58 replies to this topic

[Jethro777]

There are ones that got you hooked, made the deepest impression, the most practical, the ones that have taught you the most or that you are most emotionally attached to. You pick...?

(Specify Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced to help if you can)

Edited by Jethro777, 28 February 2019 - 05:52 AM.

[Jethro777]

My pick:
1. Backyard Astronomers Guide (terribly practical)
2. Deep Sky Companions Series (O'Meara) (Practical)
3. Burnham's Celestial Handbook (Emotional)
4. Stars and Planets - Tirion, Ridpath
5. The 50 best sights in astronomy and how to see them By Fred Schaaf.

[clusterbuster]

The Millenium Star Atlas

The Night Sky Observers Guide ( Vol 1 +2 )

Burnhams

Cosmic Challenge

Visual Astronomy of The Deep Sky

 

As Good as it gets

and I am going to get the Stellarium Sky Atlas when my funds allow !!!

Mark

Edited by clusterbuster, 28 February 2019 - 04:21 AM.

[PETER DREW]

Despite having access to an extensive libraray, the only book I occasionally refer to is Norton's Star Atlas, the one I started out with over 60 years ago. Another four would only take up space.

[JOEinCO]

My pick:
1. Backyard Astronomers Guide (terribly practical)
2. Deep Sky Companions Series (O'Meara) (Practical)
3. Burnham's Celestial Handbook (Emotional)
4. Stars and Planets - Tirion, Ridpath
5. The 50 best sights in astronomy and how to see them By Fred Schaaf.

That's 10 books....  

[Jethro777]

You can't make me separate them. Please. 

Edited by Jethro777, 28 February 2019 - 05:53 AM.

[nicknacknock]

1,2 & 3: Burnham's Celestial Handbook

4: Hidden Treasures by O'Meara 

5: A PDF printout of the entire thread on Classic Rich Field by our very own AllanDystrup

[Starman1]

1.Uranometria 2000.0 (single volume edition)

2.The Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, Kanipe & Webb.

3.Atlas of the Moon, Rukl

4.Planetary Nebulae, Steven Hynes

5.Star Clusters, Archinal & Hynes

 

Honorable Mention:

6. Steve O'Meara's Herschel 400 Observing Guide

7, 8, 9, 10. The Night Sky Observer's Guide, volumes 1-4

[edwincjones]

the ones that have an emotional appeal for you

 

edj

[gfamily]

In no particular order...

 

Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders

Astronomy and the Imagination

Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas

 

...

2 more to consider.

[ascii]

I'd start with the two books I have that are out of print.
 
1) All About Telescopes by Sam Brown
2) Celestial Sampler by Sue French
 
then
 
3) Pocket Sky Atlas Jumbo Edition 
4) Sky Atlas 2000 Deluxe Edition

5) Burnham's Celestial Handbook (if all three can count as one  )

[faackanders2]

1. Sky Atlas 2000 Deluxe (or Jumbo Pocket Atlas 2nd choice runner up).

2. Messier Marathon - Pennington

3.  Deep Sky Companions Series - O'Meara

     a.  Messier Objects

     b.  Hidden Treasures

     c.  Caldwell Objects

     d.  Secret Deep

4.  Best 300 DSO - Telrad Charts

5.  Skyspot Telrad Charts - Brent Watson

     a,  Messier Objects

     b.  Overlooked Objects

6.  S&T Laminated 8"x10" Charts (Messier & Caldwell, plus wish they had the other O'Meara ones also!) - Not a book!

 

This is mostly what I use when observing, planning to observe, and post observing.

Close runner ups include:

7. Other Telrad charts which I always bring observing

8. O'Meara Herschell 400

8. Night Sky Observer Guide Vol 1 & 2 - haven't used much yet

9. Uranometria 2000

10.  Backyard Astronomers Guide 3rd ed, or Messier Atlas or Arp Atlas or Deep Observers Guide) - if I could rotate like from a library

[edwincjones]

Burnham's 1,2,3

SkyMap600

Sky Atlas 2000

 

I can get by with these

 

edj

Edited by edwincjones, 01 March 2019 - 05:12 AM.

[opticsguy]

Life is too short, the universe is too large.

I plan to keep ALL my astro books until my very last day.

[caussade]

I own a modest astronomical library containing about 80 titles, but naturally I have my favorites.  The five astronomy books that I would never do away with, in no particular order, are these:

• Moore P. (2006), The Amateur Astronomer, 12th edition (level: beginner)
• Sagan C. (1980), Cosmos, trade paperback original printing (level: beginner)
• Fraknoi A., Morrison D., Wolff S. C., plus 24 other contributing authors (2016), OpenStax Astronomy, version of 2016–10–13. (level: intermediate)
• Tirion W. (1981) Sky Atlas 2000.0, first edition, deluxe version (level: intermediate)
• Consolmagno G., Davis D. M. (2000), Turn Left at Orion, 3rd edition (level: beginner)

And a runner-up: Lovi G., Tirion W. (1989), Men, Monsters, and the Modern Universe

 

These titles have been so influential in my astronomy career that they merit, I believe, a few comments.

 

Moore P. (2006), The Amateur Astronomer, 12th edition

I have written before on this amazing title (see link below) and never tire of perusing the book and recommending it to other people.  It is an amazing work of amateur astronomy not only because of its substance, but also because of its polished writing style and the erudition of the author.  If anyone is wanting to step up firmly into amateur astronomy, telescopes and sky-watching, look no further and start with Sir Patrick.  This is the book that got me started in astronomy back in 1983, when I was 12 years of age, and I will never give it away.  I own both the 6th edition and the 12th edition and love them both.

 

http://www.cloudynig...-5#entry8378269

 

Sagan C. (1980), Cosmos, trade paperback original printing

Is there anyone out there who has never heard of this title?  Thirty-nine years have already gone by since this book saw first light, and it still stands solid.  It truly has passed the test of time, and will always be a classic, in the spirit of Flammarion's Astronomie populaire of 1880.  I recommend Cosmos not only to my students but to everyone; the language is very polished, almost literary, and the explanations provide authoritative insights of core concepts of astronomy that are not expected to be soon superseded.  Also, Sagan's ramblings into the history of science are very illuminating, as are his pioneering insights into the then emerging field of astrobiology.

 

Fraknoi A., Morrison D., Wolff S. C., plus 24 other contributing authors (2016), OpenStax Astronomy, version of 2016–10–13.

A dream come true, this 2016 book is the first large-scale, authoritative astronomy textbook to be offered for free under an open license.  You can download a PDF version of this 1,200-page work at no cost here: http://openstax.org/...ooks/astronomy/.  I have used this book in my classes as an in-depth reference next to my own Spanish-language textbook, and can truly say that it is on par with other well known college titles.  Andrew Fraknoi, a key person in this project is well known for its contributions to astronomy education; seeing his name on the book's cover, as I did in 2016, convinced me this is a first-class offering.

 

Tirion W. (1981) Sky Atlas 2000.0, 1st edition, deluxe version

As one of the first serious books I got, in 1986, this one really helped me develop as an amateur astronomer.  Only 15 years of age at the time, I would spend hours studying the atlas's 26 large maps; later on, I would go out under the night sky with my 8×40 binoculars and 50-millimeter telescope and examine at depth the star fields that I had virtually memorized.  The use of color with a white background make this book amenable to desktop work, unlike the field edition that was also sold.  My copy is the original edition from 1981 that Sky Publishing used to sell, which is now actively sought in the used market by collectors who seem to be paying some premium dollars.

 

Consolmagno G., Davis D. M. (2000), Turn Left at Orion, 3rd edition

I met Dr. Guy Consolmagno personally in 2017 and was able to get his signature upon my copy of the book.  Since 2015 the director of the Vatican Observatory, Consolmagno has the rare trait of combining the passion of both amateur and professional astronomers, and the talent of both the astronomy researcher and the public communicator; and not only he excels with his work, but he is also the friendliest person ever.  With the possible exception of Patrick Moore's book (see above), Turn Left at Orion could be the best ever introduction to amateur astronomy.  This book has brought me much personal enjoyment, and I frequently refer to its drawings of deep sky objects as seen from small telescopes.

 

Armando Caussade, GCSc, BS

 

Astronomer specializing in education and public outreach
President emeritus and advisor to the board @ Puerto Rico Astronomy Society
 

Edited by caussade, 01 March 2019 - 04:21 PM.

[pugliano]

Starlight Nights

Mr. Olcott's Skies

Tales of a Three-Legged Newt

The Light-Hearted Astronomer

Pocket Sky Atlas Jumbo Edition

[BrentKnight]

Nice, scary question...  I actually thought about this one quite a bit.

 

Walter Scott Houston's Deep-Sky Wonders

Luginbuhl and Skiff's Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects

interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas and Deep Sky Guide (They really are just 2 parts of the same book, right??)

Mark Bratton's The Complete Guide to the Herschel Objects

George Robert Kepple's The Night Sky Observer's Guide: Volume 4

 

But I wouldn't be happy, so I'd load my iPad with all my eBooks too...

[Alan A.]

Hi,

A fun but difficult question by the OP.

My 5 would be:

The Interstellarum atlas
Night Sky Observers guide
Telescopes Eyepieces and Astrographs
History of the Telescope- Henry King
To Explain the World - Stephen Weinberg

Best,

Alan

[bumm]

This sounded like a fun project.    I thought about it for awhile, then I stood in front of the bookcase and tried to make a list.  But I simply couldn't.  About the only book that topped every attempt was Garrett Serviss' "Astronomy With An Opera Glass," because I just flat out love that simple old book.  Maybe Menzel's old "Field Guide to the Stars and Planets," because that's the main one I learned the stars from.  After that, I just sorta realized how wonderful all those old books are. 

                                                                                                                                 Marty

[Rich (RLTYS)]

It's not an easy thing to do but if I could pick five books they would be:

 

Norton's Star Atlas (50 plus years)

Sam Browns "All about Telescopes"

Burnhams Celestial Handbooks (All Three)

Peltier's Starlight Nights

The Perfect Machine By Ronald Florence

 

Plus Others

Rich (RLTYS)

[Toups]

How about some classics?

 

How to Make a Telescope by Jean Texereau

 

and the

 

Amateur Telescope Making Volumes edited by Albert G. Ingalls

[bobhen]

Pocket Sky Atlas Jumbo Addition: From S & T

 

1000 +, The Amateur Astronomer’s Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing:

Tom Lorenzin

 

The Lighthearted Astronomer: Ken Fulton

 

The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide: Dickinson and Dyer

 

Not really an astronomy book but it has more than a few chapters with some good astronomy and physics history, perfect for illuminating those cloudy nights…

The Ascent of Man: Jacob Bronowski

 

Bob

Edited by bobhen, 09 March 2019 - 07:23 PM.

[herschelobjects]

1. Observing and Cataloguing Nebulae and Star Clusters: From Herschel to Dreyer’s NGC. Wolfgang Steinicke

2. The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies. Sandage and Bedke

3. Uranometria 2000.00: All Sky Edition. Tirion Rappaport Remaklus

4. The History of the Telescope. Henry King

5. Lonelyhearts of the Cosmos. Dennis Overbye

[clearwaterdave]

If Burnham's counts as 3.,then.,

 1,2,3. Burnhams

 4. Stellarium

 5. Lugjnbuhl an Skiff,.Observing Handbook 

If Burnham's counts as 1.,

 2. Olcott's Fieldbook of the skies

 3. Cambridge Double Star Atlas.,

     Norton's should be squeezed in here as well.,lol.,

[Rich (RLTYS)]

I have already posted my list but I would morn for all the other astronomy books I couldn't bring. 

 

Rich (RLTYS)