What are your favorite Astronomy related books?

[Cyber3dx]

I have two favorite books I refer to a lot.
The Guide to the Galaxy by Nigel Henbest & Heather Couper. The pics are beautiful. And so much great information.


And another that's a great introduction to the sky.
Starry Night Companion: your guide to understanding the night sky by John Mosley.

[Makuser]

Hello Cyber3dx. Here is my collection, which started in the late 1960's.

While star atlases are great and handy tools, you might be particularly interested in this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Sky-Wonders ... 1554077931
Sue French's column in Sky & Telescope magazine was the first thing that I read every month. After 20 years as a contributing editor, she retired last July, and Sky & Telescope has been reprinting the "best of" Sue French for the last few months. I hope this helps Cyber3dx, and the very best of regards.

[gregl]

"Astronomy related..." Longitude, by Dava Sobel. About John Harrison and the creation of the first accurate chronometer, known as H4, in about 1761. The Greenwich Observatory was established by King Charles II in 1675 to find a way for ships at sea to use celestial observations to determine longitude. But those methods, such as the movement of Jupiter's moons, or the Moon, were problematic. So John Harrison, a carpenter, built four chronometers that could be set to Greenwich mean time and placed aboard a ship for a voyage. The first three, H1 - H3, with wooden wheels and roller pinions, are still running and on display at the Greenwich Observatory. His final achievement, H4, is also there but is not run in order to preserve it. It's a fascinating story of perseverance and technical achievement.

[Lady Fraktor]

I love atlases, I do not have the most of people I know. Maybe top five
I do like Wil Tirion atlases though.

[dwheels]

I have two favorite books I refer to a lot.
The Guide to the Galaxy by Nigel Henbest & Heather Couper. The pics are beautiful. And so much great information.

Thanks for the tip. I found a preview of it on Google and it looks really interesting. So, I went on E-bay and ordered a used copy.

Don

[sdbodin]

OK, I'll add Sam Brown " All About Telescopes" to cover all those questions like ' what is a barlow lens'. And for all those other question about optics and how they work and even more importantly how they fit together in a non-optician non-hyper-tech format, i.e. Dick and Jane for all us dummies.

Clear skies,
Steve

[pakarinen]

I think "Sky Vistas" is moving into my #1 slot. I found it on the Springer site for 25 Euros; Amazon, et.al. in the States want over $100 for a *used* copy. WTH?

For nostalgia, maybe "The Milky Way" by Bok and Bok. I was fortunate enough to attend a colloquium given by Bart Bok when I was an undergrad.

[Gfamily]

I recently re-read "The Book Nobody Read" by Owen Gingrich - about the cataloguing of the First and Second Editions of Copernicus' De Revolutionibus. A very well written account of how the annotations give indications of who had owned them in the very early days of the scientific study of Astronomy.

[mikemarotta]

I have two favorite books I refer to a lot.
The Guide to the Galaxy by Nigel Henbest & Heather Couper.
Starry Night Companion: your guide to understanding the night sky by John Mosley.

Thanks for the recommendations!
We have a Book Review sub-forum here under the General Astronomy forum.
Feel free to post a detailed review there if you want.

[mikemarotta]

Hello Cyber3dx. Here is my collection, which started in the late 1960's ...

Nice little library. I posted some reviews in the Books discussion. Other books on my shelf, such as Mathematical Astronomy with a Pocket Calculator also go back several decades, but seem less compelling today.

Do physics books count? Stephen Hawking? Richard Feynman?

[Makuser]

Hello all. Here are few more for you. First, my college textbook from Wasley Krogdahl, Macmillan, 1962. This was rather dry reading in 1965, and is now outdated.

Next, is a great addition for your collection. It describes the crepuscular rays that bladekeeper (Bryan) has imaged, the autumn noctilucent (iridescent) clouds
that JG has imaged, Haidinger's brush, and other phenomenon in the sky.

https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Light-Col ... 0486201961
I saved the very best for last. Here is a complete package to really help you get started. In Robin Scagell's Astro Pack, you get The Night Sky Through Your Telescope, which explains all types of telescopes, understanding the night skies, and magnitude. Also included is a handy Star Chart, and a monthly Star Finder, co-authored by the great astro cartographer Wil Tirion. And finally, you get a nice planisphere, all in a hard cover case. Herr is the one that I bought back in 2008 from Books-A-Million for about $20 US.

Here is a link to Amazon for the Astro Pack. However Amazon does not sell this directly anymore, but through third party associates. You can find used ones in various conditions and prices, or new ones for various prices.
https://www.amazon.com/Astro-Pack-Astro ... 159223089X
I hope that these are a help to many of you, and the best of wishes for many clear night skies.

[Graeme1858]

The last book I read was Your Place in the Universe: Understanding Our Big, Messy Existence by Paul M Sutter.

An excellent read.

Regards

Graeme

[russmax]

One book I found really useful as a beginner is 50 Things To See With A Small Telescope by John Read.


Really helped me start navigating the sky and getting some views.


Clear skies,
Russell

[Jay6821]

I think I collect books like other people collect eyepieces. It's tough to recommend only one.

One of the first books I read that was really helpful was Turn Left at Orion

[patrickdives]

The book that got me started and was extremely novice friendly was "Turn Right at Orion."

[pakarinen]

Agree, TLAO is a good one.

[LDW47]

If you want to know everything about astronomy, not just where to find objects, about all aspects of this great hobby all spelled out in laymans terms for beginners and experienced alike get the latest copy of NightWatch possibly the 4th edition. You will reference it forever as it includes excellent sky maps for both the northern and southern hemispheres.