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The Monthly Sky Guide
Now in its third edition and updated with planet positions for a five-year period from 1993 to 1997, the highly acclaimed Monthly Sky Guide remains the essential beginners' guide to the night sky. Expertly and lucidly written in nontechnical language, it is the first book any nonspecialist stargazer needs for practical identification with the naked eye. It contains clear maps of the sky for each month of the year, realistically depicting the stars visible to the naked eye and uniquely featuring a symbol of a clenched fist to show the scale. With the help of these clear and easy-to-read charts, the stars and constellations visible on any night of the year in the Northern hemisphere between 30 and 60 degrees North can be identified. In addition, specific constellations of interest are treated in detail for each month, with a map and descriptions of selected objects, showpiece stars, clusters, nebulae, and galaxies for viewing with binoculars or a small telescope. There are notes on regular meteor showers and the changing positions of the planets are given to 1997.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 6, 2019
I received this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I liked the in-depth descriptions of the various types of stars, constellations, galaxies and planets. I also really liked the month-to-month guide of the stars and planets we should be able to see in the sky from 2020-2024. The only drawback I had was I read this on Kindle and the pictures of the constellations and stars were hard to see or non-existent. If you are interested, I would buy a physical copy of the book.
April 24, 2018
4 1/4 stars
October 19, 2019
See my full review here.
As a long-time stargazer, I am delighted to be once again living in a (relatively) remote area away from city light pollution, making it easier to explore the nighttime skies. I have begun introducing the planets and constellations to grandchildren when they visit, and this book would be an excellent choice for budding stargazers of any age. A technical error (mine) cost me access to the digital copy of the 10th edition (published in 2019) that I obtained through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I did obtain and examine an older edition as well as an excerpt from the new edition, so I do feel able to comment on this title, with the understanding I did not examine the newest edition directly. The introduction covers astronomy basics, and the gear you can use, including your unaided eye. I like that they note that you don’t need a big telescope – hiking binoculars are enough to give you a good image of the moon, galaxies, star clusters, and even planets. Signposts of spring, summer, autumn, and winter help new skygazers learn their way around the seasonal constellations. The monthly sky charts are the real reason to pick up this book, though. Each month includes a colour chart, key stars and sometimes meteor showers to watch for, information on the planets, and discussions of the constellations to watch for. This is an excellent introduction to star gazing that is accessible to young readers discovering the beauty of the night sky. A basic one-page index allows access to specific searches of planets and constellations, and includes entries on each of the galaxies you can see from Earth. My thanks to Dover Publications and the Grand Forks & District Public Library.
As a long-time stargazer, I am delighted to be once again living in a (relatively) remote area away from city light pollution, making it easier to explore the nighttime skies. I have begun introducing the planets and constellations to grandchildren when they visit, and this book would be an excellent choice for budding stargazers of any age. A technical error (mine) cost me access to the digital copy of the 10th edition (published in 2019) that I obtained through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. I did obtain and examine an older edition as well as an excerpt from the new edition, so I do feel able to comment on this title, with the understanding I did not examine the newest edition directly. The introduction covers astronomy basics, and the gear you can use, including your unaided eye. I like that they note that you don’t need a big telescope – hiking binoculars are enough to give you a good image of the moon, galaxies, star clusters, and even planets. Signposts of spring, summer, autumn, and winter help new skygazers learn their way around the seasonal constellations. The monthly sky charts are the real reason to pick up this book, though. Each month includes a colour chart, key stars and sometimes meteor showers to watch for, information on the planets, and discussions of the constellations to watch for. This is an excellent introduction to star gazing that is accessible to young readers discovering the beauty of the night sky. A basic one-page index allows access to specific searches of planets and constellations, and includes entries on each of the galaxies you can see from Earth. My thanks to Dover Publications and the Grand Forks & District Public Library.
August 10, 2008
Oh!this book is my love!it was the first thing that taught me astronomy!I didn't know the constellations,stars,asteroids and....
I never forget that night,when I opened this book under the sky and by its help I found Ursa Major constellation.my eyes were full of tears...it was such an unforgettable night!:)
I never forget that night,when I opened this book under the sky and by its help I found Ursa Major constellation.my eyes were full of tears...it was such an unforgettable night!:)
July 11, 2007
read this book and start searching sky and stars
August 1, 2020
This book was great to help figure out what we were looking at in the sky. Easy to use and covers 2020 through 2024. Would really recommend!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews