The Backyard Astronomer's Guide

If you are considering taking up amateur astronomy, this should be the first book you get for your soon-to-be-established astronomy library. An astronomy hobby can be expensive. This book introduces you to the sky. It guides you through an observation process that starts with the naked eye, then uses binoculars, and ends with telescopes. Binocular and telescope purchase guidance is provided. There has been a market shake-up since this book was published. Some of the manufacturers went out of business. Their telescopes can be found on the used/secondary market. Many factors must be considered when purchasing a telescope. You will be introduced to the types of telescopes, advantages, disadvantages, and some (dated) pricing information. Telescopes require an appropriate tripod. A similar treatment is presented for tripods. Little can be seen without an eyepiece. Following the guidance in this book, you can make informed decisions regarding which eyepieces or filters match your observation goals. You will be exposed to must-have, nice-to-have, and not-needed accessories. The book provides basic setup and telescope adjustment for your telescopic kit, plus an introduction to using your telescope. The focus of the next half of the book is on visual and photographic telescopic observations of the universe. I treated this portion of the book as pick-and-choose. The first topic is about observing solar and lunar eclipses. The next topic, Moon Tours, is the first of a series of visual observation tours through the night sky. The book wraps up with an introduction to photographing and processing night sky images.

Be prepared. This book is very thorough and up to date. It even includes smart telescopes and Astrophotography. It is not a quick read. You can either look for specific areas. I would recommend reading or at least skimming through the entire book. Then mark areas that you want to go back to. It could also lead you to investigate specific items, including telescopes, programs, etc. many photographs of astronomical objects and hardware enhance the text. The majority of the astronomical photos are taken by the authors. The book is heavy, literally and will take a while to get through, although it will stay on your shelf. Highly recommended.

My friend introduced this book to me years ago - it was an earlier version of it. We were both amateur backyard astronomers, him more so than me because he had the telescope. But we spent many an evening in his backyard utilizing this book while gazing at the heavens. When I moved to a place that was very remote and far from city lights, this book, along with Terence Dickinson's other fantastic book - NightWatch, were invaluable to me as I spent many nights with my telescope there. I had seen or read that there was an updated version of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, so I had to get it. I am glad I did. There are many more pages in this edition than the older one I had. Those new pages address all the technological changes to equipment, etc that have happened in this century, like WiFi telescopes, utilizing digital photography and what the book refers to as modern astrophotography and cellphone astrophotography. There are also new charts, photos, and so much more information. Who knew there were something called astro-tourism? The book covers all this in so much great detail. The thing about this book, and what makes it great, is that it covers all this above and more, but it never seems the authors are talking down to you. Everything is covered, explained, presented all in such a easy-to-understand manner, which makes the book fantastic for beginners. If you are just getting into it, then this book will help you become an astronomer. The depth of the information that is covered in Backyard Astronomer's Guide will not only appeal to those beginners, but will also appeal to experienced astronomers, whether they are in their backyard with a telescope, outside with their cell phone, or in an observatory. What else I love about this book, and I may have touched on this a bit earlier in this review, but there have been so many advances in the field. They're all covered here. Also, the inclusion of the photos in this book, many of which are new to this edition, make the book even more of a gem, and a must-have for anyone interested in Astronomy. It's an absolutely wonderful and amazing book.

Our amateur astronomy club regularly is asked by beginners what books to start with, if you are new to the hobby or just got a telescope. This is one title that always comes up. It is pitched about right for the beginner, has helpful charts, and aids in making sense of the forest of equipment out there. It may be too detailed for some; for those who find this more than they need, a shorter version, Night Watch, is also a good choice.

Thorough and attractive hardback book, but arrived with small breaks in the cover at the front and back upper right corners most likely caused by inadequate packaging.

Purchased this book as a hobby gift, and it's been a fun read as I star gaze! It's factual and well researched. Houseguests have come to love it, as it has become a staple on the coffee table.

Very insightful and informative book. If you are getting in to astronomy this book is a must own. I reference this book constantly!

What a great book this is. Well written and beautifully illustrated, it is full of astronomy information from telescopes to accessories needed to look at or photograph the stars. I’m so glad I ordered this at the beginning stage of my new hobby because it has become my go to reference material for everything associated with amateur astronomy. Even if I was an experienced hobbyist (which I’m not) I would order this book because of the wealth of information it provides. I consider this book a good value and I highly recommend it for any amateur astronomer, especially those that are just starting out.

perfect book for beginners and more advanced

Libro bien impreso, contenidos interesantes y actualizados. Fotos espectaculares.

An absolutely essential book for astronomy beginners and anyone wanting to progress in observational and armchair astronomy, plus all of the essential techniques within the field of astrophotography. With masses of information on up to date equipment types, along with guides to the practices and procedures for using the many and varied telescopes, binoculars, mounts, cameras, lenses etc.

I have an interest in astronomy and have recently purchased this book and a telescope. This book contains lots of useful info, and it is well organized to find the info you want easily. I strongly recommend that people with an interest in astronomy get this book before purchasing expensive equipment because it explains well what to look for in quality equipment to observe celestial objects, from binoculars to telescopes to telescope accessories, etc. It also explains well how to observe various celestial objects... with the naked eyes, with binoculars, and with a telescope. It contains nice illustrations as well. I have already read several chapters and find it hard to put this book down when I start reading it.

Really good I mean if you want only one book for practical astronomy then this is best