Product Details
Author : Terence Dickinson
Binding : Spiral-bound
EAN : 9781554071470
Edition : Fourth Edition, revised and expanded through 2018
Number of Pages : 192
Product Group : Book
Publication Date : 2006-07-26
Publisher : Firefly Books
ASIN : 155407147X
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Editorial Reviews
From Amazon.com
The third edition of Nightwatch continues its tradition of being the best handbook for the beginning astronomer. Terence Dickinson covers all the problems beginners face, starting with the fact that the night sky does not look the way a modern city-dweller expects. He discusses light pollution, how to choose binoculars and telescopes, how to pronounce the names of stars and constellations, telescope mounts, averted vision, and why the harvest moon looks especially bright. Most of the lovely photographs in the book were taken by amateurs, which gives the section on astrophotography a particularly inspirational gleam.
Dickinson's star charts are very handy, each covering a reasonable field of view and mapping the most interesting amateur objects. He gives good advice for planet watching, which he notes "is one of the few astronomical activities that can be conducted almost as well from the city as from dark rural locations."
Altogether, the watchword for Nightwatch is indeed "practical"--this is a book to be used, not just read. Spiral-bound to lie flat or to fold back undamaged, it's a field guide that pulls its own weight in the field. Author Timothy Ferris says, "Like a good night sky, Nightwatch is clear and wind-free. Try it and see for yourself." --Mary Ellen Curtin
Customer Reviews
Good but not great. (2004-01-06)  This is another one of Terence Dickinsons "backyard astronomy" books that is somewhat better than others of this particular "genre", but suffers by a somewhat superficial treatment of the practical aspects of the subject. The primary reason I purchased the book was for the 20 very good star charts contained. It was not until I started using these charts that I realized that many important Messier objects were not included! Although the pictures are wonderful , and very attractive , I buy books of this type for information--not to "sell me" on being an amateur astronomer. I don't need "cheerleading". There are other books available that offer somewhat more information than this one--so 4 stars (more like 3.5 stars).
Perfect starter to the Astronomer's world (2003-09-11)  This book is greatly build up and covers every major aspect of Astronomy . In an understandable way and very plastic with supportive pictures you get to understand cohesions and basics about our solar system, the galaxies and the whole universe. It puts emphasize on the star constellations and features great maps to navigate the sky. The ringbinding helps a lot to work with it in the field. And the paper is high quality and will take a lot of use. This makes a great gift for anyone who is intersted in nature or wants to explore the night sky. This is the absolute BEST BUY to start with!!! Nothing else.
An excellent book for new astronomers. (2003-01-18) For the money you can't go wrong this is an excellent book for people just starting out in astronomy or who need a better understanding of the night sky and where to locate things. This book is packed full of info. and nice color photographs to go along with the many things you can see in a small telescope. I wouldnt really suggest this book though to those who allready know how to locate things and have a good understanding of astronomy. For the new person though theres tons of night time sky charts with details of nebulas and everything else in that part of the sky. Theres an excellent part that shows you how to measure the distances between stars & constellations to locate those harder to find subjects!! An excelent book that deserves a 5 star review. I forgot to mention that it's spiral bound so this makes it easy to lay flat and keep on a certain page. And don't forget take your time with the book to learn things the night sky isnt going anywhere!
Excellent book for budding astronomers (2002-12-22) I cannot praise this book enough.Within minutes of "pre-reading" it, I repacked the telescope I had just purchased,and am sending it back.Why? Because Mr. Dickinson explained, in perfectly understandable terms,why that particular telescope was the wrong choice for me.The section on "trash telescopes" was very informative.I also now have a real respect for binoculars..and may purchase a good quality pair,based on Mr.D.'s comments about proper binoculars for viewing the nightsky.They will be a good stepping-stone on my way to purchasing the best telescope for me. I have always dreamed of being a backyard astronomer,but never had enough time to pursue the hobby.Now that I am retired,the first thing I crossed off my "to-do" list was the telescope purchase.It was an impulse buy,I am ashamed to say,and if it hadn't been for the excellent advice from Mr.D,I would have wasted a few hundred bucks on something that would ultimately cause me frustration.So...if you are thinking of getting into amateur astronomy,look no further than this wonderful,well-thought out,easy to understand,and beautifully presented book.I will now purchase the right equipment I need to really get into my long-desired hobby.
Great for Beginners (2002-12-13) When we bought our Meade telescope (see my review of that), we bought only two books: this one, and Turn Left at Orion (see my review of that). Both books were EXCELLENT. You'll never know about some of the fascinating night-sky objects if you don't get a book. This book has been a huge help in finding objects, understanding what we're viewing and appreciating to different objects in the sky. I strongly recommend Turn Left at Orion as well.
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