1842 replies to this topic

[Andrea Salati]

I have tried to get Uranometria (listed as "temporarily out of stock" for quite a while now, which I think is a euphemism for no longer in print). I tried to get ahold of them to ask when it would be available and there was no response.

I think (and I definitely HOPE) that is not the case. I doubt they sold all the inventory they bought when they took over operations. I have bought 7 books ever since and all of them have been out of stock, sometimes for a while. The second part of your sentence, actually explains things. I do not believe books are what they ran out of, people (and oversight) most likely is. It must be a thankless job as the turnover is quite impressive.
I hope sooner or later someone takes a trip to the storage unit(s) in Richmond and finds a box of Uranometrias as I am patiently waiting myself.

I so wish things had gone differently and the inventory had been bought by one of the merchants we buy equipment from. Most likely, no one wanted to take over a very big bite to chew. We can only hope.

[yuzameh]

From what people say about on demand printing nowadays if ya want summat that's WB keep on plugging till you get it because come reprints that'll likely be the route and that'll be that in terms of paper and printing quality.  Although, on the other hand, no one's griped too vociferously over the volumes of the annals that have come out post-WB shutdown.  But them's not reprints.  Some of the tomes, the old ones, likely won't even have some PDF or whatever masters for reprints so unless they keep a book to split up and pay someone with good kit to high quality scan each page and ocr 'em and the galley proof 'em (aka expensive work), there may not be reprints of 'em anyway.

 

Some of the best reprints I saw when they first became fashionable (for out of copyright science and fictional stuff, or bought the rights cheap), came from India.  China ain't be too bad on printing either.  And of course relatively cheap whilst still some level of quality (except the soft card cover and binding maybes).  Strangely enough the ones people most gripe about are done in very developed nations on behalf of big retailers, and in that instance only quality assurance exists (I'm old enough to remember "quality control", which existed before the modern "she'll be right, Blue" era of "quality assurance", which I occasionally describe as "customer led" quality testing).

[Lucullus]

No one here can say for sure. But the fact that they're still listed on the website is a promising sign. Some titles have been removed completely, so the assumption is they'll never be available again.

Which titles have been removed?

[Starman1]

I don't think they've ever listed the entire catalog of WB--just a new piece here and there.

I get the impression they haven't even unpacked everything yet.

[Jbond]

Some have alluded to changes in personnel which may have slowed up some kind of transition. That could account for possible delays in moving stock from warehouse to being available for sale. I hope so. They have some really attractive and useful books and I think, by the interest shown here, they would do well in their sale. 

[grzesznypl]

No one here can say for sure. But the fact that they're still listed on the website is a promising sign. Some titles have been removed completely, so the assumption is they'll never be available again.

Which titles have been removed?

They did not remove any titles since AAS acquisition of inventory. If anything, they have been adding new titles as books are being brought from Virginia to fulfillment center in Wisconsin. 

If you go back to post #1324 I listed all the books that was initially missing from inventory at the time. Many of those books are available now.

[gmiller123456]

I have not been taking notes, but the CD for "Methods of Orbit Determination" has been removed for sure. Pretty sure Meeus' Astronomy Morsels 2 used to be available. Seems like I have recognized others, but I haven't been keeping a list.

[awitze]

Annals of the Deep Sky Volume 1 had been temporarily out of stock for a while and luckily it became available last year. It is out of stock now, again. 

Annals volume 1 is about to be reprinted and will be available again in the near future, if not sooner as there may be some transfer of volumes out of storage and into the fulfillment warehouse.

 

Unfortunately we don't have any intel on any of the other W-B stock. 

[PeteDavidsonTheFirst]

Just purchased vol 10 of Annals. Only two days from order to delivery. I like the new paper format, which makes the book more compact. Looking forward to digging into it!

[Jbond]

I recently obtained part 3 of the Night Sky Observer's Guide, but Uranometria is still "temporarily" out of stock. I also noted an older posting from Feb 2022 noting the same. In contacting them no one seems to know anything about availability (if, when?). 

[Starman1]

I recently obtained part 3 of the Night Sky Observer's Guide, but Uranometria is still "temporarily" out of stock. I also noted an older posting from Feb 2022 noting the same. In contacting them no one seems to know anything about availability (if, when?). 

Volume 4 of NSOG is also worth acquiring.

U2000.0 All-sky edition seems to be out everywhere, including as a used book.

[Jbond]

Don, I am seeking a copy of Uranometria 2000.0 and there are 4 copies available of the All Sky edition on Abe, for (better sit down for this)...

 

between 1,990$ and 3,308$, I guess I better start "investing" in Lotto tickets...

 

There are many copies of the first edition, and a fair number of the second edition (used from 98$ and up). It is my understanding that the 2nd edition, has the much the same material (star charts are the same but not as well organized as the All Sky) and the intro is a bit different?

 

If only Shop at Sky could find their warehouse and unearth copies of the all sky and make them available. 

[Starman1]

The 2nd Edition has the same page orientations as the All-Sky Edition and the Deep Sky Field Guide works for it as well as the All-Sky edition.

So the only disadvantage to the 2nd Edition is that it is in two volumes.  The charts overlap between the 2 volumes, so you don't need to switch from one to the other very often.

If the price is right, you don't necessarily have to wait for the All-Sky Edition.

The 2nd Edition also comes with transparent chart overlays, which the All-Sky does not.

[Jbond]

Thanks for the information!

[Knasal]

Thanks for the information!

+1 ! Thank you, Don.

[Tony Flanders]

The 2nd Edition has the same page orientations as the All-Sky Edition and the Deep Sky Field Guide works for it as well as the All-Sky edition.

So the only disadvantage to the 2nd Edition is that it is in two volumes.  The charts overlap between the 2 volumes, so you don't need to switch from one to the other very often.

If the price is right, you don't necessarily have to wait for the All-Sky Edition.

The 2nd Edition also comes with transparent chart overlays, which the All-Sky does not.

I actually prefer the two-volume version. That single volume is quite a clunker! Granted, it's still a whole lot smaller and lighter than the two volumes combined. Which isn't surprising considering the numerous duplicate charts.

[Knasal]

I think you guys are changing my mind about buying the All-Sky Edition. I think I’ll hold on to what I have (the 2 volume, 2nd edition).

 

Thanks!

Kevin

[Jbond]

I am pleased to report that a "Like New" copy of the 2nd edition, both volumes of Uranometria is on its way, and I also ordered a

new Deep Sky Field Guide from Shop at Sky. Overall I am very pleased and thanks again for the info Don. 

[Lucullus]

Short question for any of you owning the book "Methods of Orbit Determination for the Micro Computer". I am currently reading "The Neptune File", the fascinating story of how planet Neptune was discovered, all from Herschel's discovery of Uranus and the subsequent recognition of it's increasing deviations from positional predictions, despite taking into acount Jupiter's and Saturn's tugging perturbations. Subsequently, Adams and Le Verrier calculated the theoretical existence of Neptune and confirmed that on paper the previous astrometric deviations of Uranus vanished. Highly exciting to read this development!

Now my question: the AAS description doesn't say if the book "Methods of Orbit Determination" can also be used to calculate an orbit by hand? Moreover it might be questionable if the BASIC-software would come with the book. One more question: is gravitational perturbation theory also covered in the book?

 

Or would you recommend some other book like "Basic Calculus of Planetary Orbits and Interplanetary Flight" or "Calculate the ORBIT of Mars!"?

 

Would be very cool to once calculate by hand some object's orbit, albeit a weeks long project and only to a first degree of approximation, without taking into account all eight planets and stuff, and without the deduction of mathematical methods... just follow a step-by-step tutorial on how it is done and apply what the astrodynamics giants back in the days developed as mathematical tools. Just to have done it once, too.

Edited by Lucullus, 16 July 2024 - 02:52 PM.

[gmiller123456]

Short question for any of you owning the book "Methods of Orbit Determination for the Micro Computer". I am currently reading "The Neptune File", the fascinating story of how planet Neptune was discovered, all from Herschel's discovery of Uranus and the subsequent recognition of it's increasing deviations from positional predictions, despite taking into acount Jupiter's and Saturn's tugging perturbations. Subsequently, Adams and Le Verrier calculated the theoretical existence of Neptune and confirmed that on paper the previous astrometric deviations of Uranus vanished. Highly exciting to read this development!

Now my question: the AAS description doesn't say if the book "Methods of Orbit Determination" can also be used to calculate an orbit by hand? Moreover it might be questionable if the BASIC-software would come with the book. One more question: is gravitational perturbation theory also covered in the book?

 

Or would you recommend some other book like "Basic Calculus of Planetary Orbits and Interplanetary Flight" or "Calculate the ORBIT of Mars!"?

 

Would be very cool to once calculate by hand some object's orbit, albeit a weeks long project and only to a first degree of approximation, without taking into account all eight planets and stuff, and without the deduction of mathematical methods... just follow a step-by-step tutorial on how it is done and apply what the astrodynamics giants back in the days developed as mathematical tools. Just to have done it once, too.

The code CD does not come with the book, it was for sale on the new ShopAtSky site for a while but has been removed, so I doubt it will ever be available again.  But the code does appear in the book.  It is not intended for solving by hand, all of the samples use the software to produce solutions.  It's been a while since I've looked at it, but looking now it covers "special perturbations" (short term effects) but not "general perturbations" (long term effects).  I can't recommend anything else because I haven't really read anything else in detail, but I was recently reading a fairly modern book which covered preliminary orbit determination, and it cited Boulet's book for those wanting more information.

[Andrea Salati]

Orders May Be Delayed is back at the top of the page. Or am I just noticing it today but it has been there for a while?
I remember it a couple of years ago or so, I haven't noticed it in recent times.

[lbs-kgs]

I think that's a very recent appearance, and maybe coincides with summer holidays too, being August.  Or, because it's summer holidays silly-season maybe orders are at the lowest, so a good time for some website and online shop maintenance.  Just have to wait and see...

[desertstars]

Just saw a notice on Facebook that the first volume of the series Annals of the Deep Sky is once again in stock.

[dawnpatrol]

Just saw a notice on Facebook that the first volume of the series Annals of the Deep Sky is once again in stock.

FWIW I just checked and it's still showing out of stock for me.

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[desertstars]

So it does.

 

I've contacted the Annals crew via Facebook just now to let them know that something is amiss.