Customer Reviews:
Binocular fun.......2007-09-24
I have been using Binocular Highlights for about three months. It is exactly what I have been looking for!
Where I live, Western Washington State, star gazing is often thwarted by clouds and rain. So using a telescope is often more trouble that it is worth. But, a quick venture into the mist with binoculars; now this made sense to me. However, I needed advice on which binoculars would be good to use and a manageable list of things to look for with binoculars. This is when, like a stroke of good luck, this neat, well written and very handy booklet, Binocular Highlights, was placed into my hands. I used the author, Gary Seronik's recommendation and bought a pair of Canon Image Stabilized binoculars. And have had a great time going through the pages of his book and successfully finding most of the objects listed. I am thoroughly pleased.
I can recommend this book to anyone with a general interest in astronomy or for someone who is just looking for something easier to use than a full blown telescope.
This book opened up a whole new world of astronomy to me.......2007-07-04
It was late one night a couple of weeks ago. I had been observing Jupiter and four of her moons with my Orion 90 mm refractor for several minutes when I felt the stiffness arch up my back into my neck. I'm in good shape for a guy in his early 40s, but still I'm more prone to aches and pains than when I was a younger man. Then I brushed against the scope tube and spent several minutes finding the planet once more. The cost was sore muscles along my spine and that inevitable thought: "there has to be a better way to do astronomy than this!"
Anyone who has ever used a telescope for any length of time at all can relate to the story above. That is why I am so happy to have discovered this book.
Don't know anything about binoculars? No problem. Seronik tells you how they work and what kind are best for astronomy. In fact, I must caution you now to NOT BUY A PAIR OF BINOCULARS FOR ASTRONOMY UNTIL YOU READ THIS BOOK. The insights it gives kept me from making a very expensive mistake!
I had a pair of Meade 12x50s stashed away in a closet which turned out to be more than up to the job.
After covering how binoculars work and what kind to use for stargazing, Seronik takes the reader on a tour of many splendid deep sky objects perfect for the binocular user. Believe it or not, there is plenty of stuff up there that looks incredible when seen through their wide field of view and low magnification.
This book is user friendly from cover to cover. It's not padded with needless fluff or technical details incomprehensible to the average person. However, it is written in an engaging, friendly style that makes it a delight to read.
All in all I am very satisfied with this book and recommend it enthusiastically to everyone interested in stargazing.
Binocular highlights.......2007-05-13
I am very satisfied with the book. It has the information I was looking for.
Great Book.......2007-05-13
This is an excellent book for both beginner and veteran observer alike. Charts are well marked and use actual star photos and not drawings as some books. The advice given on the best choice of binoculars to use is especially helpful to those just starting out. The selection of targets is varied and will in some cases prove a real challenge especially to the new observer but persistance will pay off in many enjoyable hours under the stars. Highly recommended !
Great Binocular Primer.......2007-03-09
For those unfamiliar with astronomical use of binoculars, this is the guide for you.
Customer Reviews:
Nice Resource.......2007-08-26
A good resource. I like to use it in conjunction with a Planosphere. I have not explored every "sample" in the book yet, but in general it is a good book to use and allows you to explore the heavens.
Celestial Sampler.......2007-02-14
It is always a joy to receive my Sky and Telescope and NightSky (now deceased) magazines and open them up to Sue's columns to see what new celestial wonders await. This book is a compilation of her articles written over the years in a style that is entertaining, informative and not so technical that a novice like me can easily follow. Her introduction is a colorfully illustrated lesson on general astronomy with monthly sky charts, viewing tips and her personal approach to our science.
The book takes you month by month beginning with January`s wintry delights. Each of the objects discussed are illustrated by star charts and photographs clearly identifying each target and how to find it. This includes a chart listing the object, type, magnitude, distance, RA and DEC. The text is a delightful mixture of fact and myth. What you can expect to see is vividly described with various telescopes, apertures and magnification powers and her own personal observations. Whether your interests are in stars, planets, or deep space objects, there is something for everyone to enjoy and learn. I can't wait for her next edition of Celestial Sampler to be published!
Jack Fox, Richmond Astronomical Society
The Joy of a Small Telescope.......2007-01-18
This book is compiled from Sue's older "Small Scope Sampler" column, which, as the title implies, emphasizes brighter targets, but also makes a point of describing the surprising things you can do with a small telescope if it's used with care beneath a reasonably dark sky. In this way she encourages those who are not equipped with gigantic instruments to go out and enjoy the many, many wonderful sights available to decent small telescopes. Sue's skills as a visual observer are equal to anyone's. Her writing is fluid and unpretentious. Her object selection covers all the bases.
For the past few years, Sue's column has been renamed "Deep Sky Wonders" in honor of an old tradition at Sky & Telescope magazine. Her next compilation will probably be drawn from these, and will feature more targets suitable only for larger scopes. Yet Sue still loves her 4" scope the most, and it still shows even in these later columns.
Great Compilation.......2007-01-11
I really enjoy Sue's monthly column in S&T - this collection is geat!
Well laid out, and much easier to use without the ads S&T spaces in the monthly articles =-)
Her style, prose, and eagle eye's are unparalled - you'll enjoy this book and her star tours!
An Excellent Compilation.......2006-06-15
Celestial Sampler is a conglomeration of Sue French's "Small Scope Sampler" articles that appear in Sky & Telescope magazine each month. It collects 60 installments since its July of '99 introduction. Each article guides the reader through a half dozen or so objects to look at that are nearby one another, so star hopping from one to the other is easy.
The articles are helpful in that they highlight inconspicuous things to look at, such as random NGC objects, and obscure double stars, while visiting old favorites, like the Messier objects. As such, the book is best suited for beginner-to-intermediate level observers who have tackled the major objects out there (M42, M57, etc.), and are looking for something more to look at.
Each article includes a list of around 5-15 objects, a few photos, and a finder chart that plots all of the objects, with stars down to about mag 7-9. The finder charts closely resemble what you'd find in Sky Atlas 2000.
The text of each star hop briefly describes how best to find each object, and a description of the object itself. Frequently each object is described under multiple apertures, though her 4-inch aperture is her "workhorse" scope, and gets the most descriptions. Each object is listed in bold, so finding a description for something is quick and easy.
Overall, this is an excellent guide to finding some more "off the beaten path" stuff that's out there. Even if you already have the S&T issues in which these articles have been published, the book serves as an excellent field companion, since it is well-printed, and glossy, so dew won't be a problem. Recommended.
Average customer rating:
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Stargazing Sky
Deborah Kogan Ray
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0517578166
Release Date: 1991-04-30 |
Customer Reviews:
Selección de dobles.......2007-06-17
La parte principal del libro sin duda es la selección de estrellas dobles del WDS, con los datos en tablas. Están agrupadas por constelación y ordenadas por ascensión recta. Incluye las constelaciones de ambos hemisferios, tanto Norte como Sur. Al comienzo del libro aparece una rápida introducción al mundo de las estrellas dobles y su observación, así como unos mapas básicos de búsqueda de un par de sistemas (el libro no incluye cartas de búsqueda, unicamente los datos de cada estrella)
Entre los datos elegantemente tabulados están las coordendas del sistema, la designación, año de la última medición (incluye mediciones recientes), ángulo de posición, separación, magnitudes, espectro, estatus (doble física u óptica, si es conocido) y una columna especialmente interesante para los observadores visuales: comentarios observacionales sobre cada doble (que incluyen la apertura del instrumento y los aumentos utilizados)
Los datos están bien presentados y son buenos. Tienen algunos errores o desactualizaciones que arrastra desde el WDS, como no tener los datos de las magntudes fotométricas más recientes, o para un sistema de más de dos componentes (AB y AC por ejemplo), en ciertas ocasiones, tener una magnitud dada para la estrella A cuando se muestra los datos de AB e inmediatamente debajo, al mostrar los datos AC, la estrella A aparece con otra magnitud difrente a la de la fila superior, AB. Hay varios ejemplos así.
En definitiva, es un buen libro, recomendable para los que gustan de observar estrellas dobles o los que deseen incluir algunas al planear sus noches de observación. La selección es buena y la cantidad es suficiente para estar entretenido un buen tiempo.
Double Stars for Small Telescopes.......2006-11-07
This clearly written book covers the basic information needed to understand the attraction double and multiple stars has to the amateur astronomer and most importantly, how to find them.
Reading the introduction, you realize that the author has an excellent understanding of her subject matter that communicates well to the reader. This shows in her ability to explain and keep my attention (no easy task). Her explanations and examples kept my interest and made me want to start observing immediately. The charts and graphs included illustrate very well the technical aspects of observing with detailed descriptions of the many subtle colors of the stars as they appear to the eye through the telescope. The explanations illustrate how stars are measured by magnitude, color, temperature and separation. A handy chart is printed on how far apart the stars will be separated in various scopes by their aperture.
Four constellations are illustrated labeling the binary stars by season to help you get started right away. An easy to understand legend in front of the first catalog page helps to locate your target and where to look. The catalog is organized by constellations. With each star you are given the right, assent ion, declination, name, year, position angle, separation, magnitude, spectral type, status and observers comments. Most comments, made by contributing astronomers, include the aperture and power of the telescope used.
If you have setting circles on your scope or better yet, a "go to" scope, it makes finding the stars are a snap. Otherwise you need a good atlas and plenty of patience.
Sissy Hass gives us one more pleasure for the use of our scopes in observing the unlimited joys and beauty of our universe. This is a reference book I will keep close by for one of those leisurely nights where I am not rushed to find some other object before it moves out of sight. Where every night is Christmas with the multi-colored lights of a Yule-tide tree.
Book reviewed by Jack Fox, Richmond Astronomical Society
A Double Star Book at Last.......2006-07-05
I liked the observations of various astronomers and the practical knowledge the book offers and the lack of academic theory you get in some books when all you want to do is observe.
Great!
Always useful information, but cheaply presented.......2006-07-03
Having made viewing many of the double stars in the Struve catalogue my annual observing goal for some time, I was happy to hear of this book becoming available. While generally pleased with it, I was disappointed in the final product for several reasons.
First, in this day and age, how can any book obviously designed to be used at the telescope not be bound in a manner so that it will lay flat when opened, preferably spiral-bound?
Second, there are almost no charts whatsoever, just four very basic constellation line drawings showing 15 of the more famous double stars. Surely some monthly charts illustrating in some manner the bright or showpiece doubles could not have been too difficult to include. I have drawn my own from the WDS catalogue data for years. If you have a modern "Go To" scope where coords can be entered and the telescope slews itself to the right point, or at least have digital setting circles, the book will be simple to use. For those without, you'll have to starhop on your own with other charts to the coordinate listings.
Finally, my copy arrived directly from Sky Publishing in a weak padded envelope with no protection and had about four inches of the corner permanently bent from being crushed in transit.
The observing descriptions of the double stars draw from Sissy Haas' own notes, notes from other observers, and from classic handbooks by Webb and Smyth. These are excellent overall and provide a sense of the observing experience far beyond what any robotic reading and sorting of the catalogue data can provide.
I wish there was a 3½ star rating. I gave it 4 in large measure because of the observing comments. Please, PLEASE Sky Publishing, do these "Stargazing Series" publications justice and give them a proper binding and more "meat" than just a listing of digital catalogue data.
Customer Reviews:
Patterns in the Sky.......2007-02-08
Patterns in the Sky by Ken Hewitt-White
Sky Publishing, 2006, soft cover, 6" x 9", 98 pages
I've been having fun with astronomy for the past 17 years and still consider myself a novice. That is why I get excited about new books written for the astronomy-challenged person that I am. Patterns in the Sky by Ken Hewitt-White
Is just such a book. It is one of the first in the series of books by NightSky written especially for the readers of that excellent magazine. The book is targeted for the beginner and intermediate level student.
The introduction gives the reader a concise overview of basic astronomy with terms to be found in the text and colorful illustrations to make it easy to understand. It contains a list of constellations and stars you will be viewing throughout the year and two fold-out star charts covering all four seasons.
The book is organized by seasons with the best objects visible showcased.
Each season chapter contains interesting astro facts, mythology, charts, photos and diagrams to help the student find those objects in the sky. The book concludes with a helpful glossary and resource information.
You don't need a large telescope or huge binoculars or vast knowledge of the sky to use this book to find these celestial wonders. This is entry level astronomy directed to the masses that can be a stepping stone to a greater understanding of the stars.
Jack Fox, Richmond Astronomical Society
Product Description
With this colorful new publication you can identify constellations, planets, star clusters, nebulas, double stars, and even a galaxy that is two million light-years away with nothing more than an inexpensive pair of binoculars or your naked eyes. Six handy sky charts help you navigate the night sky, while observation tips and techniques bring the universe clearly into focus.
Product Description
From 1946 to 1994, Sky & Telescope magazine featured a column called Deep-Sky Wonders, in which amateur astronomer Water Scott 'Scotty' Houston captured the wonder and delight of exploring the farthest reaches of the deep sky. Sky & Telescope contributing editior Stephen James O'Meara presents a month-by-month selection of Scotty's columns along with insightful observations and warm recollections of his time with Scotty. More than a field guide, Deep Sky Wonders is the work of a man who was a major influence on the development of amateur astronomy for nearly half a century. 6 by 9 inches
Customer Reviews:
A superlative classic........2007-03-20
I became familiar with Walter Scott Houston's column as a young teenager, and followed it until his death. This as a great compilation of many of his classic and timeless columns, carefully edited by Steve O'Meara.
Not a "guidebook" in the strictest sense, but a "suggestion book." It is one of my favorites. Highly recommended.
A tribute to a great visual astronomer.......2005-01-31
I must confess that I have been reading Walter "Scotty" Houston's Deep Sky Wonder's column in the Sky and Telescope magazine ever since I started on this amazing ride that is amateur astronomy in the mid 80's. His columns used to inspire me to observe from my light polluted backyard with my small beginner's telescope all those years ago. So when I saw that they were going to publish a "compilation" of his works, I knew I would have to get the book. And get the book I did. It was a no brainer really as I knew his witty writing style from his columns. An excellent cloudy night read and a tribute to a great visual astronomer!!!!! Your words of wisdom will live on Scotty...
Timeless!.......2005-01-27
Walter Scott Houston was a dedicated amateur astronomer whose monthly column, "Deep-Sky Wonders" appeared in Sky & Telescope magazine for almost 48 years, from 1946 to 1994. Though he passed away in 1993, his writings live on to educate and inspire both new and old generations of stargazers. Noted amateur astronomer and author Stephen James O'Meara compiled Scotty's monthly columns and edited them into book form, Deep-Sky Wonders (1999, Sky Publishing Corp.).
There is a chapter for every month of the year, with Scotty's engaging descriptions of the objects and how to find them. Many are challenging, with a brightness of 10-11 magnitude or less. Each chapter begins with O'Meara's personal comments and ends with a table of that month's objects, in ascending order by M- and NGC- number, showing the type of object, its RA and Dec, and page and chart numbers in the Millennium Star Atlas, Uranometria 2000.0 and Sky Atlas 2000.0.
Scotty blazed trails in amateur astronomy, never content with the status quo. This book illustrates his spirit for seeking out elusive objects and his love for the wonders of the heavens. He often asked readers of his column to submit their comments and observations. Many of those observations are recounted in this book. Scotty was a master, with vast knowledge of the realm of space, but was ever down-to-earth in his discussions with his readers. In the pages of this book you will find friendly, familiar Messier objects and exotic, hard-to-find challenge objects, all skillfully described in Scotty's own words, with anecdotes on how he came to see them.
O'Meara's preface to the book explains his relationship with Scotty on the S&T staff and as editor of Scotty's column in the 1990s. O'Meara idolized Walter Scott Houston, and attempts in his own books to emulate the nearly-poetic writing Scotty was famous for. Two other well-known astronomy figures, Brian Skiff and Dennis DiCicco added their comments in forewords to the book.
But Scotty's own colorful words make up the bulk of Deep-Sky Wonders. Here is a long passage from the first page of chapter one, "January":
"I learned my constellations in Tippecanoe, Wisconsin, a town that long ago vanished into the urban sprawl of Milwaukee. Back then Tippecanoe was a rather treeless tract of farmland bounded by the great clay bluffs of western Lake Michigan. The sky ran right down to the horizon and, with an almost irresistible force, called for you to look at it. In January 1926, after a midnight walk home from ice-skating, I wrote:
`Snow crystals sparkle like blue diamonds, but with a dreamy gentle radiance totally unlike the harsh gem. A rail fence as black as Pluto himself runs along the road. The forest is black in the distance. The landscape is a masterpiece in ultramarine and sable.
`As if in contrast, the heavens above blaze with a thousand tints. Incredible Orion leads the hosts with blue Rigel, ruby Betelgeuse, and bright Bellatrix. His silver belt and sword flash like burnished stellar steel. And more advanced is dark and somber Aldebaran, so heavy and gloomy. In fitting contrast are the delicate Pleiades, who sparkle "like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid".
`How can a person ever forget the scene, the glory of a thousand stars in a thousand hues, the radiant heavens and the peaceful Earth? There is nothing else like it. It may well be beauty in its purest form.' "*
*(Scotty referred to a stanza in the poem Locksley Hall by Alfred Lord Tennyson.)
Get the book, Deep-Sky Wonders, and get to know Walter Scott Houston. Let him inspire you with his timeless message to get out under the stars. Enjoy reading the book on cloudy nights, and use its lists on clear ones.
A superlative addition to the amateur astronomer's library.......2002-01-13
Deep Sky Wonders is a collection of issues spanning several decades of the late Walter Scott Houston's monthly column in Sky and Telescope magazine. The noted astronomer and author Stephen James O'Meara organized Houston's writings by subject matter and further by month of optimal viewing for better readability. O'Meara also only edited the text for consistency in a couple places, so it remains Houston's work. I think he did an excellent job in the compilation. A section on any given constellation or deep sky object may contain excerpts from many of Houston's articles, yet O'Meara managed to make the transitions seamless and got the flow right.
I read this book over about a month and it was a most enjoyable experience. Houston's writing is superb, which is not surprising considering he held degrees in English. Also, his love and enthusiasm for amateur astronomy comes through better than in any work I've read so far barring perhaps Burnham's wonderful Celestial Handbook. Houston knows the sky and was an active observer right up to his death in 1993.
Both beginning and veteran observers will enjoy using this work to plan observing sessions, to check what interesting or challenging objects are up during a session, or to read in a comfortable setting on a night of no observing. I plan to take this book with me on every observing session. Highly recommended!
A "must have" for any amateur astronomer!.......2000-04-19
Walter Scott "Scotty" Houston is a name many astronomers know well. Author of the Sky & Telescope Deep Sky Wonders column from 1946 until his death in December of 1993. He was a passionate amateur astronomer to the end of his long life. Houston's last column appeared in Sky & Telescope in July 1994 issue, and since that time, amateurs have had to scour back issues to excavate Houston's gold mine of observational knowledge. Enter Stephen James O'Meara. O'Meara has been on the staff of Sky & Telescope magazine since the late 70's, and was editor of Houston's column from 1990 until his death. O'Meara began the compilation by working with photocopies of the nearly 550 individual columns spanning Houston's career. He sorted, organized, and collated each of the works and produced a chapter for each month of the year, into which he inserted Houston's colorful prose, descriptive history, and observational commentary. O'Meara begins each section with some light annotation, but most of the words in this book are Houston's, and as a collection, they jell beautifully into a seasonal observer's guide that challenge Burnham's for the sheer elegance and depth of feeling that emanates from the pages. Upon receiving the book, I quickly turned my attention to a few of my favorite deep sky objects and marveled at the timelessness of Houston's descriptive prose. Before I knew it I had been reading for over an hour and could have spent several more lost in the beauty of Houston's finely knit web of description, quotes from other authorities, and the words of his readers. An example from his description of NGC2403, a little known but beautiful galaxy in Camelopardis:
"My 4-inch Clark refractor shows it as a lovely gem. I logged it as an "ocean of turbulence and detail" as seen with a 10-inch reflector under dark Kansas skies in the 1950's. In 1992 I saw it with a 20-inch telescope from the Florida Keys - a view that transformed it into a hurricane of cosmic chaos." (pp 28-29)
O'Meara's compilation of Houston's works has quickly taken its place as one of my favorite cloudy night books. It is also a valuable resource for planning observing sessions. It's organization by month lends itself well to selecting some prime targets for easy observing, with a generous does of difficult challenges for the more adventurous. This book is destined to be an instant classic.
Book Description
Best-known for evocative box-constructions in which he assembled small objects and ephemera, American surrealist Joseph Cornell was also a devoted fan of the cinema. This book examines for the first time Cornell`s "portrait-homages," created to honor his favorite female movie stars-Hedy Lamarr, Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo, Jennifer Jones, and others.
Customer Reviews:
great photos and text.......2001-09-02
This work on Cornell is one of the best out there. The author gives a thorough history on the artist and delves into his motivations for making art. The works selected are comprehensive. Quite impressive are the quality of the photos, very clear and detailed.
Shadow Boxing with Cornell.......2000-07-07
While having a cohesive collection of photographs of Cornell's multiform works is a plus for any book, Hauptman gets out her microscope and unscrews his shadow boxes, exposing the seam attached to feminist and psychoanalytical critiques. In the process of her research, she delves into Cornell's research as obsession; obsession as research, illuminating his aesthetic and politicizing his seemingly-anti political sexuality. The photographs in this substantial book are excellent and well-chosen and the stills from Cornell's films add a cinematic dimension, often over-looked by Cornell scholars. This book, through close readings of many of Cornell's works, examines his obsession with childhood (& that great goddess of time), Lauren Bacall, Jennifer Jones, and the elusive Garbo (whose disapproval of one of Cornell's boxes, inspired him to destroy it [lucky for you a photo of it is included in this book]). Hauptman avoids the pitfall of falling into an oppositional critique along the lines of gender, yet brightens the sexual politics blurred in the shadow of the boxes. By the final chapter (dealing with Cornell's dedication to Marilyn Monroe (a most-unlikely sensual/sexual subject for a Cornell project), in which Hauptman very astutely identifies the problematics of Cornell's desire to be both master and guardian, I was watery in the eyes. This is a touching critique and underscoring of Cornell, who, for many reasons, some addressed in this book and some not, was both a failed and successful master and guardian--an artist collapsed in a paradox.
Books:
- Cabanatuan: Murder Under the Sun
- Classical and Celestial Mechanics: The Recife Lectures
- Click Here: To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade
- Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings
- Compton Gamma Ray (Aip Conference Proceedings)
- Cosmic Rays and Particle Physics
- Cosmic Rays and Particle Physics
- Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberley (Pride & Prejudice Continues)
- Dark Matter, Missing Planets and New Comets: Paradoxes Resolved, Origins Illuminated Second Edition
- Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
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