Product Description

Patrick Moore aims to give the reader a thorough working knowledge of astronomy, one of the few sciences in which the amateur can play a useful role, and may even make important discoveries. He begins by explaining the basic facts, describing what can be seen with the naked eye and with simple equipment, and telescopes within easy reach of the amateur. The text contains sections on the sun, moon and planets, and how to observe them. It also gives details of the minor bodies of the solar system such as comets, meteors and asteroids, and demonstrates simple astronomical photography and investigates stellar astronomy - constellations, the evolution of the stars, variable stars, star clusters and galaxies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #841083 in Books
• Published on: 1995-08-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 222 pages

About the Author
Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore was born in 1923. Privately eductaed becuase of boyhood illness, he joined the RAF at the start of the war (being slightly evasive about his age) and flew as a navigator with the RAF. After the war he set up his private observatory in Sussex, and concentrated on observations of the moon. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Past President of the British Astronomical Association and a member of the international Astronomical Union. He has written a number of books, and since 1957 has presented the BBC television programme 'The Sky at Night' every four weeks. He was knighted in 2001, and made a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society also in 2001.

Customer Reviews

Great start for a great subject
I only had a passing interest in Astronomy before I read this book. Patrick makes the firs few steps into the world of astronomy as painless as possible. I couldn't put the book down, I finished it the same day and have been over it a couple of times since....

Informative and entertaining reading
I picked this book at random because I wanted a book that would tell me the basics about astronomy without all the technical jargon to confuse things. I was impressed. The only thing wrong with it was the poor standard of editing. There were numerous spelling mistakes and this meant that I had to reread certain passages to make sure I had got the meaning correct. That aside thought, I would definately recommen this book to anyone with an interest in the sky at night.

Difficult
I found this book relatively difficult to follow. Whilst it is true that Moore tries to introduce subjects to his reader I think he does so in a way that is too brief and then moves quickly to the details. This leads to the immediate confusion of those new to the subject.

Having said that, some of the more familiar subjects are relatively well explained and easier to understand.

Also much of the latter part of the book is occupied with descriptions of sections of the night sky which whilst useful (if you live in the places from which the view of the sky is being described) makes the book part-introduction to Astronomy/part-sky guide.

I like other books written by Moore but found this one hard going. Am not sure I would go so far as to advise against it as it contains interesting parts but I would consider buying it along with another easier to follow book.