What is the best astronomy book you have bought?

[swag72]

I think for me it has been the 'Illustrated Guide to Astronomical wonders' Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders: From Novice to Master Observer (DIY Science): Amazon.co.uk: Robert Bruce Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson: 9780596526856: Books and 'Making Every Photon Count' First Light Optics - Making Every Photon Count - Steve Richards, but then I am wanting to take pictures rather than observe. I have Turn Left at Orion, which I am sure is a great book to help you learn the sky, but that's why I have goto!!!!

[Caldwell 14]

The Observers Book of Astronomy, bought aged 11 and Turn left at Orion bought aged 48

[sticks]

"The Practical Astronomer" by Will Gater and Anton Vamplew first published in 2010 and not yet well known. It is a simply brillaint book for anyone wanting a guide to the night sky and observing. I looked at a dozen or more books requested from the Library before this one turned up, and now its my main reference.

[hayju01]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cloudspotters-Guide-Gavin-Pretor-Pinney/dp/034089590X/ref=pd_sim_b_1 :-)

[rwilkey]

My best purchase was Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas, but, however, 'Turn Left' is a great starter on the journey into DSO's for the first time.

[Deneb]

Star Testing Astronomical Telescopes by Harold Richard Suiter..

[LukeSkywatcher]

"Astronomy" by Ian Ridpath.

Its simply brilliant.

[roymattblack]

DK's 'Universe'......

Not totally telescope-orientated, but an amazing all-rounder of astronomy, with a good section on sky maps, what's up there to see each month and gobsmacking images - written in easy to understand language. A fantastic coffee table book you can dip in and out of.

ALSO.... Weldon Owen, 'Illustrated atlas of the universe'. A gorgeous, informative book.

Roy.

[Quatermass]

The Stars by H.A.RAY a new way to see them.

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk

[vincent0]

Donald H. Menzel's: - A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets.

I bought this book many years ago, 1979 I think. it was my first "serious" astronomy book and set me off to do something about my interest in the sky.

 

I still go to it once in a while and it's still has something for me after all this time, but boy has the science advanced since then.

[pevsfreedom]

atlas: pocket sky atlas is cheap and amazing for the field

info: Burnham's Celestial Handbook is ~40 years old but fantastic. ~6000 pages detailing the history and astrophysics of everything in the sky. You can buy all 3 editions for $20 on the Internet, amazing books.

ooh ahh: hubble's universe by dickinson is 300 page and beautiful history/picture book of the cosmos

beginners: nothing better then nightwatch by dickinson as well

[pevsfreedom]

That's not bad at all, I thought it would be £60-70 for the set. I'll checkout Amazon a little later. Would also like Will Tirion's Sky Atlas.

all 3 can be found on amazon/ebay for under $20 easy. I was lucky enough to find all 3 in mint condition in hardcover at the local book store.. for $8! 

[Dinosour23]

Please will someone enlighten me why buy ST Sky Atlas when one can print out one of the hundreds of free maps ?

[pevsfreedom]

Please will someone enlighten me why buy ST Sky Atlas when one can print out one of the hundreds of free maps ?

Printing 100's of pages and potentially laminating them and binding them is a good amount of work, though I will say the Sky Atlas map prices are absolutely ridiculous. I just use the Pocket Sky Atlas, which is great and cost me $12. 

[brrttpaul]

Think the best book I had was the first one, still got it in the attic somewhere, had it for xmas back in the 70s  cant for the life of me remember it sure it was Mcnallys  might try and dig it out

[skywatcher58gb]

I must admit I still use my old Nortons Star atlas from the 60's even though I bought the 2000 version,

The Sky atlas 2000 is really nice if a bit bulky. I also got Patrick Moore's The Solar System 1959 reprint in1964

Full of drawn illustrations, not many photos in those days. Oh nostalgia, its not what it used to be.

[melsky]

My favourite book has to be "A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets" by Donald H Menzel, I bought it in 1966. The hours I spent using the photographic atlas charts to find my way around the the sky firstly by constellation then by stars and eventually by deep sky object, it was the perfect grounding for a lifelong love of astronomy.

Mel

[barkis]

Yep, Burnhams 3 , and Nortons Star Atlas.

Plus, Albert Ingalls 3 volumes on Amateur Telescope Making.

Ron.

[ronl]

The Astronomy Bible, an up to date guide to the night sky, a very informative read,

good for all newbies and intermediates too, Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest have

put it together, I find it a very good read and a good reference too. 

[L8-Nite]

Without a doubt, it's he two volume set of Hutchinsons  -  " Splendour of the Heavens "

A magnificent work indeed !

Nearly a thousand pages of pure reading pleasure, with as many photos & illustrations throughout.  

[buzz]

The Hamlyn guide got me started. I still have it.

[Future_AstrophysicsGirl17]

I love "Skywatching" by David H. Levy, and "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide" by Dickinson & Dyer. Both are full of great information and tips.  

[John]

My favourite general book on astronomy as a hobby is Ken Fulton's "The Light Hearted Astronomer". It's been around quite a while now but it's a quirky look at the ups and potential downs in the hobby from someone who has clearly a great affection for astronomy from the amateurs point of view.

Another favourite read is Sir Patrick Moore's "TV Astronomer" which is the story of the BBC programme "The Sky at Night".

I was bought the Sky & Telescope "Pocket Sky Atlas" for Christmas this year and it's really helped improve my deep sky object hunting. I've seen many more NGC objects over the past 6 months than I have over all the years I've been in the hobby. Highly recommended

[Spoon]

Turn Left at Orion was the best for me as i got into astro only a few years ago

cam

[HD-AP]

"The Story of the Heavens" by Sir Robert Ball puplished in 1886. Not long after the discovery of Neptune. They (the professionals that is) had just got to grips with stellar spectroscopy - and make passing comments on spectroscopic binaries, (Algol had just been determined to be an eclipsing binary). There is no star classification, as we know it today, but they were aware of stellar colour and spectral differences.

It is a really great read and shows, quite starkly, just how much we have learned in only a little over 100years.

I have appended a scan of a photo from the book of M31 - don't forget this was the BEST that a professional observatory could do then.

This is the book that inspired me to become an amatuer astronomer ,it was the first edition /red binding hand tinted illustrations fantastic, later editions /blue binder are pale imitations and lack the first editions impact visually  like a cheap photocopy ,remember that most victorian books were not mass produced initially and runs were small compared with today's my copy has gold leaf tipped edges to the pages and the illustrations have a prescence that photograph's just don't .

Well that;s before the hubble's pillar's of creation shot which tops the lot . 

However since that epiphany in 1970 , i have collected hundreds of astronomy books on all subjects astronomical ,some picks would be

Telescope making by ingall's vol's 1-2-3

astronomical telescopes and observatories for amatuers p moore

A portfollio of lunar drawings harold hill

Introduction to observing and photographing the solar system  by Dobbins  parker and capen 

Build you own telescope  r berry

Reflecting telescope optics vol 1 and 2   r n wilson

Handbook for planet observers  gunter d roth

Astronomical photography    thomas rackham

The urban astronomer    gregory l matloff

The backyard astronomers guide by dickinson/dyer

How to make a telescope   jean texereau

A complete manual of amatuer astronomy p-clay-sherrod

Amatuer astronomers handbook  j b sidgewick

Unusual telescopes   peter l manly

Phillips observers handbook astronomy from town's and suburbs   robin scagell

Choosing and using a refracting telescope  neil english

The sun and the amatuer astronomer  w m baxter

Astronomical eqipment for amatuers  martin mobberley

Building and using an astronomical observatory   paul doherty

using the telescpe a handbook for astronomers  j hedley robinson

Burnhams celestial handbook vol 1-2-3

Advanced telescope making techniques  vol 1 vol 2  alan mackintosh

just a few to be going on with ....