National Geographic Backyard Guide To The Night Sky, 2nd Edition

Description

Explore the star-studded cosmos with this fully updated, user-friendly skywatcher's guide, filled with charts, graphics, photographs, and expert tips for viewing -- and understanding -- the wonders of space.

Stargazing's too much fun to leave to astronomers. In these inviting pages, "Night Sky Guy" Andrew Fazekas takes an expert but easygoing approach that will delight would-be astronomers of all levels. Essential information, organized logically, brings the solar system, stars, and planets to life in your own backyard. Start with the easiest constellations and then "star-hop" across the night sky to find others nearby. Learn about the dark side of the moon, how to pick Mars out of a planetary lineup, and which kinds of stars twinkle in your favorite constellations. Hands-on tips and techniques for observing with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope help make the most out of sightings and astronomical phenomena such as eclipses and meteor showers. Photographs and graphics present key facts in an easy-to-understand format, explaining heavenly phenomena such as black holes, solar flares, and supernovas. Revised to make skywatching even easier for the whole family, this indispensable guide shines light on the night sky--truly one of the greatest shows on Earth!

About the Author

ANDREW FAZEKAS, also known as the Night Sky Guy, is a science writer, speaker, and broadcaster who shares his passion for the wonders of the universe through all media. He writes the popular online column "StarStruck" for National Geographic and is the author of the book Star Trek: The Official Guide to our Universe. Fazekas is a syndicated correspondent for television and radio broadcast networks, the communications manager for Astronomers Without Borders, and an active skywatching member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada since 1983. Co-creator of the world's first open air augmented-reality planetarium experience in Canada, Fazekas and his team are now partnering with National Geographic to expand this ground-breaking science edutainment concept globally. He has never met a clear night sky he didn't like.