eBook Skywatching (Nature Company Guides) ePub

This is my personal favorite simple sky guide, it goes out with me every time I do astronomy. David Levy also includes other details regarding general astronomy questions as well as equipment suggestions and such. This book will help you enjoy the adventure of astronomy whether you are using a telescope, binoculars or the naked eye!!!

At the list price of $16.95 for the paperback version this book is a bargain. At Amazon's discounted price it's a steal. While not exhaustive, this book provides an excellent introduction to the science of astronomy and the pleasures of pursuing it as an amateur.
If you've got an aspiring amateur astronomer on your hands you'll want to give him or her other books on the subject too but give this one first. Its lavish use of illustrations and its lucid writing are seductive.
My only beef about the book is its odd dimensions. It's tall and narrow. I'd prefer more conventional dimensions. But I still recommend it highly.

This is the book that got me hooked on astronomy when I was a kid. This book is exellent for a beginner! It has information on everything you really would need to know. While it is a little out of date now, it still has useful information. The reason I bought it again, was because it was accidentally sold in a garage sale.

"Skywatching" is beautifully produced and full of information that is easy for the lay astronomer to understand. I highly recommend it as well as the follow-up volume "Advanced Skywatching" which was also published by The Nature Company (apparently now defunct, unfortunately).

An old but still good book...

Wonderful book!

Love this book! I wish we had these books available when I was a teenager. This book covers all of the key topics in Astronomy and sets the stage for your own observing by listing out each constellation with deep sky attractions for each.

This book is a multifaceted introduction to astronomy. I used it as the text in an observation-oriented astronomy class, and the students loved it. Overall, I would rate it at 3-4 stars, but let me evaluate its 5 focuses individually. As an exposition of general astronomy, I give it 4-5 stars. It is attractively illustrated and clearly written, an engaging and informative introduction to astronomical principles.

As an instruction book for beginning observing, it deserves 2-3 stars. It gives a good idea of many of the basic observing techniques but has shortcoming in the section on choosing equipment. First, it bases choice of binoculars on the irrelevant theory of exit pupils and incorrectly recommends 7x50 binoculars. A field comparison readily shows that 10x50s outperform 7x50s. Second, the book suggests in a grossly oversimplified way that equatorial mounts are the most desirable. This is incompatible with the book's supposed orientation toward beginners, who should avoid this specialized mount in favor of the simple, sturdy altazimuth.

As an observer's guide it rates 4 stars: there is a fine list of objects to look for in binoculars and small telescopes. The description is ample, and the number of objects is enough to keep you busy for quite some time. However, the indications of what can be seen in an instrument of a given size should be taken with a certain skepticism. They describe features that can be seen by a skilled observer with first-rate eyes under a rural dark sky in very good atmospheric conditions and do not represent what the novice in a suburban backyard is likely to see.

It contains one of the better 6th magnitude star atlases on the market, which rates 3 stars. There are 88 charts, one for each constellation in the sky. Although colored, they are clear and usable with a red flashlight. Adjacent charts (constellations) are clearly marked and, as charts are arranged in alphabetical order, it is easy to navigate directly from one chart to the other without the intermediate step of an index. My one complaint is that on a given chart only the stars of the featured constellation are shown to magnitude 6.5. Stars in adjoining constellations are shown only to 5.5. This can present problems because sometimes an observer uses star fields which cross constellation boundaries. The atlas, of course, has the limitations inherent in any 6.5 magnitude work.

The observer's guidebook can stand alone for use with a separate atlas. Here, then, is my recommendation: except for the section on buying equipment, Skywatching is a fully competent all-in-one book for the beginning astronomer. When it comes time to upgrade, keep Skywatching as your guidebook, but for the atlas, I would recommend the excellent yet affordable 7.6 magnitude Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas.