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Treehopper
sage
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Upstate NY
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Does anyone know the publishing cycle for both the Peterson's Field Guide series, and the Audubon Field Guides? I know at one point they used to re-issue them regularly, with updated tables and other information as they became available.
The most recent publication dates I can find on these is 1999, according to Amazon. These are more recent than my existing copies (which date back to the 80's), but I don't want to buy them again if they're going to be coming up on a new printing cycle in another year or so.
Thanks in advance.
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Tim
Third oak on the right, and straight on 'til morning.
Meade ETX-125PE (NGC7000 Edition)
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
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BobinKy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/27/07
Posts: 946
Loc: Country road
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I own several Peterson Guides and the frequency of revised editions varies by topic. I suggest you contact the publisher or the author/editor and ask them.
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Bob
38° Kentucky, USA
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Treehopper
sage
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Upstate NY
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Thanks Bob, I actually found the websites for both Peterson's and Audubon, but there was no mention I could find of publishing schedules. It also appears with the Peterson's guides, that they downsized the Astronomy volume to a 128-ish page "Beginner's Guide", and then moved much of the material over to their "Stars and Planets" volume, which has just over 500 pages. The last update I could find for Audubon's guide was a copyright date on the slipcover of 2002.
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Tim
Third oak on the right, and straight on 'til morning.
Meade ETX-125PE (NGC7000 Edition)
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
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BobinKy
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 04/27/07
Posts: 946
Loc: Country road
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Tim--
Peterson Field Guides are owned by Houghton Mifflin Company. I suggest you go to their contact form and ask them about the printing schedules for the titles that interest you. You probably will receive a reply in a few days.
Here is the contact information for Audubon Guides.
I have 29 Peterson Field Guides and 3 Audubon Field Guides in my personal library. They are quite informative. However, I do not have any of the astronomy related field guides by either of these publishers. I looked the volumes over and returned them because I found better guides published by astronomy writers such as Philip S. Harrington, Tony Flanders, and several of the writers who have columns in Sky and Telescope and Astronomy magazines.
Here is a link to Phil Harrington's website. Phil is a Cloudy Nights regular and takes great delight in talking with newcomers to astronomy. Phil has several writing projects, including Binocular Universe, a monthly column in Astronomy magazine.
Tony Flanders is another astronomy writer who hangs out here at Cloudy Nights, who also takes a personal interest in newcomers. Tony is an associate editor for Sky and Telescope magazine and here is a link to Stargazing, his energizing online blog.
An excellent introduction filled with hundreds of unique illustrations is Chet Raymo's 365 Starry Nights. Chet was a Physics and Astronomy professor who brought together tradition and science in his books, which are a pure joy to read no matter what your expertise level.
And good introductory sky atlases are Wil Tirion's The Cambridge Star Atlas, 3rd ed., Wil Tirion's and Brian Skiff's Bright Star Atlas, and Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas.
I hope the above helps.
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Bob
38° Kentucky, USA
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2096
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I have 29 Peterson Field Guides and 3 Audubon Field Guides in my personal library. They are quite informative. However, I do not have any of the astronomy related field guides by either of these publishers. I looked the volumes over and returned them because I found better guides ...
Thanks for the kind words. But in defense of the Peterson and Audubon guides, I own both, and use them fairly frequently. Each has its drawbacks, but they're both nice, compact collections of critical information.
I particularly like the constellation descriptions in the Audubon guide -- well written info on history and myth, generally quite reliable (same as which can't be said for many sources). Also, the astrophotos in that book are at a nice level. Attractive, but sufficiently modest so that they still correlate reasonably well with what you see through a telescope's eyepiece.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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Treehopper
sage
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Upstate NY
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Thank you for the valuable info, Bob. I had checked on the websites for the respective publishers for info, but may avail myself of their contact info to see if either are planning an imminent re-print any time soon.
Truth be told, I could probably survive on the nearly 20 year-old versions I have now; I mainly was looking for updated tables, and that information can be readily found in other venues.
Thanks also for the heads-up on our resident literary luminaries. It's been years since I've picked up an edition of either Astronomy or S&T; an oversight I hope to correct soon. While I'm not a true newbie, it's been so long since I've been out observing that I might be considered a "re-newbie!"   (Yep, I just revealed my inner cornball. Sorry!)
And of course, anything from Wil Tirion is pure gold in my book. I'm still hunting for an inexpensive copy of his laminated desk volume.
I'll be certain to check out all the links you provided. Thanks again!
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Tim
Third oak on the right, and straight on 'til morning.
Meade ETX-125PE (NGC7000 Edition)
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
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Treehopper
sage
Reged: 07/29/08
Posts: 215
Loc: Upstate NY
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My pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Flanders. I suppose I'm partial to both the Peterson's and Audubon volumes because I cut my early, nearly insatiable, stargazing teeth on them. They came highly recommended by the man who mentored me in the hobby, so there's probably as much sentimental attachment to them as there is practical.
I'm certain there are better treatises available, but few with the concise yet relevant data for the new or casual hobbyist that both of these are considered to be.
Looking forward to talking with you again--your reputation precedes you! 
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Tim
Third oak on the right, and straight on 'til morning.
Meade ETX-125PE (NGC7000 Edition)
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
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