Excellent introduction to the night sky
344680
An excellent primer for my daughter, and any young child interested in space.  Wonderful combination of information and reading education.  Recommended for any budding reader, or even a young child captivated by the night sky.
352901
Astrophotography is an area in the hobby where most beginners feel a measure of intimidation- from the high cost of equipment, the myriad jargon tossed around in amateur astronomy forums on the web, and a seemingly confusing and endless selection of knobs, plates, adapters, scopes, mounts, tripods, cameras, etc. available in the market place. But most folks are hooked the moment they take a photo of the moon or a planet through a small digital camera or even a cell phone cam.

Seip's book is concise, highly readable and an up-to-date book on amateur astrophotography. It is clear and well written and perhaps the best primer to read when one is contemplating delving into this area of the hobby.

I would have liked to see a little more elaboration on guiding (manual and auto), on focusing a DSLR (that's what most people start dabbling in), and on the importance of a good mount-perhaps an appendix guide on mount recommendations, stability considerations, the concept of PEC and maybe on drift alignment (a proper mount is the biggest success factor in astrophotography), but this information can be easily found elsewhere on the web and in books (Ron Wodaski has an excellent section on telescope and mount selection and considerations in his book that bears reading). All in all, an excellent book. I enjoyed reading it very much.

Lastly, if you see Seip's astrophotography photos on the web, you will realize how spectacular his photos (and skills) are. Perhaps it is a reflection of his humility that he avoids showcasing his jaw-dropping photos in his own book!
346537
This is a great book for beginners in the field of Astronomy. Unlike some of the other books I considered purchasing, it is clear cut and easy to understand. Enough content to keep you interested, but not so much it will bog down a beginner. I do wish it had information on astrophotography. If it is there, I have not come across it yet. There are only eight pages of color photos,and more color photos of what you might see would be very helpful. I am planning on using this book in conjunction with a new telescope and the information it provides will certainly get me around the Universe in an informative and fun manner. I am looking forward to getting into this book more as our Missouri sky warms this spring.
  I was also fortunate to come across this book in a hard back version which I feel is much more practical due to the use this book will get! Amazon was the only source I found that offered a hard back version.
2838211
As a life-long amateur astronomer with over 50 years of observing, I really enjoyed this book. The writing style is very even and upbeat. The author did a great job of presenting key concepts without any mathematics. There were a few minor technical errors, one in particular regarding confusion about the Moon's synodic and sidereal periods, but overall the editing was excellent.  The review of the constellations was really well done. These sections in beginner guides can often be dry and boring. I thought this was the best part of the book and it was the section I thought I would be least interested in. I wish this guide was available to me when I began my study of the night sky.
4261209
Staal's death in 1986 resulted in this book being published posthumously. His original 1961 book was focused on constellations visible from London, but he was revising it to provide more complete coverage of all 88 official constellations and to include bits of the star lore he collected from all parts of the world.

The book is divided into five major chapters, four for the seasons of the year and one to cover the constellations near the celestial poles. Each chapter is then subdivided into individual constellation sections. Stall included plenty of descriptive text as well as sketches of the individual asterisms being described. The appendices include a few star maps that show the relation of each constellation and asterism to the rest of the sky.

Although he does reference specific stars by their scientific names, the focus of the book is oriented towards providing the reader with information about the myths and legends associated with each constellation.

Anyone interested in getting a good overview of star lore from the various cultures around the world will appreciate this book.

Don Childrey, author of "STAR TRAILS - Navajo, A Different Way To Look At The Night Sky"
2666837
Wow, this one has all the information you want or need for binocular observation, and maybe more. If you enjoy astronomy and want one book for binocular astronomy, get this one. It will keep you busy with your binoculars for a long time.

The first chapter introduces the basics of star-watching: constellations, the celestial sphere, seasonal changes, and so on. It also includes a short discussion about choosing and using binoculars. The technical information is a little dated (the optics world has changed in the past 15 years!), but the rest is good solid information.

The next four chapters cover the sky by season. They each introduce the seasonal constellations, and the move straight to the good stuff. And what good stuff it is. Terrificly detailed descriptions of hundreds and hundreds of targets for you to look at, with drawings, charts, and photographs to help you find and identify them.

But be forewarned, this book is by and for amateur astronomers. If your interest in the night sky is very casual, a "twice-a-summer" affair, this book may overwhelm you. For example, it uses the Bayer and Flamsteed IDs for stars (Greek letters and numbers, respectively), and gives directions using degree measurements. You will need and use the star atlas at the rear of the book. Most of this can be quickly learned, but it does demand that you pay attention. This is a good thing. :-)

Chapter 6 describes and illustrates the structure of our own galaxy. It's interesting and very instructive.

Chapter 7 sends you out looking for galaxies. Galaxies, my friends, and with binoculars no less! But with a decent pair of household 10x50 binoculars and a dark sky, you'll be amazed at how the universe unfolds before you.

Appendix A covers the history of the constellations we use to navigate the sky; I found it good "cloudy night" reading. Appendix B covers the basics of stars (e.g., formation, evolution, and categorization), but there are better resources for this information. Appendix C is a very outdated bibliography; the most recent book noted is from 1991.

Finally, the book include indices for every object type, and the ten star charts of the  "Bright Star Atlas", which as I said you will need and use.

Anyone with even a passing interest will learn something on nearly every page of this book.

I will say that this book could use an update in look and feel. It doesn't have the polish of, say, "Nightwatch" or even "Turn Left". With an edit and format makeover, a revised edition would just blow the competition away.

As it is, this book expects some effort on your part (which, repeat this, is a good thing). It has numerous detailed charts to guide you, but it could use even more.

Not all objects described are illustrated; that would triple the page count. And the photographs, printed on ordinary (non-glossy) paper stock, are poor cousins of what we've become accustomed to. But they're serviceable in the sense that you get an idea what the field will look like when you get to your target. But don't buy the book for the pictures.

These few negatives don't add up to even a one-star drop in my rating. For the amateur astronomer, this is the cream even if you're just starting the hobby.

But for the person with a passing, post-barbecue curiosity about the darkening sky, this is too much. For you, this is a two-star book; S&T's "Binocular Highlights" may be a better choice for you.

With this book in hand, a red flashlight to read by, and a clear sky above your lounge chair, your binoculars will reveal brand new beautiful and awesome sights for many years to come.
2251501
Like many of you, I've long grown accustomed to diminished observing under a light polluted night sky. Sure, I can usually trace the major constellations and still find the best and brightest Messier objects. Yet, I hadn't realized my viewing deficiency until I had the benefit of an exceptionally dark night sky, far from city lights. There, I was lost, overwhelmed by a stellar grandeur that obliterated my limited sense of what I thought was there. I went scurrying for works that would come to my rescue. Few did, even the elaborate observing guides I had with me.

I found this one at the Air & Space Museum. Wow! For me, the price is worth it for just the wide field star images on pages 24-47. Even more so, the "close-up" photo swaths on pages 38, 40 and 44 I have turned to time and again for revealing deep sky treasures in the context of their placement in the Summer Triangle, and the richness of the Scorpius and Saggitarius regions.

If you have the occasional privilige to look into a truly dark summer night sky, this work can be your faithful seeing eye dog. I carry it with me along with my higher priced observing encyclopedias to keep me mindful of all that is there in the spendid Mily Way.

The balance of the book is helpful more for begininners and an excellent introduction for those who want to sample observing the summer night sky. Be aware that planetary positions are only through the year 2010 (I've never used that section anyway). But, even for this guy who owns an 8" scope, I won't be without "Summer Stargazing" under dark summmer sky observing. I pack it right along with several of the deep sky observing tomes each summer.
4005904
Our son has a budding interest in astronomy and a nine year old's attention span. That's okay b/c he is nine, btw.  This book is definitely visual enough to pique his interest in ways that other astronomy books could not.  His father (the astronomer...) is thrilled.  The photography is quite simply lovely and provides a different perspective on what is up there.  I generally use that "other" part of the brain, but even I was quite engaged.  Maybe not terribly technical, but it's a start.
3751144
When I started out in Astronomy, I began with a pair of 7 x 50 binoculars, and a sky map / guide.  The bino's were Celestron Ultima, and the Sky Guide was this one - namely the Monthly Sky Guide.

I really liked this as a resource, and I would take it outside with me when I was learning the constellations, and their position at different times of the year.  What I like about this guide:

-  It shows the positions of the constellations at different times of the year.
-  It gives horizon grids, so you can account for what latitude you are at when observing
-  It shows the brighter stars by magnitude, so if observing in the city with a lot of sky glow, you can spot the higher magnitude stars
-  It has great information for the beginner, and history
-  It is easy to make out the constellations on the pages with a red light since the guide is good sized, and the sky maps are also good sized.

I would recommend this as a resource for anyone starting out learning the sky - it is a great guide for both inside and outside use.

Thanks for reading.
4882739
This is a terrific guide for both beginning and experienced observers alike. It's something I wish I had had when I started observing years ago. The first two chapters are a good overview of terms, principles and concepts also touching on equipment, charts and astronomy software.

The bulk of the volume is dedicated to star charts, descriptions and pictures of the constellations and the varied items of interest in and around them. It is arranged in alphabetical order by constellation, which is the way I find best to observe. A nice feature is the inclusion on the charts of finder circles and eyepiece circles of view.

What I found particularly helpful was the inclusion of photographs with the charts. I have books of charts and books of photographs but this is the first book I've seen that brings them both together. To me, looking at both charts and photographs together is a real help in orienting myself to the sky.

All of the above along with the authors down to earth style of narrative definitely makes this book a great addition to any observer's library. I give this book 5 stars.

By  R.Adams
869152
I'll echo the comments of the reviewers below. I've looked at many books of star maps and I've written articles on the night sky for local newspapers. This book is by far the best - it's easy to use and the constellations are depicted just as they appear in the sky - without a lot of confusing, unnecessary additions. The accompanying essays are informative, entertaining and easy to understand.
It's a huge shame that this book evidently has not been updated in 10 years. So, yes, the planet information is out-of-date. (But before you learn to find planets you first need to learn to identify constellations and bright stars - that's where Star Maps for Beginners outshines all the others.)
I, too, have given away countless copies of this book. It's great for almost all ages. (Well, let's say for a bright 10-year-old and up.) I'm buying it again as a gift for someone who sells telescopes for a living. He never heard of it and he doesn't know what he's missing.
202380
At first I was unsure as to whether to buy this book. I am glad I did. Although I have over forty years of observing under my belt, I always enjoy reading about our hobby. Some argue that the authors are biased against computerized telescopes, there are some of us who are. If you are going to astro-image, fine you need one. But to me, the purpose of our hobby is memorizing the night sky, and becoming familiar with constellations and individual stars. It is also nice to follow the object when showing the sky with a crowd, I have nothing against a clock-drive. All in all a good book, some good yucks included.
2080436
This is an outstanding, well-written introduction to astronomy that will appeal to beginners and more advanced readers alike.  I have a Ph. D. in physics and have studied a lot of astronomy over the years, and found a lot  of material here to keep me interested.  Many discoveries have been made in  astronomy in the last few years, and this book serves as a very nice  overview to the field that includes the latest research results.  Also  included are many nice tips for amateur astronomers and references to Web  sites for further information.  Very informative, fun to read -- I highly  recommend it!
4836734
Great book easy to read great star charts excellent reference for the backyard astronomer
330796
I found this book to be a fun read. The authors are clearly passionate about their hobby and write with a style that is engaging, unpretentious and clear. This book is targeted towards beginners who are new to the hobby. I especially enjoyed the front chapters dealing with topics such as observing site etiquette, what to wear and what to bring. The beginner will certainly benefit from reading this and learn not to commit the faux pas of driving up to a star party with headlights blazing. There is also useful and clear introductory information such as finding constellations, star hopping, reading star atlases and observing tips and skills. The authors are clearly very skewed towards Dobsonians and this book reflects this bent. A bulk of the book is devoted to these instruments such as cleaning the mirror, center spotting a mirror, collimation and improving the Dob. This is great if you have one but not too great if you have chosen to start out with an equatorially mounted telescope or a SCT. There is consequently no information on polar alignment and the more rigorous drift alignment. There is also scant/no information on attainable basic astrophotography techniques that are accessible to an amateur with a tracking mount, such as planetary webcaming and guided deep sky photography with a short focal length scope or a mounted 35mm camera. I would encourage those with these pursuits in mind to consider other options besides a Dob before making a choice. All in all, this is a useful book and a welcomed addition to bookstore shelves. There are so many over-colorful over-graphic introductory astronomy books that are of little value to the serious beginner, and thus this book is entirely relevant.
2014930
Superbly written, clear and precise to the point. A useful tool for both hobbyist and amateur astronomers alike. Well illustrated with images and step-by-step instructions on "how-to's." I highly recommend for a novice (in astronomy) like myself.
219683
I saw a copy of this book at a star party and had to have it. I'm not a novice exactly, but I'm still trying to find my way around in the sky and a book like this, which identifies (mostly) unnamed groupings that look like they ought to be something is very helpful. I also found the layout of the book a delight and will model my observing log after it. The book has spiral binding and waterproof pages - so it's suitable for field use.