The Sky Observer's Guide: A Fully Illustrated, Authoritative and Easy-to-Use Guide

by R. Newton Mayall, Margaret Mayall, Jerome Wyckoff

Filled with practical information for the amateur astronomer, this Golden Guide

-How to select and use binoculars and telescopes
-How to best observe stars, the moon, planets, comets, meteors, and other celestial objects
-How to use star charts

Profusely illustrated with photographs, diagrams, charts, and tables, this guide is recommended by leading astronomers.

Genres: Science, Reference, Astronomy, Nonfiction, Space, Field Guides, Nature

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[Pj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Tons of information tucked into this little Golden Guide! I give it a four star rating because this particular book is outdated with updates as of 1985.

Well worth the read if your thinking about getting a microscope with various topics for prompting future studies!
I am now seeking current books on this topic, but will keep this one for the 'Things to Do' lists of various topics throughout the book for when I DO get a telescope!

[Carlos West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes the 1965 edition is old but still an easy read for the amateur astronomer. Interesting to come across predictions from then such as we will soon have artificial asteroids. Hasn’t happened yet! The star charts are very good, and that is MOST important! Some of the drawings and photographs you won’t find in other editions. A chapter you might not expect: Sky Colors. Photographs and illustrations are both in b&w and color. The meteor shower list leaves out the best one- the December geminids. Bad mistake! You may have to re-glue the binding. The glossy paper is the best quality and should last forever! The book’s price of $1 was expensive back then as pb novels were only 45 cents!

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

How-to for stargazing, planets, and sky stuff.

It’s a packed 150 pages. Telescopes and the human eye are broken down to explain lenses, light, color, and atmosphere. Planet revolutions, seasonal paths, latitudes and coordinates, stars and constellations, etc. This is all you’d need for beginner telescoping.

[Chris H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a kid and it was a great summary of the night sky. It helped lay the groundwork to understand more about astronomy and jumpstarted my lifelong interest in the subject. A great book for someone who wants to dive deeper into astronomy.

[Daniel Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of great information is this little pocket book. So much, in fact, I think you'd have to be an incredibly dedicated amateur to even attempt to follow it all or you are on your way to a Master's in Astronomy.

[Benjamin Plume · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I had this one or Night Sky. I think this was the one.

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Golden Guide provides access to the stars and planets. It presents different ways to observe the night sky, and how to use star charts. There is also a good section on telescopes.