What with all the information floating about because the 50th anniversary of the moonlanding, people are interested in sky above us. There are so many interesting phenomena to observe. Today I have book for you called 50 Things to see in the Sky.
What I am Reviewing
50 Things to See in the Sky: (illustrated beginner’s guide to stargazing with step by step instructions and diagrams, glow in the dark cover)
Sarah Baker.
Maria Nilsson, illustrator
Princeton Architectural Press
Hardcover, glow in the dark cover, non-fiction
144 pages, all ages
Astronomy, Star-gazing, astrophysics, space science, science, Space, Sky, constellations,
Reviewed for Raincoast Books.
This hip and handy guide helps you learn the science behind blue skies, sun dogs, and the solar eclipse, and shows you how to observe nocturnal wonders such as lunar halos, Martian ice caps, and far-off galaxies. Fifty celestial phenomena come to life with expert tips from astrophysicist Sarah Barker and stylish illustrations by Maria Nilsson. Any explorer can become an adept observer with their guidance, and more ambitious stargazers will be able to discover more distant sights with the help of binoculars, a telescope, or a local astronomy group.
Details on 50 Things to See in the Sky
Do you want to learn about constellations and other unique space phenomena? 50 Things to see the sky is just the book for you.
With simply drawing and concise text you can discover fascinating things about the sky above us.
This non-fiction read first explains some basics about astronomy. We learn about the equipment needed, the best time to observe and how to navigate the skies.
From there we move on to space things we can see with the naked eye. These include items such as the milk way, various constellations, shooting stars, coments, sun dogs, dog star and supermoons. 24 in all.
Moving a bit further afield we will discover the andromeda galaxy, Saturn’s ears, the Swan nebula and pulsars. There are 14 phenomena in this section. You’ll need a telescope to see most of these.
The sky isn’t limited to just the near and a bit further, you can also, with the right equipment see far, far away. Objects such as a white flag, quasars, an ice volcano, and a baby solar system. 12 destinations to explore.
Warnings are given … such as not to look directly at the sun, it’s rather dangerous to your retinas. Directions are provided to help locate relatively static destinations like constellations. Advice is given such as looking for places on the moon when it is not full.. A dimmer moon affords a better chance to see what you are looking for.
Thoughts/Recommendations
50 Things to see in the sky is a helpful little book to have around if you want to do some sky-gazing. Bring it along on the next clear night and look at the world above us. Spot those constellations, be amazed at the milky way, marvel at the auroras, and realize the world is so much bigger than we tend to think on.
I loved the tidbits of information thrown out… like Mars is covered in dry ice (a new factoid for me). Or that space phenomena have often been mislabeled until they are seen by a more powerful telescope, This shows better definition enabling them to be to better classified.
It does talk about the earth being really old, and other non-creationist ideas, just so you are aware. It’s a fascinating book and makes me wish I had a really powerful telescope so I could see some of what’s up there better. 🙂
Very neat. I love list-style books for things like this.
I liked how this one was set out. Good book.