Publisher's Synopsis
If you want to learn about astronomy, then check out "HowExpert Guide to Astronomy."
Join Ryan T. Kirby, an experienced astronomer, and educator, in an exploration that will take you to the stars! In this short book, Ryan aims at teaching you everything you need to know about astronomy and stargazing from scratch! The book is divided into five sections, which are as follows:
1. Understanding the Universe: Ryan brings you up to speed on all the essential terminology and concepts vital to your ability to learn astronomy.
2. Planning your Observation: Discover everything you should do to prepare to go outside and observe the night sky!
3. Exploring the Night Sky: A section where Ryan offers detailed instructions on how to begin observing and learn the night sky while bringing in some helpful tips and tricks from his personal experiences.
4. Unique Events and Activities to Try: A section dedicated to some astonishing events astronomers should look out for and some of his favorite activities and observations, along with detailed advice on tackling them.
5. Fun Facts and Misconceptions: Ryan uniquely closes the book by briefly explaining many surprising, interesting, and unexpected facts about space!
This book brings readers into the world of astronomy with ease and offers expert advice and guidelines for approaching the daunting hobby. While aimed at Northern hemisphere residents, many tips, tricks, and techniques are relevant even under entirely different skies than those he mentions throughout the book.
About the Expert
Ryan Thomas Kirby has served as an educator for half a decade and has received numerous academics and leadership awards during his academic career. Ryan has had experience as a teaching assistant for astronomy courses, an observatory assistant, a supplemental instructor for astronomy courses at a community college, and an educator in numerous other positions. His experience educating in the field of astronomy is rivaled by his experience researching the field. Notably, he has used T.H.E.M.I.S. data from the surface of Mars to investigate the ages of ancient lava flows and imaged densely packed star clusters to learn about their ages, along with other research contributions. Ryan continues to educate others on astronomy topics and continues to contribute to research in the field with plans to further narrow his research in a search for moons around extrasolar planets as he progresses his academic career. Ryan is an alumnus of both Bristol Community College and Wheaton College in Massachusetts. He studied astronomy and physics and has held various leadership and educational positions at both colleges during his tenure.
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