaxy, and the expanding universe. Part memoir, part philosophical treatise, Oozing the Moon expresses undiluted joy, wonder, and appreciation of the majesty of the natural world.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books