Astronomy Hacks: Tips and Tools for Observing the Night Sky, by Robert
Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fricthman Thompson, paperback, O'Reilly
Press, New York, 2005, 388 pages, $24.95, contains 65 very detailed
and well-presented tips, called hacks by the authors, on equipment and
observing procedures, useful to beginners and to fairly advanced
observers. The authors' judgement strikes me as exceptionally sound. I
think it is a fine book to recommned to beginning and intermediate
observers. I got a lot out of it.
The Next Step: Finding and Viewing Messier's Objects, by Ken Graun,
published by Ken Press, Tucson Arizona, 2005, hardcover, 352 pages,
$29.95. This covers all the M objects with photos of constant scale,
and descriptions. It invites comparison to Mallas and Kreimer, and to
O'Meara's book, also based on observations with 4 inch Tele Vue
refractors. Okay, I'll compare them: Mallas and Kreimer paved the way
and is very solid and well-organized. They are good observers. O'Meara
is a world class observer, he includes sketches, he is a good writer,
and he gives much more information about the objects than do the
others. Ken Graun is an accomplihed observer, but an outstanding
writer, a winner of prizes for astronomical writing. His long
discussions of Messier himself are highly original, well-researched
and totally charming. The layout of the book is superb. A delightful
book.
Ciao,
Bill Meyers
Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fricthman Thompson, paperback, O'Reilly
Press, New York, 2005, 388 pages, $24.95, contains 65 very detailed
and well-presented tips, called hacks by the authors, on equipment and
observing procedures, useful to beginners and to fairly advanced
observers. The authors' judgement strikes me as exceptionally sound. I
think it is a fine book to recommned to beginning and intermediate
observers. I got a lot out of it.
The Next Step: Finding and Viewing Messier's Objects, by Ken Graun,
published by Ken Press, Tucson Arizona, 2005, hardcover, 352 pages,
$29.95. This covers all the M objects with photos of constant scale,
and descriptions. It invites comparison to Mallas and Kreimer, and to
O'Meara's book, also based on observations with 4 inch Tele Vue
refractors. Okay, I'll compare them: Mallas and Kreimer paved the way
and is very solid and well-organized. They are good observers. O'Meara
is a world class observer, he includes sketches, he is a good writer,
and he gives much more information about the objects than do the
others. Ken Graun is an accomplihed observer, but an outstanding
writer, a winner of prizes for astronomical writing. His long
discussions of Messier himself are highly original, well-researched
and totally charming. The layout of the book is superb. A delightful
book.
Ciao,
Bill Meyers
