Publisher's Synopsis
This completely revised edition provides all the information you need to study the night sky with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope, including a detailed Moon map and a complete atlas of the constellations. It is suitable for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres.A straightforward and comprehensive handbook, it opens with chapters on the Moon, the Sun, the planets, the stars and galaxies, as well as information on astrophotography, telescopes and an explanation of the apparent movement of the night sky. The second section of the book comprises a full set of new constellation maps, created for this new edition by renowned celestial cartographer Wil Tirion. The book concludes with a comprehensive glossary, and timelines of the history of astronomy and space exploration.The larger part of the book is the star map section, which begins with charts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, showing how the constellations connect. There follows a set of seasonal charts for both hemispheres, which allow the observer to plan his or her stellar explorations for spring, summer, autumn and winter. The constellation maps show all stars visible to the naked eye as well as the brighter nebulae and galaxies. Each map is accompanied by a description of that constellation, pointing the observer to the most interesting stars and deep-sky objects in that area of the sky. Tables give the co-ordinates, magnitudes and distances of the brightest stars in each constellation.First published in 1993, the Guide to Stars and Planets has sold more than 50,000 copies. For this edition, Sir Patrick has thoroughly revised and updated his text and has selected some fascinating new photographs to be included. The artworks have been redrawn in full-colour, and the Moon map has been drawn for Philip's by Dr John Murray of the Open University.With its fresh and colourful appearance, this is a dependable, accurate and attractive source for all amateur astronomers.Main m
