Discovery Channel: Night Sky: An Explore Your World Handbook

This 1999 handbook is so well done, there's no close second. The VERY BEST PART is that next to many of the charts are FULL COLOR pictures of the messier object within that chart. With each chart (I counted 93?) is a detailed description of the constellation and the objects of interest that it contains. Although I don't like the binding, this book is so well done, so colorful, so detailed in what it contains (I counted 144 NGC objects), that I'd add this to your MUST have book list (but not to be your ONLY book). You will not regret the purchase of THIS book. This book is a good reference, yet can be read like a novel. The beginner who reads through this book will no longer be a beginner.