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Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | (show all) SyedRaza The Milky Way Resident Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The Milky Way A book on Stars       #5207623 - 05/05/12 06:00 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi all Looking for a book on stars that gives long description but more from stargazing perspective (and not astrophysics). Fred Schaaf's "The brightest stars" is close to what I want but has only 20 stars listed. Anyone knows of another such a book? Thanks Post Extras:       desertstars Reged: 11/05/03 Loc: Tucson, AZ Re: A book on Stars [Re: SyedRaza]       #5207708 - 05/05/12 06:49 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The Hundred Greatest Stars by James B. Kaler might give you some of what you're after. Post Extras:       SyedRaza The Milky Way Resident Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The Milky Way Re: A book on Stars [Re: desertstars]       #5208212 - 05/06/12 01:32 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Isnt it mostly astrophysics? Post Extras:       Tony Flanders Postmaster Reged: 05/18/06 Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA Re: A book on Stars [Re: SyedRaza]       #5208371 - 05/06/12 07:13 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: Hi all Looking for a book on stars that gives long description but more from stargazing perspective (and not astrophysics). Fred Schaaf's "The brightest stars" is close to what I want but has only 20 stars listed. Anyone knows of another such a book? Frankly, it's going to get pretty dull if it doesn't include at least a little astrophysics. From an observational perspective, a star is completely described by two numbers -- its brightness and its color. Have you considered Burnham's Celestial Handbook? It discusses all the brightest and most interesting stars in each constellation, and includes star lore as well as observational information and astrophysics. Post Extras:       BoriSpider Carpal Tunnel Reged: 08/10/04 Loc: S.W.FLA Re: A book on Stars [Re: Tony Flanders]       #5208720 - 05/06/12 12:23 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   +1 > Tony Flanders Post Extras:       SyedRaza The Milky Way Resident Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The Milky Way Re: A book on Stars [Re: BoriSpider]       #5208913 - 05/06/12 02:32 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes Toni i have already, and now hungry for more Post Extras:       Carl Kolchak Pooh-Bah Reged: 08/02/06 Loc: Northeast, Florida Re: A book on Stars [Re: SyedRaza]       #5209493 - 05/06/12 09:38 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Syed, You might take a look at "The Star Guide: A Unique System for Identifying the Brightest Stars in the Sky" by Steven Beyer. It's dated in 1988 but has just the right amount of info for me on the stars, IMHO. Here is the How to Use This Book page: An example of a star with a small bit of information: An example of a star with much more information: peace & clear skies Post Extras:       turtle86 Pooh-Bah Everywhere Else Reged: 10/09/06 Re: A book on Stars [Re: Carl Kolchak]       #5209513 - 05/06/12 10:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Star Guide is excellent. Another one I like is StarList 2000. Chock-full of great info. Post Extras:       SyedRaza The Milky Way Resident Reged: 11/17/08 Loc: The Milky Way Re: A book on Stars [Re: turtle86]       #5209659 - 05/07/12 12:40 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Richard and Rob, thanks a lot for referring the books - just finished ordering them. Post Extras:       NigelR member Reged: 01/25/09 Loc: Benoni - South Africa Re: A book on Stars [Re: Carl Kolchak]       #5209959 - 05/07/12 09:24 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Greetings from South Africa and "Thank You" for posting reference to "The Star Guide:...". Have just ordered so now the waiting begins. Hope the collection is not primarily for northern hemisphere observing (as many publications are) but guess if it is then based on the sample provided will be a 'good read' anyway! As an aside, by chance I located a hard copy version and being as postage for paperback the same am quite chuffed to say the least :-) Clear (dark as well!) skies to all. Post Extras:       Carl Kolchak Pooh-Bah Reged: 08/02/06 Loc: Northeast, Florida Re: A book on Stars [Re: NigelR]       #5210457 - 05/07/12 03:11 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   NigelR said: Quote: Hope the collection is not primarily for northern hemisphere observing (as many publications are) but guess if it is then based on the sample provided will be a 'good read' anyway! Sorry NigelR but The Star Guide does mention in its Appendix B its Brightest Stars Seen from Midnorthern Latitudes and then lists the stars by seasons. I used this book for a few years and haven't ran into any Southern Hemi stars. peace & clear skies Post Extras:       Tony Flanders Postmaster Reged: 05/18/06 Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA Re: A book on Stars [Re: desertstars]       #5210564 - 05/07/12 04:22 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: The Hundred Greatest Stars by James B. Kaler might give you some of what you're after. I second this. Kaler is a professional, an expert on stars, so of course astrophysics is what interests him most. But he's also a magnificent writer who can make difficult science both accessible and exciting to the layman. More to the point, he just plain loves stars, and it shows all over in his writing. He loves their appearance, their science, their lore ... everything. And does a superb job of tying it all together. Post Extras:       Starman1 Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com) Reged: 06/24/03 Loc: Los Angeles Re: A book on Stars [Re: Tony Flanders]       #5210654 - 05/07/12 05:20 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   1Webb's "Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes", Volume 2. 2Dibon-Smith's "StarList 2000: A Quick Reference Star Catalog for Astronomers" 3The Webb Deep-Sky Society's "Vol 1 Double Stars (Second edition - 1986) written by Bob Argyle." 4Schaaf's "Seeing the Deep Sky: Telescopic Astronomy Projects Beyond the Solar System " Post Extras:       Sarkikos Postmaster Reged: 12/18/07 Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA Re: A book on Stars [Re: Carl Kolchak]       #5224721 - 05/16/12 08:15 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Richard, The Star Guide looks very interesting. This is one that slipped under my radar. I like the format, showing an overall view of what you would actually see with the naked eye, along with good descriptions of the stars, background information on the names, etc. I prefer to remember the stars by names, not numbers or Greek letters. Do you remember friends and family by their SSN? Many stars don't have names, though. One thing I don't understand from the two pictures you show, is that I can see Zeta Herculis but not Delta. I think all six main stars of the Hercules figure should be visible. It would not be an impossible task to memorize the locations and names of all 105 stars in the book. I know many observers have goto or DSCs, but I don't. I've noticed, though, that many times I can find an object faster than the "coffee grinders" slewing at my dark site. Mike Post Extras:       Starman1 Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com) Reged: 06/24/03 Loc: Los Angeles Re: A book on Stars [Re: Sarkikos]       #5224903 - 05/16/12 11:05 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Mike, The value of the Bayer or Flamsteed designations is that everyone, in every culture, knows which star you're referring to. Not everyone would know which star is Rotanev, or Sualocin, or Vindemiatrix, let alone the several different spellings of some of the names and the multiple names given some stars (e.g.Algenib/Mirfak/Marfak/Mirzac/etc. = alpha Persei), and because some Arabic names mean things like "elbow", you can find stars with the same name (like the aforementioned Algenib, also in Pegasus). Except for maybe the 20 brightest stars in the sky, it's better to use the Bayer Greek letter or Flamsteed number. Even you say Zeta Herculis and Delta Herculis instead of Rutilicus and Sarin. Post Extras:       Sarkikos Postmaster Reged: 12/18/07 Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA Re: A book on Stars [Re: Starman1]       #5224970 - 05/16/12 11:47 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Don, Yes, I recognize the value of the Bayer Greek letters and Flamsteed numbers, and the disadvantages of the names. And many stars don't have names. I said that I prefer to remember the names, because usually the names are easier for me to recall. For me, numbers and letters are bland, they have no "hook." I do know some mnemonic systems that I can use to help remember them, but that's placing another layer on the material. Usually, for me, the names are enough of a hook for my memory, particulary if the meanings of the names are somehow relevant to the constellation. Yes, I said Zeta Herculis and Delta Herculis instead of Rutilicus and Sarin, because I just don't know those names - yet! - and they weren't on the pages that Charles cited. Immediate convenience counts for a lot! Mike Post Extras:       Starman1 Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com) Reged: 06/24/03 Loc: Los Angeles Re: A book on Stars [Re: Sarkikos]       #5225139 - 05/16/12 01:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Mike, If you dig into it, you'll discover about 2000 stars have names, and most of them have multiple spellings for the names and, unfortunately, many of the named stars have multiple different names. And I'm not even counting the different names from different cultures (like Chinese, etc.). Many of the medieval scholars who made star maps knew Latin, but weren't necessarily good spellers. and most of the names from Arabic were translated into multiple different spellings. A decent, though not without flaws, tome on the subject of star names is: Richard Hinckley Allen's "Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning". And while several scholars here on this site have mentioned specific flaws with the book, it remains one of the few books to really go into the history of the names. If you're intrigued, the book is a jumping-off site for further research. Most of the names had specific location identifiers in the names, like Zubeneschamali and Zubenelgenubi in Libra (referring to northern claw and southern claw, indicating that, at one time, these were the "pincers" of the Scorpion, Scorpius). Unfortunately, elbows and heads and feet were common. It's fascinating to look into names. And don't look too deeply into the Bayer letters, supposedly ranked according to brightness. They didn't have photometers then, and today's ranking would, most of the time, be quite different. Rigel, beta Orionis, is actually brighter than Betelgeuse, alpha Orionis, for example. Post Extras:       Carl Kolchak Pooh-Bah Reged: 08/02/06 Loc: Northeast, Florida Re: A book on Stars [Re: Starman1]       #5225530 - 05/16/12 05:08 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Mike said: Quote: The Star Guide looks very interesting. This is one that slipped under my radar. ...(snipped)... I prefer to remember the stars by names, not numbers or Greek letters. Do you remember friends and family by their SSN? Many stars don't have names, though. Hi Mike, to tell the truth I have problems remembering my name and social sec #. You must be young. I'll be 52 yo this June seems like yesterday... See what I mean. Anyway I debated about including this image from the book it's a constellation overview page but notice it only indicates two bright stars for Hercules: Only two stars for Hercules get the treatment in The Star Guide. peace & clear skies, Post Extras:       Sarkikos Postmaster Reged: 12/18/07 Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA Re: A book on Stars [Re: Starman1]       #5225947 - 05/16/12 10:18 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Don, Are there no "official" names for any stars? Or are only the numbers and Greek letters official? Isn't there is an international organization which sets star names - not just numbers and letters - as there is for lunar features? I really can't imagine dealing with a Moon full of just numbers and letters. I guess we should be happy that at least the stars have constellation names as a memory hook. Though it seems that many observers want to leave even the constellation as relics in the dustbin of scientific history and just use RA and Dec. Mike Post Extras:       Sarkikos Postmaster Reged: 12/18/07 Loc: Suburban Maryland, USA Re: A book on Stars [Re: Carl Kolchak]       #5225966 - 05/16/12 10:29 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Charles, Quote: Hi Mike, to tell the truth I have problems remembering my name and social sec #. You must be young. I'll be 52 yo this June seems like yesterday... See what I mean. I'm going on 55. My memory still seems as strong as it was in my twenties ... seems! But my memory is selective. I hardly ever remember what I had for dinner last night. (One of my coworkers seems to remember every meal he ever had in his life! ) I'm glad my vehicle has a cargo box on top or I'd be searching a lot longer for it in parking lots. I can never remember my own cell phone number. But I think that's due more to resistence and contrariness than a bad memory. I've never made an effort to remember that number. Cell phones! Bah! Quote: Anyway I debated about including this image from the book it's a constellation overview page but notice it only indicates two bright stars for Hercules The text does mention Delta and Rasalgethi, so that's not bad. Mike Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | (show all)

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