Contents
From the dust jacket:
This new edition improves the appearance and readability of an already good book. Mr. Neely died some years ago, but the text is still valid and useful. Mr. Branley's introduction shows his feeling for both the author and the book: "If you do not wish to start a new, exciting interest in your life, don't start this book. Mr. Neely knew how to charm people by word of mouth; and he knew how to write with equal charm and clarity. Once involved, you will become a star watcher."
This very practical primer will enable any novice to find quickly any visible star or constellation. The author has enlivened the standard approach to the subject with clever and original ideas of his own. He provides a compact but complete star Calendar indicating what an observer will see any evening of the year at one hour after dark. Combined with this, an ingenious chart shows how to read the calendar from any other hour of darkness.
The book features "sky pictures," nearly a hundred of them, instead of the conventional and difficult star map given in mot books. These key pictures contain landscapes to show the positions of the stars above the horizon and relate them to the familiar earth. The compass direction to face is shown on each landscape so there can be no doubt where to look for the tars you want to find.
We all feel like children when we first attempt to pick our way among the myriad tars. Here is a book which will carry you quickly and pleasantly through the kindergarten stage and give you a firm foundation in the world's oldest art.
CONTENTS
Authorities used, vi
Foreword, xi
Introduction by Franklyn M. Branley, xiii
A parable for beginners, 1
The "fixed" stars, 5
The northern sky, 10
Mapping the northern sky, 15
How to use this book, 21
A word about planets, 28
The stars--any hour--any night, 37
The year's calendar for star-gazers, 41
EASY GROUPS FOR BEGINNERS
The north sky circle, 93
--The Dippers, Polaris and Draco, 98
--Cassiopeia and Cepheus, 103
Orion, the mighty hunter, 113
Taurus, the bull, 127
The kite in Auriga, 136
The long wedge of Gemini, 147
Capricornus, Aquarius, Fomalhaut, 157
Pegasus, 167
Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila, 175
There's a yacht in the sky (Andromeda, Perseus, Aries and Triangulum), 194
Canis Major and Sirius, 218
The sickle in Leo, 229
The great Virgo triangle, 237
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, 246
Hercules and the Great Cluster, 256
Ophiuchus and his serpent, 268
Scorpius and his neighbors, 277
Sagittarius and the teapot, 286
GROUPS FOR ADVANCED STAR-GAZERS
Pisces, the fishes, 301
Cetus and its neighbors, 304
Eridanus and it neighbors, 3007
Little groups around cygnus (Vulpecula, Lacerta, Equuleus, Delphinus, and Sagitta), 310
Cancer, Lynx and Leo Minor, 313
Monoceros and its clusters, 316
Hydra and his neighbors, 319
Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices, 322
Phoenix and Grus, 325
Index, 329
This new edition improves the appearance and readability of an already good book. Mr. Neely died some years ago, but the text is still valid and useful. Mr. Branley's introduction shows his feeling for both the author and the book: "If you do not wish to start a new, exciting interest in your life, don't start this book. Mr. Neely knew how to charm people by word of mouth; and he knew how to write with equal charm and clarity. Once involved, you will become a star watcher."
This very practical primer will enable any novice to find quickly any visible star or constellation. The author has enlivened the standard approach to the subject with clever and original ideas of his own. He provides a compact but complete star Calendar indicating what an observer will see any evening of the year at one hour after dark. Combined with this, an ingenious chart shows how to read the calendar from any other hour of darkness.
The book features "sky pictures," nearly a hundred of them, instead of the conventional and difficult star map given in mot books. These key pictures contain landscapes to show the positions of the stars above the horizon and relate them to the familiar earth. The compass direction to face is shown on each landscape so there can be no doubt where to look for the tars you want to find.
We all feel like children when we first attempt to pick our way among the myriad tars. Here is a book which will carry you quickly and pleasantly through the kindergarten stage and give you a firm foundation in the world's oldest art.
CONTENTS
Authorities used, vi
Foreword, xi
Introduction by Franklyn M. Branley, xiii
A parable for beginners, 1
The "fixed" stars, 5
The northern sky, 10
Mapping the northern sky, 15
How to use this book, 21
A word about planets, 28
The stars--any hour--any night, 37
The year's calendar for star-gazers, 41
EASY GROUPS FOR BEGINNERS
The north sky circle, 93
--The Dippers, Polaris and Draco, 98
--Cassiopeia and Cepheus, 103
Orion, the mighty hunter, 113
Taurus, the bull, 127
The kite in Auriga, 136
The long wedge of Gemini, 147
Capricornus, Aquarius, Fomalhaut, 157
Pegasus, 167
Cygnus, Lyra and Aquila, 175
There's a yacht in the sky (Andromeda, Perseus, Aries and Triangulum), 194
Canis Major and Sirius, 218
The sickle in Leo, 229
The great Virgo triangle, 237
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, 246
Hercules and the Great Cluster, 256
Ophiuchus and his serpent, 268
Scorpius and his neighbors, 277
Sagittarius and the teapot, 286
GROUPS FOR ADVANCED STAR-GAZERS
Pisces, the fishes, 301
Cetus and its neighbors, 304
Eridanus and it neighbors, 3007
Little groups around cygnus (Vulpecula, Lacerta, Equuleus, Delphinus, and Sagitta), 310
Cancer, Lynx and Leo Minor, 313
Monoceros and its clusters, 316
Hydra and his neighbors, 319
Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices, 322
Phoenix and Grus, 325
Index, 329
Description
A beginner's book on astronomy, which should enable anyone to locate the various constellations. Primer for Star Gazers explains in simple pictures and directions, with brief consideration to fixed stars, the northern sky and the planets. It includes a star calendar.
Pages
xiv; 334