Telescope Reviews: Stellar Media Care Package Arrives!

Son number two sent me an Amazon gift card for Fathers Day and I did not allow any dust to gather on it.

I ordered the following items that I'd been saving in my cart and they arrived today.

1. Sky & Telescope's Mirror Image Field Map Of The Moon (illustrated by Antonin Rukl).
This is a much larger map than I expected. It's laminated and folds into quarters approximately 12" on a side. I'm quite pleased with this one.

2. Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders (O'Reilly Group)
This is an excellent resource. The first 64 pages are explanations of astronomy in general and how to use this volume to locate various objects. The remainder of the book is broken down by constellation in alphabetical order. Each constellation chapter features a listing of various objects, RA-DEC, etc. Significant items also have an image from the Digital Sky Survey and map spanning 12 degrees with a 5 degree finder circle and a 1 degree eyepiece circle. Unfortunately, a) these circles are not to the Telrad standard, b) nor are the maps drawn to a consistent image size which prevents the use of a Telrad finder transparency. This is a small quibble but may be an issue for some. Excellent reference otherwise.

3. Sky & Telescope's Deep-Sky Wonders (Walter Scott Houston)
This book is not a collection of Scotty's Deep Sky Wonders column as one might have expected. It's more of a blend of his columns edited by James O'Meara and arrayed in monthly chapters. The usual images, data tables, and drawing in a small format book (300 pages, 5"x8" approx). I've not yet read this book yet, only paged through it but am looking forward to spending a few enjoyable evenings with Scotty and James.

4. Sky & Telescope's Celestial Sampler; 60 Small-Scope Tours for Starlit Nights (Sue French)
This book in large format is in fact a collection of Sue's popular column. It begins with a general introduction to astronomy and features monthly sky-domes that most of us don't need but would be of considerable value to a newcomer. The four chapters that follow the introduction each contain 15 articles; five for each of the three months in the chapter. If you are a fan of Sue French, you will enjoy having this collection of monthly columns all in one volume. If you have a small telescope, this is an excellent observing guide, too.

There you have it: Four astronomical resources and not a clinker in the bunch. To quote Hannibal Smith "I love it when a plan comes together."

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Kit

"There's only two things that excite a man, expensive toys and real expensive toys." - Red Green

* A bunch of old ATM stuff that cost me next to nothing
* A bunch of new commercial stuff that cost me an arm and a leg

Edited by o1d_dude (06/25/08 12:42 PM)

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