renee_pompeii's review against another edition
5.0
This book has everything you need to get started and then stick with stargazing, and is entertaining and quite readable to boot. Not only will it give you a nice introduction to basic astronomy, it will also give very practical advice on equipment - both for beginners as well as for more experienced stargazers. It is also filled with great star charts, and instructions on how to use them...plus has a really nice lay-flat binding so that you can actually take it outside with you when you're ready to explore the universe! This book is a must-have for the amateur astronomer's home bookshelf.
david_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
I own a small telescope, so this book is invaluable. Very readable maps with quick highlights of what to look at. Terence Dickinson has a couple more books I like too.
joemurphy's review
4.0
Dickinson writes about the heavens with the infectious passion of an expert tour guide. The sky charts are beautiful and clearly explained. An exceptional book for someone who's been kind of thinking about learning more about the night sky.
My one minor criticism is in the section on telescopes and binoculars. While it contains clear and useful advice, I felt like the technical details Dickinson gives were beyond me. (This comes around again in the astrophotography section.) Presumably, Dickinson sacrificed a couple of pages of Optics 101 for length, focus, and style - but it would've helped me. Of course, maybe the point is that you can enjoy stargazing without the investment of money which requires you to understand the equipment better. Which, again, is a fantastic point for a newbie considering a WalMart trash scope.
My one minor criticism is in the section on telescopes and binoculars. While it contains clear and useful advice, I felt like the technical details Dickinson gives were beyond me. (This comes around again in the astrophotography section.) Presumably, Dickinson sacrificed a couple of pages of Optics 101 for length, focus, and style - but it would've helped me. Of course, maybe the point is that you can enjoy stargazing without the investment of money which requires you to understand the equipment better. Which, again, is a fantastic point for a newbie considering a WalMart trash scope.
cgreaten's review
5.0
Excellent book for anyone wanting to get started in backyard astronomy. Nice star maps as well as solid advice for purchasing your first astronomy equipment.
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