Backyard Astronomy: Your Guide to Starhopping and Exploring the Universe

This little book packs a ton of information into it. It's useful for both older kids and adults, though it's generally written for adults to use. This covers everything you need to know, from what equipment to use to which constellations are where, to the history of astronomy.

This beautifully produced book is a superb addition to the library of any backyard astronomer or anyone from eight to eighty. It's a best buy for several reasons.The first is its outstanding quality. The second is the BEWARE!.This book is actually a softcover, otherwise identical reprint of "Advanced Skywatching", ISBN: 0783549415, published in 1997, also by Time-Life. Perhaps Time-Life used this subterfuge to catch unwary on-line shoppers that already own "Advanced Skywatching" (as I do), since you can't view the contents on-line to discover you already own the same book under a different name.The complaint on the star charts about this book (or its twin) not covering the entire sky is not critical.There isn't room on anyone's bookshelf for all the possible fun sky-hops, of which this book and its twin present abundant excellent examples. There are more and different, also challenging and instructive ones in another fine volume, "Turn Left at Orion", and many others.Not to worry if you get sucked in. This one makes a fine gift for your favorite grandchild as mine will.Add this to your "must have" list if you don't already own its twin. If you do, buy it anyhow and give it to someone special.The price is astonishingly low for the fine content.

After picking this book up at a Sam's club out of curiosity I found that I couldn't put it down and ended up putting it in the cart. My companion is a begining Astronomy buff and he couldn't get enough eighther. We were reading it to each other and trying to read it at the same time. We have learned alot from this book and have put it to good use with his new telescope. I highly remommed this book to the person who has always wanted to get started in astronomy!