Learning the Night Sky, 2nd Edition,
is
an expanded 95-page, 8½" x 11" spiral-bound book for novice stargazers and veterans. The first
section contains stargazing basics especially
useful for new stargazers. The second section presents my
approach for learning the night sky using nine sky regions,
including the stories I tell during sky tours and classes and
(new) highlights of the region. The third section
contains handy reference information.
Below you'll find the book's TABLE OF CONTENTS,
the book's INTRODUCTION, and information on
ORDERING.
Book's TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Stargazing Basics
One's Personal Journey to the Stars
Getting Oriented
Movement
Cosmic Distances
Objects for Observation: Solar System
Objects for Observation: Deep Space
Appearances
Angular Distances
Factors Affecting Stargazing
Time
Stargazing at Different Latitudes
Stargazing Equipment
The Night Sky by Regions
Learning the Night Sky
Circumpolar Region
Great Winter Arc Region
Southern Ship Region
Cosmic Baseball Region
Macho Quadrangle Region
Sagittarius' Tea Party Region
Milky Way Triangle Region
Andromeda's Rescue Region
Water World Region
Reference Information
Book's INTRODUCTION
What's Unique about This Book?
This book presents a unique approach to learning the night sky,
an approach developed through and successfully used in teaching
stargazing courses for many years. The entire sky (visible from the
Northern Hemisphere) is divided into nine regions. Each region has a
story or theme that ties together the constellations within that
region. To the new stargazer, partitioning makes the goal of
learning the night sky look surprisingly do-able rather than
hopelessly impossible. One learns the sky region by region, using
the stories and themes to remember the constellations of each
region.
Purpose and audience
Through years of communicating with the general public through my
"Stargazer" newspaper column, presentations to children and adults,
and teaching stargazing courses, I have acquired a sense of what
seems to best speak to most people -- how they best learn, the
topics and questions which capture their interests, the level of
knowledge most seem to desire as well as the level which goes beyond
their interest and understanding.
The purpose of this book is to help amateur stargazers enhance
their enjoyment of the night sky. They may be "newbies" just bitten
by the stargazing bug who want a basic introduction to help them get
stared. Perhaps they're stargazers with some experience but ready to
move to the next level. Or maybe they're advanced stargazers who
might find the sky regions, stories and other tidbits presented
herein useful as they help others learn the night sky.
The writing style, level and format of the book should make it
suitable for children as well as adults. No prior knowledge is
required or assumed.
This book will be most useful to observers in the Northern
Hemisphere, and especially those in the U.S. and other mid-northern
latitudes. This focus is not intended as a slight to those living in
the Southern Hemisphere, nor the beautiful deep southern night sky;
rather it merely reflects the extent of this Texas author's
experiences and expertise.
The information presented is, to the best of my knowledge, sound
to the limits of our present-day understandings. However, it is not
intended as an astronomy text or a source of in-depth or technical
information. There are many excellent resources available for those
purposes.
Clear skies,
Paul Derrich
"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the
stars, you have a right to be here." (from Max Ehrmann's 1948
"Desiderata")
