Observation Books; Old Favourites and Essentials.

[Swithin StCleeve]

Just that cover makes me want it!

[JeremyS]

9 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Here's another gem from the past. Walter Scott Houston's Deep Sky Wonders. I think its been long out of print though it may be found secondhand. 

Scotty’s Deep Sky Wonders column in S&T was always my favourite. So I love this book.

[JeremyS]

 

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by JeremyS

[Alan White]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

 

 

I have the top left one by Roger N Clark, a brilliant book in my view.

[mikeDnight]

13 hours ago, Swithin StCleeve said:

Just that cover makes me want it!

I always judge a book by its cover.   Seriously though, there is something about seeing Scotty smoking his pipe and standing alongside his telescope that oozes relaxed contentment. The cover of Starlight Nights is another who's cover has something special about it. Peltier's 4" Mogey refractor standing alone and silhouetted against a starry sky has always held a particular magic for me. It's perhaps my favourite book!

 

[JeremyS]

Couldn’t agree more, Mike

[mikeDnight]

17 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Couldn’t agree more, Mike

So you're the reason why they installed book tagging in libraries!! 

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

So you're the reason why they installed book tagging in libraries!! 

Actually I wish I could get the copy I first read when I was 15. In English Lit we were allowed on one exceptional occasion to read a book of our choice so long as it wasn’t a text book. That ruled out most of the astronomy books that I would have liked. But I knew I could do better than my Nemesis, the Mayor of Casterbridge  (I never did get past the first 30 pages - hated it).
 

I saw Starlight Nights on the shelf of my local library. I must have renewed it half a dozen times. 
 

Then when I was about 26, I went to the main Kent County library to see if they had a copy so I could read it again (by then the local library was closed). They didn’t have it. But they said they could order it from the book store. A week later the postcard arrived to say it was ready for me. I drove into Maidstone to pick it up. When I opened it, it had the mark of my local library. And I could see a steady stream if renewal stamps from 11 years earlier. It hadn’t even on loan in between.

I renewed it a few times again. I was tempted to keep it but eventually turned it in.

I wonder where it is now.

Knowing my luck, I stand more chance of recovering my copy of the Mayor of Casterbridge.

[Nicola Fletcher]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Actually I wish I could get the copy I first read when I was 15. In English Lit we were allowed on one exceptional occasion to read a book of our choice so long as it wasn’t a text book. That ruled out most of the astronomy books that I would have liked. But I knew I could do better than my Nemesis, the Mayor of Casterbridge  (I never did get past the first 30 pages - hated it).
 

I saw Starlight Nights on the shelf of my local library. I must have renewed it half a dozen times. 
 

Then when I was about 26, I went to the main Kent County library to see if they had a copy so I could read it again (by then the local library was closed). They didn’t have it. But they said they could order it from the book store. A week later the postcard arrived to say it was ready for me. I drove into Maidstone to pick it up. When I opened it, it had the mark of my local library. And I could see a steady stream if renewal stamps from 11 years earlier. It hadn’t even on loan in between.

I renewed it a few times again. I was tempted to keep it but eventually turned it in.

I wonder where it is now.

Knowing my luck, I stand more chance of recovering my copy of the Mayor of Casterbridge.

What a great story @JeremyS, I too first read Starlight Nights from a copy at the library. I’ve managed to get my own copy now and it is one of my treasures.

I also love Telescopic Work for Starlight Evenings by Denning. I managed to get an original copy but it was expensive and I doubt there are too many still available. The electronic copy is freely available online though as far as I remember.

[Dean Hale]

On 10/02/2022 at 13:44, Swithin StCleeve said:

During an observation session last week, I spent quite a bit of time getting confused by M78. I'm an old-fashioned observer and enjoy finding stuff using maps and knowledge of the night sky rather than electronics, but the downside of that is you can sometimes find yourself wondering if you're in the right part of the sky. Something the 'go-to' gang don't have to worry about.
Anyway, I'm telling you this because once again, an old book which I've used many, many, times came to the rescue. The book is The Cambridge Deep Sky Album by newton/Teece. I bloody love this book and have used it again and again and only last week it came through again and solved my M78 problem.

Thank you for highlighting this book @Swithin StCleeve. I also ordered a copy - £4 excellent condition, bargain. 🙂  Seeing images similar to the eyepiece is really useful for me as a beginner.  

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

On 12/02/2022 at 16:52, wookie1965 said:

Son fixed my book shelf. 

Nice collection.. my dad is as we speak keeping himself busy tidying a bookshelf for the loft office. 👍

The book that got the ball rolling for me is Patrick Moore's Astronomy: A Complete Introduction: Teach Yourself. 

Paperback ISBN 978 1 473 60875 7

eBook ISBN 978 1 473 60876 4 1

First published 1995 and last in 2015, pretty much everything a beginner needs to know and a handy reference book when you are confused by perihelion and aphelion. 😉

 

[Swithin StCleeve]

1 hour ago, Dean Hale said:

Thank you for highlighting this book @Swithin StCleeve. I also ordered a copy - £4 excellent condition, bargain. 🙂  Seeing images similar to the eyepiece is really useful for me as a beginner.  

 

Brilliant!
This is what I was hoping when I saw there were copies on sale so cheap. It's an excellent resource for the observer which can be picked up for the price of a pint. I've used mine lpads of times over the years. I know the images are out-dated by modern standards, but they're really useful when comparing what you actually see. On some of the images, the nebula or galaxy in the photo is hardly discernable, just like in real life when you're at the eyepiece!

[wookie1965]

2 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Nice collection.. my dad is as we speak keeping himself busy tidying a bookshelf for the loft office. 👍

The book that got the ball rolling for me is Patrick Moore's Astronomy: A Complete Introduction: Teach Yourself. 

Paperback ISBN 978 1 473 60875 7

eBook ISBN 978 1 473 60876 4 1

First published 1995 and last in 2015, pretty much everything a beginner needs to know and a handy reference book when you are confused by perihelion and aphelion. 😉

 

Just sent for it £4.63 free delivery so a bargain. Thank you for recommendation. 

[fozzybear]

Postman delivered these pair today just waiting on the third 

[fozzybear]

2 hours ago, fozzybear said:

Postman delivered these pair today just waiting on the third 

my other book Cambridge Deep-Sky Album coming from the UK apparently albeit ordered from a French site so a few more days to wait 

[fozzybear]

On 13/02/2022 at 15:25, JeremyS said:

Couldn’t agree more, Mike

been looking at this one and demands a high price on t'internet

[JeremyS]

34 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

been looking at this one and demands a high price on t'internet

Kindle edition for £7.33

[fozzybear]

Just now, JeremyS said:

Kindle edition for £7.33

i know but want the real thing if you get me

[fozzybear]

bedtime reading this little book

[Franklin]

1 hour ago, fozzybear said:

bedtime reading this little book

That's the one that started all this and 40 years later I've still got a 3" refractor!

[fozzybear]

1 minute ago, Franklin said:

That's the one that started all this and 40 years later I've still got a 3" refractor!

It still has that old smell love the little book (if you know what i mean)

[mikeDnight]

28 minutes ago, Franklin said:

That's the one that started all this and 40 years later I've still got a 3" refractor!

It started me off too around the same time (1980). At the time I had just bought a 60mm Prinz Astral. It broke my heart when I read I needed a 3" to do any serious observing.   I lusted after Patrick's 5" refractor as shown in the book. I never wanted anything other than a refractor and it's largely down to Patrick's little blue book. It took me 27 years before I actually got my hands on his 5" refractor, by which time it was looking a little sorry for itself which was sad but by that time Patrick was not in the best of health and couldn't maintain it. 

[fozzybear]

The Cambridge Deep Sky Album by newton/Teece. still waiting delivery 

[Joacim]

On 16/02/2022 at 17:15, Swithin StCleeve said:

Brilliant!
This is what I was hoping when I saw there were copies on sale so cheap. It's an excellent resource for the observer which can be picked up for the price of a pint. I've used mine lpads of times over the years. I know the images are out-dated by modern standards, but they're really useful when comparing what you actually see. On some of the images, the nebula or galaxy in the photo is hardly discernable, just like in real life when you're at the eyepiece!

I just got one used from Amazon UK , 5 £ to Sweden. I probably has to pay som tax aswell but still very cheap. Thanks for the tip

[fozzybear]

Well they arrived Today in the post very happy indeed many thanks for the suggestion @Swithin StCleeve