Encyclopedia of Discovery Skywatching

From the "Encyclopedia of Discovery" publishers we have a nifty little mini-coffee table book of over 600 pages that can be carried almost anywhere. SKYWATCHING assumes a novice astronomer as young as ten or eleven, but adults can learn from this too. For those who want hands-on experience, the book fairly early on offers a brief discussion of the different kinds of telescopes, followed by descriptions and beautiful color plates of the planets, major nebulas and constellations, and other photographic wonders. Star charts are included, too; and the Index is excellent. IMHO even adults won't feel talked down to by SKYWATCHING. It starts out by defining light-years and defining and comparing parsecs (seconds of parallax): do you already know what these terms mean? If not, the book is not "under your head." Be aware, though, that this popular volume is a keeper and finding good-quality used copies may take some hunting. But even though it's four years old, I heartily recommend ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DISCOVERY: SKYWATCHING.