An introduction to observing the night sky from northern latitudes using your eyes and an ordinary pair of binoculars. Simple seasonal diagrams explain star movement, lunar phases and the limits of city viewing. No telescope or prior astronomy knowledge is required.
Book ID
book-006
Reading level
Beginner
Currency
GBP
Category
science
astronomybinocularsnorthern hemisphereillustrated
This is a fictional book in a demonstration store. It is not available to buy.
Reader reviews
6 fictional reviews · 3.5 / 5
★★★★★5 out of 5
Finally used my binoculars
The guide explains what an ordinary pair can show without promising spectacular telescope views. The first evening I successfully followed the simple star-hopping diagram.
★★★★☆4 out of 5
Honest about city skies
I appreciated the discussion of light pollution. A few suggested sights were invisible from my street, but the book had warned me what to expect.
★★☆☆☆2 out of 5
Diagrams too small outside
The seasonal charts looked fine at my desk. Under a dim torch the labels were difficult to read, which limited the usefulness of a pocket guide.
★★★☆☆3 out of 5
Useful starting point only
The moon section cleared up several questions for me. Once I had learned the main seasonal patterns, I wanted more detailed charts than this contains.
★★★★★5 out of 5
No expensive equipment required
This got me observing instead of shopping for a telescope. The explanations of apparent movement are short, clear and easy to test across several evenings.
★★☆☆☆2 out of 5
Wrong location for my needs
I overlooked the northern-latitudes description before ordering. The writing is clear, but many of the seasonal diagrams do not match the sky where I live.