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A comprehensive and eye-catching resource for backyard stargazers of all levels packed with absolutely everything you need to follow the progress of constellations, night sky events, and celestial facts.Foreword by Dr. Stephen Maran A sumptuous aesthetic is paired with practical tips from experts on charting lunar phases and celestial events, notable astronomical anniversaries and facts, the best equipment for stargazing and particular events for your location complete with maps, and much more, packaged into a beautiful, illustrative gift book. Never miss a night sky event wherever you are in the world, go meteor‑spotting, and track phases of the moon, constellations, and planetary events. Discover Dark Sky Sites and what we can learn from reducing light pollution. Get to know the Moon's features and phases, constellations, comets, planetary bodies, eclipses, conjunctions, and more. Find out what you can see with the naked eye and the wider canvas of a telescope. With The Backyard Stargazer's Bible, you'll embrace the magnificent splendor of the rich tapestry of the skies above.Also available:The Beekeeper's BibleThe Botanical BibleThe Backyard Birdwatcher's BibleThe Backyard Chicken Keeper's Bible

'Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion — two consummate professionals in the field — have teamed up to produce an exemplary text with first-rate illustrations to inspire the beginning sky-gazer. I heartily recommend this text.'— Neil English, Astronomy Now magazineA user-friendly companion for stargazers of all ages, this classic beginner's guide describes all the main sights of the night sky. The newly updated book contains a chapter for each month, describing prominent stars, constellations, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. Readers will discover when to watch meteor showers, when eclipses will occur, and how to follow the movements of the four brightest planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn).Most of the sights are visible to the naked eye, and all can be seen with binoculars or a small telescope. Sections on observing the Moon and the planets include 50 easy-to-use maps that introduce the skies of the Northern Hemisphere and a comprehensive guide to observing the Moon.'The star maps are first quality … I find them to be a pleasure to look at and use. If you have a young person or friend you would like to share your love of astronomy with, get them a pair of binoculars and this book and you'll have a stargazing friend for life.'— Mike Simonsen, Slacker Astronomy

An accessible but genuinely comprehensive illustrated handbook of every aspect of astronomy, featuring the latest discoveries and the most recently available images of the universe.Take a tour of the universe, from the 90-mile-wide impact craters on the moon to Jupiter's Great Red Spot--a 400 mph swirling storm that started before anyone on Earth was born.This stunningly illustrated handbook is split into eight sections that cover every aspect of astronomy. Learn about the history of discoveries in the field and astronomical phenomena, from the earliest human civilizations to the present day, and then take a lavish visual tour of our solar system, complete with the most recent photographs of the planets. A definitive month-by-month guide to the night sky, with star charts for the northern and southern hemispheres, and an almanac covering astronomical events that are due to occur over the next 10 years, allow you to find your way around the night sky and locate stars, galaxies, and other objects. With over 100 star charts and profiles of all 88 constellations, as well as detailed tips on how to observe the skies using the naked eye, binoculars, and telescopes, Astronomy is perfect for avid amateur astronomers, and a great reference book for the whole family.

Now in full colour throughout, the sixth edition of Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion's famous guide to the night sky is fully revised and updated for planet positions and forthcoming eclipses up to the end of the year 2007. With one chapter for each month of the year, this easy-to-use handbook is an ideal first guide to the sky. It will help the reader to identify constellations, star clusters, nebulae, galaxies and metor showers, to plot the movement of planets, or to witness solar and lunar eclipses. Most of the features discussed are visible to the naked eye and all can be seen with a small telescope or binoculars. The Monthly Sky Guide offers a clear and simple introduction to the skies of the northern hemisphere for beginners of all ages.