Astronomy Kit.

[WVDAVE]

So I'm putting a kit together for my son and me to start in astronomy. I've order two books 'The Stars: A New Way to See Them' by H. A. Rey, and Astronomy for Dummies. I've also downloaded Stellarium. My first question is are Star Dials worth the investment? If so what is a good one to get? What star Maps do you guys recommend? I believe I'm going to start with a pair of 10x50 binoculars, or am I better off going with another option? Anything else I should consider?

[baggywrinkle]

I use a Night Sky dial. Mine is for the Southern Hemisphere and I find it useful as a gyuide to I should be seeing and then planning.

Thye Philip's Night Sky Atlas is good. It has the charts are well as an image of what the sky should look like on the opposite page. I also use the Cambridge Star Atlas which is more comprehensive.

Also check out 'Turn Left at Orion' A good book for beginners and the more advanced alike.

The thing is you can spend small fortune on books so weigh that against future equipment.

The 10x50's should give you a good start.

[WVDAVE]

I use a Night Sky dial. Mine is for the Southern Hemisphere and I find it useful as a gyuide to I should be seeing and then planning.

Thye Philip's Night Sky Atlas is good. It has the charts are well as an image of what the sky should look like on the opposite page. I also use the Cambridge Star Atlas which is more comprehensive.

Also check out 'Turn Left at Orion' A good book for beginners and the more advanced alike.

The thing is you can spend small fortune on books so weigh that against future equipment.

The 10x50's should give you a good start.

Thank you for the information Baggywrinkle

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

A 10x50 is a very good tool indeed. I personally do not use a star dial, but I did get one for the kids. I use the Star Atlas 2000.0 mainly, complemented by Stellarium and Cartes-du-Ciel.

[emadmoussa]

How about Google star map? If you've got an android phone it'll be an indispensable astronomical tool.