Astronomical Calendar 2010 - by Universal Workshop

This famous atlas-sized annual book is the most widely used and most attractive guide to what will happen in the night sky throughout the year.

Each page is the size of three or four of an ordinary book, allowing large spreads of mixed diagrams and text.

The Astronomical Calendar has been published continuously since 1974, and is used by about 20,000 (amateurs, telescope-owners, clubs, teachers, planetariums, libraries, enjoyers of the sky) in over 100 countries............... MORE >>>

The newest edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide includes the latest data and answers the questions most often asked by home astronomers, from beginners to experienced stargazers. Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer provide expert guidance on the right types of telescopes and other equipment; photographing the stars through a telescope; and star charts, software and other references. They cover daytime and twilight observing, planetary and deep-sky observing, and much more.

With over 500 color photographs and illustrations, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is one of the most valuable, beautiful and user-friendly astronomy books ever produced.

New and updated for this edition:

* A 20-page full-color Atlas of the Milky Way provides location and context for hundreds of celestial objects mentioned throughout the book.
* A chapter on Astrophotography with Digital Cameras specifies what equipment works best and how to use it to collect a color gallery of celestial portraits.
* Telescopes for Recreational Astronomy features assessments of a wide range of new telescopes, from models for beginners to those for veteran astronomy enthusiasts, with special emphasis on computerized telescopes and how they work.
* Accessory Catalog spotlights the best of the accessories and flags the frivolous and irrelevant.
* Three practical appendices: Polar Aligning Your Telescope; Optics Cleaning and Collimation; Testing Your Telescope Optics.

Any serious home astronomer must have this superb guide as an ongoing reference.

- Spiral-bound: 110 pages
- Publisher: Sky Publishing; Spi edition (May 1 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1931559317
- ISBN-13: 978-1931559317
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 16.3 x 1.3 cm

The first three editions of NightWatch sold more than 600,000 copies, making it the top-selling stargazing guide in the world for the last 20 years. The key feature of this classic title is the section of star charts that are cherished by backyard astronomers everywhere. Each new edition has outsold the previous one because of thorough revisions and additional new material.

NightWatch has been acclaimed as the best general interest introduction to astronomy. The fourth edition has improvements over the 3rd edition in every chapter, including:

* The famous charts, ideal for stargazers using a small telescope or binoculars
* A complete update of the equipment section, including computerized telescopes
* An enlarged photography section, including how-to instructions for using the new generation of digital cameras for astronomical photography, both with and without a telescope
* The tables of future solar and lunar eclipses, planetary conjunctions and planet locations, updated through 2018.

This edition includes for the first time star charts for use in the southern hemisphere. There are also dozens of new photographs throughout the book that show the latest thrilling discoveries made by current space observatories and probes.

At last! An easy to follow guide to the sky that provides essential information in a non-technical way - the basic information about:

* The motion of the heavens
* The position of objects in the sky
* The brightness of heavenly objects
* Finding your direction from the stars
* The names of the brightest stars
* The naming systems for stars
* What to make of the constellations
* How to read star maps
* Observing the Moon and its phases
* Observing "unaided-eye" variable stars
* Observing meteors and meteor showers
* Observing comets, aurorae and the zodiacal light
* Observing the Sun safely
* Recording observations quickly and easily
* Month-by-month star maps that are easy to read
* Numerous tips on becoming a better observer
* Practical exercises to develop observing skills
* Special information about binocular observing
* Information about when to buy a telescope
* Considerations to remember when buying a telescope
* Recommended sources of additional information
* A helpful glossary of amateur astronomical terms
* Answers to questions asked by beginning observers
* An appendix that lists:
o the 88 constellations
o Solar System data for both the Sun & planets
o the 30 brightest stars
o 10 variable stars to be observed with the "un-aided eye"
o the 10 nearest "unaided-eye" stars

A user-friendly format intended for use outdoors:

* star maps that fold out
* a binding that allows the book to lie flat
* space to record observing notes at the end

Discover the wonders of the night sky and learn how to find the star patterns that have inspired the myths and storytelling of great cultures of the past. Meet the gods and goddesses of Rome, Greece and Mesopotamia and see how they found their way into the many constellations that dominate the ever-changing northern sky. Learn how the same stars inspired legends of the Native peoples in Canada, the United States, northern Europe and elsewhere. See how the sky changes with the seasons but always remains the biggest movie screen in the universe. An informative sidekick to Stan Shadick's annual award-winning "Skywatchers" calendars.

* Just dial in the date and time and StarTarget shows the night sky above
* Essential for learning the constellations and identifying bright stars
* Nothing beats this star wheel for finding your way around the night sky
* Includes simple instructions and viewing tips
* Designed for use within 30-deg North and 50-deg North latitudes regardless of calendar year
* Coated cardboard with a clear plastic window.