This book will show you the technique of star-hopping, or using the brighter stars and Asterisms as guide posts on celestial paths to faint stars or celestial objects. Twelve monthly star-hops form the heart of the book. Two or more tours are given for each month of the year. Each main hop is a step-by-step trip for you to follow. Taking these exciting tours reinforce the lessons of the methods of star-hopping. These celestial tours can be taken any time during the year. One chapter is devoted to the popular Messier Marathon. The book covers such techniques as reading star charts, finding celestial directions, telescopic types, and selecting and using light pollution reduction filters. Basic information is also given about what we know about the universe and the people who have made the discoveries, and the ancient mythology of the sky.
Help • Fully explains a basic skill
• No previous book devoted to helping the novice learn to star-hop
• Includes lively treatments of the ancient myths and legends of the sky
Contents
Introduction, Preface, Acknowledgements, 1st How to use this book and what you are going to see; second How the sky works, determining your field of view, observing tips and how to navigate in the night sky; third January - Orion and Taurus: the bull and hunter; 4 February - Canis Minor, Canis Major and Puppis: dog days in February and Jason's Argo, 5th March - Cancer, Leo, and Corvus: a crab, the king of the beasts, and a crow; 6th April - Ursa Major: a dipper round tripper; 7 May - Coma Berenices and Virgo: the sparkling hair of Berenice and her maiden and the wheat bushel of galaxies; 8 June - Libra and Lupus: the balance scales and the wolf; 9 July - Scorpius, Sagittarius, and Scutum: the scorpion, archer, and shield of John Sobieski; 10 August - Draco: following the trail of the dragon; 11 September - Cygnus, Lyra, Vulpecula, and Sagitta: the swan, lyre, fox, and arrow; 12 October - Andromeda and Perseus: the chained lady and her rescuer; 13 November - Cepheus and Cassiopeia: the king and queen of Joppa; 14 December - Pisces, Triangulum, and Aries: of fishes, a triangle, and a ram; 15 Messier Marathon, sunup to sundown a hop across the skies; Appendix A: Classification tables; Appendix B: The Constellations; Appendix C: The Greek alphabet; Appendix D: Decimalization of the day, Glossary, Bibliography, Index.
Reviews
'... The ultimate observing guide that belongs in every library - public, university, and the individual star-gazer's ... Garfinkle's book can open up new observing horizons for the beginner and even show the seasoned observer a few new tricks ... Most enthusiastically recommended. " Choice
'It contains a vast amount of information for all amateur astronomers ... packed with valuable information of all kinds - technical, visual, cartographic and historical - of use to novice and old hand alike ... Additionally, in using the stars themselves to navigate the confusion of StarLight, the book imparts a special gift - a thorough knowledge of the night sky '. Steve Ringwood, Modern Astronomer
'This book is excellently produced and makes fascinating reading.' Irish Astronomical Journal
"... The best I have seen are explanatory diagrams included ... Information given on stars and objects encountered during the star-hops is excellent. ' Astronomy & Space
