Stephen James O'Meara's Observing the Night Sky with Binoculars: A Simple Guide to the Heavens

New
Illustrated
2008
$39.07

Month by month, star by star, object by object, Stephen James O'Meara takes readers on a celestial journey to many of the most prominent stars and constellations visible from mid-northern latitudes. Filled with interesting anecdotes about the stars and constellations and their intriguing histories, this book is both a useful guide for amateur astronomers, and a great first-time reference for those just starting out. After describing a constellation's mythology, readers are guided in locating and identifying its brightest stars in the sky, as well as any other bright targets of interest - colourful stars, double or multiple stars, star clusters and asterisms, nebulae, galaxies, variable stars, and more. This book will help beginning stargazers become familiar with the stars and constellations visible from their backyards, and explore the brightest and best stars, nebulae, and clusters visible through inexpensive, handheld binoculars.

Synopsis

Month by month, star by star, object by object, Stephen James O'Meara takes readers on a celestial journey to many of the most prominent stars and constellations visible from mid-northern latitudes. Filled with interesting anecdotes about the stars and constellations and their intriguing histories, this book is both a useful guide for amateur astronomers, and a great first-time reference for those just starting out. After describing a constellation's mythology, readers are guided in locating and identifying its brightest stars in the sky, as well as any other bright targets of interest - colourful stars, double or multiple stars, star clusters and asterisms, nebulae, galaxies, variable stars, and more. This book will help beginning stargazers become familiar with the stars and constellations visible from their backyards, and explore the brightest and best stars, nebulae, and clusters visible through inexpensive, handheld binoculars.

$39.07

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 168
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 09 Oct 2008
ISBN 10: 0521721709
ISBN 13: 9780521721707
Book Overview: Useful guide and reference for amateur astronomers exploring the night sky through handheld binoculars.

Media Reviews

'O'Meara's writing inspires and his passion and enthusiasm for observing leaps off the pages.' Sky at Night Magazine
'... O'Meara's book really did keep me interested from the outset. ... the reader is left feeling as though they have truly learned about what they have seen. ... Within each chapter there is interesting information that covers stars, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters etc. ... allows those who have binoculars rather than a telescope to get a great deal of enjoyment out of looking up at the sky.' Astronomy Now
'... a fine book that should encourage any possessor of simple optical aids to go out and seek for themselves what the night sky has to offer.' The Observatory
'... I would highly recommend the book as a thorough grounding in visual observing and in the basic concepts of astronomy. It is well worth the money and my copy will get well used.' Gnomon
'Bit by bit, we are fed with little gems of information that [enhance] our appreciation and understanding of what we are observing. It's for this very reason that I found this book enthralling, and quite enchanting. Stephen is an accomplished observer, but more importantly, he has the ability to put across his obvious excitement ... [which] draws the reader into this fascinating subject ...' Federation of Astronomical Societies Newsletter
'... there's nobody who does a better job [than Stephen O'Meara] describing what he sees in the sky and helping us experience some of the enjoyment that he has ... He's an observer and wants you to be one too.' Bill Pellerin, GuideStar
'... simple but effective layout ... clear illustrations appear throughout ... don't miss that little spark of interest when newly seeing a bright star in the evening sky. Grab binoculars and Stephen O'Meara's book ... to begin an adventure exploring an unlimited realm.' www.universetoday.com
The mythology and history of the stars and other objects are explained in engaging narrative, and the reader is left feeling as though they have truly learned about what they have seen. ...ideal for those who want to know more about astronomical objects easily seen with binoculars. - David Bowley, Astronomy Now
The chapters cover all the major binocular deep-sky objects well, but unlike most such guides, the author devotes even more space to star patterns and individual stars. On the whole, I find this refreshing. ... As always, O'Meara's writing is lively, quirky, and infused with his personality. - Tony Flanders, Sky & Telescope
[O'Meara] lends depth and richness to the observing experience. His skilled observations and side jaunts to obscure targets give both novice and seasoned skygazers fresh vistas to seek and explore. - Sky & Telescope on Deep-Sky Companions: The Caldwell Objects
Finding your way around the thousands of stars scattered across the night sky is pretty daunting when you're new to astronomy. So a good guide to what you're looking at is crucial to building your foundation as a budding astronomer. [This book] will certainly help you along the way. [O'Meara] relates his invaluable experience as an astronomer, revealing the unique stories and secrets each constellation has to offer, bringing them right down to Earth. O'Meara's writing inspires and his passion and enthusiasm for observing leaps off the pages. ... Armed with O'Meara's book and a pair of binoculars, you'll be hunting for your next mythical beast or hero with no trouble at all. - Vincent Whiteman, Sky at Night Magazine
...simple star charts and pictures of nebulae allow the book to double as a valuable supplement to the many free star charts or planispheres available online. - Physics World
[This book] will have you comfortably cruising the night's starry sphere in no time with its straightforward techniques and handy mnemonics. - Mark Mortimer, Universe Today
Whenever Stephen O'Meara comes out with a new book, it's almost an automatic purchase for many amateur astronomers. There's nobody who loves the sky (day and night) and its phenomena more than Stephen, and there's nobody who does a better job describing what he sees in the sky and helping us experience some of the enjoyment that he has. - Bill Pellerin, GuideStar
...an engaging introduction ... O'Meara, a veteran contributor to Astronomy and Sky and Telescope, brings breadth of knowledge, outstanding skills, and a personal voice. Stargazers of all levels can learn from an observer's hard-won wisdom and ability to see with the mind's eye. Those in the field will appreciate the book's cumulative approach, organization by season, and portable format. ... Recommended. - CHOICE
There's nobody who loves the sky (day and night) and its phenomena more than Stephen, and there's nobody who does a better job describing what he sees in the sky and helping us experience some of the enjoyment that he has. - GuideStar

Author Bio

Stephen James O'Meara spent much of his career on the editorial staff of Sky & Telescope. He is a columnist and contributing editor for Astronomy magazine and a world-renowned science popularizer. For his many outstanding achievements in astronomy, including the visual recovery of Halley's comet in 1985, pre-Voyager visual discovery of the spokes in Saturn's B-ring, and being the first to determine visually the rotation period of Uranus, the International Astronomical Union named asteroid 3637 O'Meara in his honor. Steve is also the recipient of the Caroline Herschel Award, as well as the prestigious Lone Stargazer Award (2001) and the Omega Centauri Award (1994) for 'his efforts in advancing astronomy through observation, writing, and promotion, and for sharing his love of the sky.' Steve was a long-time contributing editor and consultant for Odyssey, an award-winning children's science magazine. He is also a contract videographer for National Geographic Digital Motion, specializing in volcanic eruptions.