Summer Stargazing: A Practical Guide for Recreational Astronomers

An abundantly illustrated guide to the year's best stargazing season.

"Summer brings with it fine stargazing weather; it also happens to be the time of the year when our galaxy, the Milky Way, arches high across the sky." -- Terence Dickinson

The cool, clear nights from May to October offer astronomers the best opportunities for stargazing. Few sights in nature can compare with the splendor of a dazzling star-filled sky.

Summer Stargazing captures the grandeur of the universe with down-to-earth simplicity. All that is needed is a reasonably dark night sky, a pair of binoculars or a simple telescope, and this book.

The book features everything else the amateur astronomer needs, including easy-to-use color star charts that cover the entire North American sky for one year and photographic-quality charts for this main stargazing season.

With Summer Stargazing, astronomers can delve into the majesty of the starry night to explore:

• Planets of the Solar System
• Galaxies
• Remote star-forming nebulas
• Glittering star dusters and more.

Helpful advice is given for safely viewing special phenomena such as eclipses and auroras.

Summer Stargazing is both a stargazing guide and a pictorial celebration of the summer night sky.