The Backyard Astronomer's Guide

I ordered The Backyard Astronomer's Guide solely on the advice which I'd seen given to beginners to the astronomy hobby by countless members in Cloudy Nights forums. When the package arrived (I got a notice from the post office because it was too big and couldn't fit in my mailbox) I was not expecting to receive it so soon, so did not know what I was collecting. I was totally surprised, first by the encyclopedic size of the book and after flipping through the 368 glossy pages, by the amount of content which is so relevant to all of those areas of astronomy and astro-photography that as a beginner, I'm eager to learn about. Robert Burnham's foreword got me all psyched up about the new knowledge promised in the pages to follow and his comment that "This is by far the best book I know of for helping anyone become a knowledgeable stargazer." could not have described the book any better. The book is very well laid out, excellent table of contents and comprehensive index make planning of reading sessions and finding specific information a breeze. Stunning photographs support very well written tips and techniques about almost every aspect of the hobby. Great value for money and a book that no new amateur astronomer should be without. This is not a book for the shelf, but for the sofa table where I can grab it whenever there's a spare moment!

Being new to astronomy, I bought this book as a guide. I give it 5 stars, because it's packed with useful information for any "newbie" backyard astronomer. My only caveat is that this book is meant as a guide for those who HAVE NOT purchased a telescope yet. I had already purchased mine, so the chapter explaining the various types of telescopes, and the pros and cons of each type, were (more or less) irrelevant to me at that point. Having said that, there are chapters devoted to selecting eyepieces, accessories, "must haves," and "totally useless" items... things that might seem like they'd be great... but aren't. The eyepiece section alone was worth the price of the book, because the eyepiece is truly the "heart" of any telescope, and making the right choice in an eyepiece is critical. This book offers advice for budget-minded astronomers as well as "money is no object" astronomers. For those who are new to telescopes, finding the right eyepieces can be a puzzling and somewhat overwhelming task, considering all the choices there are. I made some selections based on the information in this book, and so far, I have not been disappointed! I'm also planning to work my way up to astrophotography, so there is a lot of useful information in that chapter that will help me when the time comes. Overall, this book is packed with useful information for beginners, and even for those with a little more experience. If you haven't bought a telescope yet, this book is a great (and reasonably cheap) place to start your research. Be warned, though... it's big and heavy, and is about the size of a college textbook (a big one!), so it's not a book you can curl up with and hold comfortably for hours on end. Aside from that, it's a perfect and highly recommended book for those who are thinking about buying a telescope, or who already have, and need some guidance on finding accessories or exploring the skies. If you already have a telescope and don't need help with accessories, I'd also recommend "Nightwatch: a Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe" by Terrance Dickinson. Another great book for beginners, and includes star maps and charts!

Being new to backyard Astronomy, I was a little hesitant to spend the money on this book, as it seemed to be a little expensive. I read a few of the reviews and decided to take the plunge. Now that this book is in my hands, you would have quite a challenge prying it away from me. The authors, Dickenson and Dyer have covered EVERYTHING that I could think of, and then some. The chapter on eyepieces alone was worth the cost of the book, and I made two purchases based upon this info alone. I'm glad I did. They eyepieces that I purchased as a result have really increased the quality of my viewing. The photos are beautiful and most are taken by the authors. The Milky Way, Galaxies, Nebulas, Constellations, Planets are all in this book along with how best to enjoy or photograph them. Also not really easy to tell online is the size of this book. It is a glossy, coffee table quality book with all of the technical info that I was looking for, and then some. After scanning and reading the sections of greatest interest, I am now going back through and reading each chapter in full. I never do that in this type of book, but this one is too good to miss anything. After having this book for a couple of months, I can honestly say that it is one of my most prized astronomy possessions. I cannot think of any case where I got so much really useful information about a subject that I love for so little money. This is an indispensable guide for any backyard astronomer.

I am a beginner in astronomy as a hobby so I have looked at all the resources I thought I needed like internet sites and forums, reviews and the like. If you are looking to purchase equipment and seriously get into this hobby buy this book. I was fortunate and purchased the right telescope for me but I really wish I had purchased this book first. It covers everything you need to know to get started or improve in the hobby. It is a great coffee table book that is not only informative but has incredible pictures. I use it as a reference for all purchases and it has great observing tips. It is up to date with 2010 information that is as valuable as anything you'll find on the internet and often less confusing. Used along with the best hobby forums out there it is a wealth of information. Knowledge is power and this book gives you the power to make great choices and enjoy astronomy. The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is the best investment a beginner in the hobby could make it should be your very first purchase even before any equipment.

I am a beginner and this book is filled with great content in a style that is easily understood. Paper is great, photos are wonderful, the book binding is another story, unfortunately. I received this book less than a month ago and the binding is already coming apart - a true shame. I treat my books well, but this one is simply - and sadly - falling apart right before my eyes. This was an expensive book and it is a shame to see such poor quality holding it together. I gave it four stars because its content and readability, but if I had to give it stars based on the physical make-up of the product that would get one star, but I didn't feel comfortable deducting stars because the content is something that would benefit other beginners.

Well, almost everything...this shows a beginner everything he needs to know about astronomy, from equipment to nebulae to satellites, however, it doesn't show you how to find anything in the sky. the book has some beautiful charts of the milky way in the back but no indication of how to use them or what are the good targets. a few pages describing what targets to search for and how to find them would be very useful to a beginner. "left turn at Orion" would be a good choice for something like that. It does a fantastic job informing you about everything you need to know about telescopes which i think is the hardest part to getting into star gazing. i just wanted to get a telescope and look in it and nothing else, but i soon realized that you must know your equipment. All good astronomers know their equipment and a lot of times create their own equipment. this is where this book excels. it provides a great, up to date, overview of everything that's out there. having a good reference about equipment isn't "necessary", having the internet and all, but it is VERY convenient. in fact i would say it is necessary. this along with the beautiful pictures,the fun info about planets and the sky and the history of astronomy, this would be a great purchase.

I bought this for my 16 year old grandson. He is in 11th grade & is interested in this topic. He really liked the book. I got it because after reviewing other books it seemed to have good information that was easy to understand, accompanied with really awesome pictures. Other books I looked at were too technical without being fun to read & in fact were very boring in the way they were written. The great pictures help a lot versus those that were just to technical. To capture a beginners attention I believe this is the book. It's for experienced people too but I'm not able to speak on that topic. From a beginners point of view, this book is well organized, attention getting and makes learning interesting & even fun.

I am a newbee star watcher & this book will be open for a long time. It is just loaded with useful information on everything you need to know, buy, use, do not buy, look at, how to look at, how not to look at, well you get the idea I hope. This book is extremely well illustrated with many high quality photos of star stuff along with equipment needed. It explains in wonderful fashion the history & how tos of astronomy with a primer on celestrial navigation. Then the auhtor shows what you need to do the job right, where to go far away from light pollution if you can & what to do if you can't. What's the best equipment (not the most expensive) what you really need & what you do not need to look at the night sky, sun, comets, etc. There's information on astrophotography & that equipment (now you can talk expensive) & info on ways to do it that's not so expensive. There's info on star parties & where they are, filters, scopes, binocs, tripods, motor drives, goto drives, caution on buying too cheaply, well this book is really well worth it. 6 Stars at least!!

Easily the most comprehensive and clearly written practical primer on astronomy and star gazing. All the sections are laid out with intelligence and clarity, and the accompanying illustrations and photos are outstanding. Added to this there are bold recommendations and critiques of available equipment rather than bland comments seen in other astro how-to books. I appreciate that. Everything you need to know is here, not only to get you started but if you are rusty and making a return to star gazing this gem updates you on gaps since perhaps you last looked skywards, with a really good contemporary look at equipment and techniques, from observing planets to clusters to deep space objects. This book anticipates your yearning to learn and uncannily knows the kind of questions you want answered, whether you are simply star hopping, or getting deeper into the basic physics of astronomy. There is a very impressive guide to astrophotography too. This is an outstanding book in every way and super value. Highly recommended without reservation.

A well written, easy and informational resource for anyone interested in viewing the skies from wherever you are either in your backyard or a dark sky preserve. Packed with great information on equipment and accessories as well as detailed information about everything in our solar system. Congrats to the two authors who put this book together for all who wish to learn about our universe and enjoy the night sky. Just buy it!

I purchased the newest edition- A MUST HAVE for anyone who is serious in getting the BEST start to astronomy and backyard to Dark sky viewing. I love it and the photos are INCREDIBLE! AWESOME! Hope some time to meet the author and beg for an author's inscription with a special comment to me: SKYYE. lol

I honestly can't think of a single bad thing to say about this. As the title of my review says, it is ideal for anybody new to astronomy. It has information about equipment, techniques, what to look for and when to look for it. As far as I can see the only real issue is that technology changes so quickly that it might become out of date too quickly, but from what I can tell they do release updated editions occasionally. If you're thinking of becoming an amateur stargazer: read this. If you're thinking about buying a telescope: read this. If you have some equipment, but aren't really sure how to get going: read this. If you enjoy astronomy but simply aren't an expert, and wonder how to get more from your hobby: read this. If you're an expert with many years experience behind you: possibly not for you, but might be handy as a reference manual.

Very good book. Covers the full range of astrophotography. Provides a lot of good tips and is well written. Recommend for anyone wanting to explore astrophotography.