Sir Patrick Moore's new collection of Sky at Night articles covers the period from 2001 until early 2005. It is the 12th Sky at Night book (the second to be published by Philip's), and it accompanies the hugely successful BBC television series. Sir Patrick has presented the programme since it began in 1957, entering the record books as the longest-serving television presenter. The programme itself is the world's longest-running television series. The episodes have been turned into 40 highly readable and fully illustrated essays, which incorporate fascinating discussions between Sir Patrick and the leading astronomers who appear on the programme. The topics range across the whole spectrum of astronomy, space exploration and astrophysics, with essays on Unveiling Saturn and Titan, Galactic Whirlpools, Dobsonian Telescopes, the Transit of Venus, Gamma-Ray Bursters, and the Unseen Universe. All are illustrated with photographs from world-class telescopes and observatories, and space probes.
B702 Astrophotography - £9.99
Capturing the night sky in photographs is usually assumed to be the domain of specialists, but Arnold opens this seemingly remote area to anyone with an interest in photography. He guides the reader step by step through choosing and using a camera; photographing with a telescope; getting the best out of black-and-white and colour film; and processing astrophotographs at home or in a hotel room. He gives instructions on photographing the Sun and Moon, planets, meteors, comets, stars and man-made satellites, as well as capturing rainbows, halos and other earthly phenomena. This new edition has been fully updated to include the various forms of digital imaging, ranging from digital cameras to webcams, as well as, of course, dedicated astro CCDs (charge-coupled devices). Such equipment has led to a revolution in observational astronomy, allowing amateurs to image faint nebulae and galaxies quickly and in great detail. Techniques of digital manipulation are also discussed, such that the reader will be familiar with all forms of astroimaging.
B703 Mars Observers Guide - £8.99
In 2003, Mars was closer to Earth than it had ever been, making it a good time to have started observing this planet. Aimed at the practical astronomer, this book tells you what you need to know in order to make the most of such opportunities. Mars will also be a good observational target in 2005 and 2007 for those whose appetites have been whetted in 2003.
It features physical and orbital data including size, composition, apparent retrograde motion and key physical features, such as volcanoes and the polar caps. One chapter looks at the basic equipment needed to observe Mars in terms of telescopes and filters, and another outlines the surface features and atmospheric phenomena that you should be able to see.
As well as maps of the surface of Mars and colour photographs taken from spaceprobes, there are detailed timetables for 2003, 2005 and 2007 with the dates of key moments in each apparition.
B704 Moon Observers Guide - £9.99
This practical guide for moonwatchers is suitable for the beginner and the more experienced observer. At the heart of the guide is a day-by-day lunar observing diary based on the progress of the terminator. Using sections of moon map for each day, the author explains what to look out for. The day's observing suggestions are divided into three sections, depending on whether you are observing with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. A chapter is devoted to the various methods of recording the moon - from pencil sketches to digital images. The author also explains the best way to observe and record eclipses.
B708 Splendors of the Universe - £10.00
Splendors of the Universe is a practical guide to photographing the night sky. Not so long ago, capturing celestial sights on film was limited to research-class telescopes. In the past decade all that has changed. Using modern high-speed films and digital imaging, today's back garden astronomer can create full colour portraits ranging from lunar landscapes to remote galaxies millions of light years away.
Illustrated with more than 200 colour images taken by amateur astronomers, this title provides information on cameras, films, lenses, telescopes and techniques - everything you need to know to begin your own celestial gallery.
B710 Guide to Stars & Planets - £9.99
Written by one of the world's most famous astronomers, this comprehensive handbook contains colour star charts of all 88 constellations, plus new up-to-date location charts for the planets.
B711 Atlas of Stars & Planets - £10.99
A completely updated and redesigned edition of this popular children's title. Written specially for 8 to 14 year olds, Philip's Atlas of Stars and Planets is a colourful and entertaining introduction to astronomy. It is illustrated with more than 200 colour photographs, artworks and maps, the majority of which have been chosen or created specially for this new edition. The author has completely revised the text, updating the book to include the latest developments in the fast-moving fields of space exploration and astronomy, right up to the NASA Mary probes. Concise chapters introduce the Sun, the Earth and all the other planets in our Solar System. Then, moving further into space, the author introduces the stars, galaxies and the origin of the Universe. Philip's Atlas of Stars and Planets includes an entire set of star charts, showing all the stars visible to the naked eye. A budding astronomer will be able to use these charts to learn the constellations from any point on Earth. A large photograph of the Moon, with all the major features labelled, will encourage anyone with binoculars or a telescope to start Moon watching. The book concludes with a quiz, so that the reader can test how much they have learned.
B712 Guide to the Night Sky - £4.99
Work your way around the night sky with this illustrated guide to stargazing for the complete newcomer, written in clear, non-technical language. Sir Patrick Moore takes the reader on a guided tour of the stars and constellations seen from the northern hemisphere, using easily recognizable key star groups to 'jump' from one area of the sky to the next. All stars shown on the maps can be seen with the naked eye.
B713 Moon Map - £6.99
This large-format map is drawn by Dr John Murray, a research lecturer at the Open University. More than 500 physical features - craters, seas, mountain ranges, peaks, valleys and rilles (elongated depressions) - are named and indexed, and the landing sites of unmanned and manned spacecraft are also marked. The observer can thus readily identify objects seen through binoculars or telescope, or pick targets for a programme of observation. The chart includes a small map of the far side of the moon, never visible from the Earth.
The map is accompanied by a practical guide to lunar observation, describing the various types of feature to observe, illustrated with drawings and photographs. Tips are given on the best point in the lunar cycle to observe the most interesting of these features. Guidelines on drawing or photographing the moon are also included. Colour artworks explain the moon's orbit and why its phase changes during the course of month. Also explained, with the help of illustrations, are the path of the moon during the course of the year, and why lunar and solar eclipses occur.
B714 Stargazer Complete Astronomy Pack - £10.99
This excellent starter pack contains three essential items to get the beginner started on the fascinating hobby of astronomy: "Philip's Star Chart": the stars of the night sky in three superb colour maps; "Philip's Planisphere": pinpoints the stars and constellations visible on any night of the year; and "Philip's Guide to the Northern Constellations": an introduction to the stars and constellations.
B715 Star Chart - £5.99
This publications details the stars of the night sky in three superb colour maps. It also forms part of B734, the Astrobox.
B716 Pocket Star Atlas - £4.99
"The Philip's Pocket Star Atlas" is a highly practical atlas in a compact format for use out of doors. It contains a series of maps showing the entire night sky, as well as a mass of useful astronomical data. It is suitable for use anywhere in the world. This popular atlas is now in its fourth edition, for which it has been revised, updated and expanded. It presents the sky in a series of 16 maps, showing stars down to magnitude 5.5. This means all stars are visible to the naked eye in semi-rural conditions.
B717 Star Finder - £4.99
This title provides a concise month-by-month calendar for star watchers in the northern/southern hemisphere. Star charts show the position of stars, constellations and other celestial objects for each month of the year, in both northerly and southerly directions. The introduction explains the basic facts that observers need to know, including the apparent motions of the stars, seasonal changes and star brightnesses. Location tables are provided for Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
B718 Astronomy Dictionary - £7.99
This is a completely updated new edition of this comprehensive A - Z dictionary, covering all aspects of astronomy. Written in a style that is both interesting and accessible, it is an invaluable reference source for all fans of astronomy, whether active observers or armchair enthusiasts. It contains more than 1,000 entries, ranging from aberration and ablation to Zond and Zwicky, and is illustrated with 250 colour photographs, diagrams, and tables.
B721 Stargazing with a Telescope - £7.99
B722 Practical Astronomy - £9.99
This introduction to observational astronomy shows to observe all kinds of celestial objects, from the planets and comets in our Solar System, to intriguing deep sky objects in the universe beyond. The first part, "Beginning Astronomy" provides the essential information on how to observe, either with the naked eye, binoculars or a small telescope; when and where to look; how to find your way around the sky by "constellation-hopping"; how to use star maps and planispheres; and how to record you observations with drawings and photographs. The second part "Exploring the Sky", looks in more detail at all the objects the amateur can view, from aurorae and meteors (shooting stars), to the Moon, Sun, planets and comets, and beyond to stars, nebulae, the Milky Way and other galaxies.
B723 Moonwatch: Guide, Map & Poster Pack - £12.99
This pack for the amateur moonwatcher contains three items to help the beginner learn his or her way around the natural satellite.
A practical guide for moonwatchers features a day-by-day diary based on the progress of the terminator (the boundary of light and darkness at each phase of the moon). It also offers clear advice on choosing and using equipment, methods of recording observations and recording eclipses. The pack contains a large-format map of the near-side of the moon. More than 500 physical features are labelled and indexed. The map is accompanied by a guide to lunar observing with drawings and photographs. A map of the far side of the moon is also included. An A1 size moon poster features a series of photographs of the moon as it passes through its phases during the course of a month.
B731 11.5" Planisphere North & Europe 51.5° - £7.99
This lightweight and portable planisphere should be of interest to both beginners and experienced observers, enabling the user to locate stars, constellations and planets and to work out sunrise and sunset times for every day of the year. It is suitable for use in the British Isles, Northern Europe, Northern USA and Canada.
The oval panel is turned to the required date and time to reveal the whole sky visible from that location at that time. The map shows stars down to magnitude 4, plus some deep-sky objects, such as the Pleiades, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Orion Nebula (M42). The increased size of the star map makes it easier to read during an observing session. On the back of the planisphere are tables giving the positions of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn for every month until 2011.
New for this edition is the full-colour wallet which is divided into two main sections - "Using the Planisphere" and "Exploring the Skies". "Using the Planisphere" contains illustrated instructions on how to set the planisphere to the right date and time, how to locate the planets and how to work out the time of sunrise or sunset. It explains the detail seen on the map - the magnitudes of stars, the ecliptic and the celestial coordinates.
"Exploring the Stars" is a beginner's guide to stargazing and introduces the novice to the principal celestial objects visible at different times of the year. Major constellations are used as signposts to navigate the night sky, locating hard-to-find stars and some deep-sky objects.
This best-value set contains all you need to start the fascinating hobby of astronomy: "Philip's Stargazing with a Telescope": a guide to choosing the right telescope and setting it up; "Philip's Star Finder": a planner showing planets, stars and constellations; "Philip's Star Chart": the stars of the night sky in three superb colour maps; and "Philip's Planisphere": pinpoints the stars and constellations visible on any night of the year.
B736 Deep Sky Pack: Guide, Chart & Calendar - £12.99
This is a brand new pack for the amateur deep sky observer. It contains three essential items for exploring the universe beyond our Solar System: "Philip's Deep Sky Observer's Guide": a practical guide to deep sky observing; "Philip's Deep Sky Chart": a large wall chart by Wil Tirion; and "Philip's Deep Sky Calendar": a full-colour wall poster featuring a deep sky object for every week of the year.
B737 Guide to Northern Constellations - £3.50
This is a beginner's guide to the major stars and constellations visible with the naked eye in the northern hemisphere. This brief introduction will help the novice to get his or her bearings in the night sky.
B738 Sun Observer's Guide - £9.99
This is a practical guide to observing our 'home' star. There is huge fascination in observing the sun, and this text explains how straightforward - and safe - it can be to do so. Contrary to popular opinion, expensive equipment is not required, and the necessary safety procedures are easy to follow.
B739 Deep Sky Observers Guide - £9.99
This is a practical introduction to deep sky observing, for beginners and more advanced observers. It contains descriptions of more than 200 deep sky objects, suitable for users of binoculars and small telescopes. Finder charts help to locate the more difficult objects, and a set of star maps is annotated with all the targets described. The book is full colour throughout, with more than 100 photographs and drawings.
B740 Night Sky Atlas - £14.99
The brand new Philip's Night Sky Atlas is a highly practical atlas for observers using binoculars or a small telescope. It is an ideal choice for the back-yard astronomer, with a sturdy, damp-proof binding and pages that can be opened out flat without coming loose. Philip's Night Sky Atlas begins by presenting the whole sky in a series of six maps, showing stars down to magnitude 5.5 - all visible with binoculars or a small telescope. These maps are drawn with black stars on a white background, so that observers can pencil their own observations on to the charts, and are printed on tough paper that can withstand repeated 'rubbings out'. Opposite each map is a 'photorealistic' image which shows how the same portion of the sky appears to the naked eye.
The next group of maps show the most interesting parts of the sky at a much larger scale, in 40 full-colour constellation charts, accompanied by colour photographs and drawings and a detailed explanatory text. The next section deals with the Moon and planets. A fully annotated map of the Moon is accompanied by an introductory guide to lunar observing. A map of Mars shows the major zones of the planet as they can be seen through a telescope. Photographs, drawings and tables of location data are provided for Mars and the other planets of our Solar System. The final section of the atlas provides further data on deep sky objects such as galaxies, double stars and nebulae, and includes lists of interesting targets for observation.
B741 Dark Skies Map - £6.99
Stargazing can be frustrating where visibility is affected by street lights and other light pollution. Now observers seeking elusive or faint astronomical objects can use the Philip's Dark Skies Map to find their nearest dark site and the best route there. Published in association with the British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies, this map is a must for astronomers who want to find the darkest observing sites in the British Isles. The map has been produced using data from the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute in Italy, carefully combined with a Philip's road map (scale 20 miles to 1 inch). Different colours represent different levels of light pollution, and this information has been superimposed over the road map.
B742 Stargazing - £6.99
"Stargazing 2005" was a popular addition to Philip's astronomy list last year, and the 2006 edition of this popular month-by-month practical guide to the changing night sky is expected to be equally well received. Written in a clear and accessible style by Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest, each month features a colour star map with the positions of the Moon and planets with features on that month's 'Special events', 'Object of the month', and 'Topic of the month', described in more detail. Also included are explanations of the planet's movements, a list of recommended deep sky objects and a review of the latest stargazing equipment. This is an exceptionally useful guide for both the seasoned observer and the beginner.
B744 Deep Sky Chart - £6.99
A large, highly detailed wall chart showing the stars and deep sky objects in three superb maps - the northern and southern hemispheres and the equatorial region. All stars visible to the naked eye are shown, as well as more than 200 deep sky targets, including all those listed in the famous Messier Catalogue. The deep sky objects - which include galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and double stars - are labelled in gold-coloured ink, so that they stand out from the background stars. The maps are accompanied by an informative text that explains how to use the maps from anywhere on Earth at any time of year. Lists of galaxies, nebulae, planetary nebulae, double and multiple stars, open and globular clusters, and asterisms will provide inspiration for many years of enjoyable deep sky observing. The map has been created by well-known celestial cartographer Wil Tirion, and the text and tables have been compiled by Neil Bone, author of Philip's Deep Sky Observer's Guide.
B745 Stargazing 2007 - £6.99
Philip's "Stargazing 2007" is a month-by-month guide to the ever-changing night sky, written by internationally known astronomy writers and broadcasters, Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest. Concise and informative, it will help starwatchers to see all the year's most fascinating events, whether observing with the naked eye or with a large telescope. The guide is suitable for use between latitudes 40 and 60[degrees]N - Britain and Ireland; Europe as far south as Rome; and Canada and northern United States as far south as Philadelphia. Twelve chapters - one for each month of the year - form the heart of the book. Each month has a colour star map showing the positions and phases of the Moon, the positions of the planets, and other useful information. The charts show stars down to third magnitude, with some fourth-magnitude stars included to complete distinctive patterns. All these stars are visible with the naked eye.
Each month includes: a featured constellation described in detail; the positions of all the planets except Pluto (that is, the ones that can be observed with typical amateur equipment), and the times when they are visible; dates for the main phases of the Moon, and a description of its location and any close approaches to planets or bright stars; special events during the month, such as eclipses and how to observe them; a featured astronomical object, usually a deep sky target; an astro-photograph, with details of how it was taken; an observing tip; times of sunrise and sunset; and a brief article related to the view that month. Also included is a "Solar System Almanac" which explains in brief the movement of the planets, with particular attention paid to their positions in 2007; artworks and tables; and explanations of solar and lunar eclipses, meteor showers and comets. The next section, 'Exploring the Deep Sky', provides a list of recommended deep sky objects, constellation by constellation. The observer can use the monthly charts to find out which constellations are on view, and then use this information to plan his or her deep sky observing session.
The book concludes with an 'Equipment Guide'. Here Robin Scagell, author of Philip's bestseller "Stargazing with a Telescope", provides a round-up of what's new in observing technology, from the latest brands of telescope to the best webcams.
B746 Stargazing with Binoculars - £7.99
Stargazing with Binoculars is a new practical guide describing the wide range of objects that anyone can observe in the night sky using normal binoculars. It gives clear, step-by-step instructions for finding objects and explains what you can expect to see from both northern and southern hemispheres. It also offers useful advice about choosing and using mounts and other accessories.
Sections include:
How to set up and use binoculars for stargazing
Month-by-month guide to the best objects to study
Easy to use star maps covering the whole sky
How to choose binoculars and what to expect from them
Mounts, tripods and other accessories
Robin Scagell is the vice president of the Society for Popular Astronomy
David Frydman is a lifelong amateur astronomer who observes mainly with binoculars and small telescopes
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