Star-hopping--using easily seen bright stars to locate fainter celestial objects in the night sky--is a basic and essential technique for all star gazers, novice and veteran alike. Robert Garfinkle shows you how to locate the many stellar objects usually overlooked by the untrained eye. Two or more detailed star hops for each month of the year, which can be read in any order, take you on a trip through the night sky, opening new doors of discovery and reinforcing star-hopping methods and techniques. With Garfinkle's able guidance, learn to take the Messier Marathon--a night-long hop across the skies. Additional basic astronomy skills are carefully outlined, including reading star charts, finding celestial directions, understanding telescope types, and using light pollution filters. A lively history of the universe and the ancient myths and legends of the sky round out the text. This is an essential guide for sky gazers who want to get the most out of their evening sky explorations.
Contents
Introduction; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. How to use this book and what you are going to see; 2. How the sky works, determining your field of view, observing tips and how to navigate in the night sky; 3. January - Taurus and Orion: the bull and hunter; 4. February - Canis Minor, Canis Major, and Puppis: dog days in February and Jason's Argo; 5. March - Cancer, Leo, and Corvus: a crab, the king of the beasts, and a crow; 6. April - Ursa Major: a dipper round tripper; 7. May - Coma Berenices and Virgo: the sparkling hair of Berenice and the wheat maiden and her bushel of galaxies; 8. June - Libra and Lupus: the balance scales and the wolf; 9. July - Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Scutum: the scorpion, archer, and shield of John Sobieski; 10. August - Draco: following the trail of the dragon; 11. September - Cygnus, Lyra, Vulpecula, and Sagitta: the swan, lyre, fox, and arrow; 12. October - Andromeda and Perseus: the chained lady and her rescuer; 13. November - Cepheus and Cassiopeia: the king and queen of Joppa; 14. December - Pisces, Triangulum, and Aries: of fishes, a triangle, and a ram; 15. Messier Marathon, a sundown to sunup hop across the skies; Appendix A: Classification tables; Appendix B: The constellations; Appendix C: The Greek alphabet; Appendix D: Decimalization of the day; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.
Prize Winner
Choice Outstanding Academic Books 1995
Review
"...the ultimate observing guide that belongs in every library...Garfinkle's book can open up new observing horizons for the beginner and even show the seasoned observer a few new tricks...also includes a discussion on telescopes and basic observing tips, and an impressive glossary and bibliography...most enthusiastically recommended." K.Larsen, Choice
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