Andrew Fazekas
Author of Star Trek The Official Guide to Our Universe: The True Science Behind the Starship Voyages
About the Author
Andrew Fazekas, the Night Sky Guy, writes about space and stargazing for National Geographic. He has been a science writer, speaker, and educator for 25 years, sharing the wonders of the universe through books, radio, and television.
Works by Andrew Fazekas
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- Works
- 3
- Members
- 117
- Popularity
- #168,597
- Rating
- 4.1
- Reviews
- 4
- ISBNs
- 3
The National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky, 2nd Edition, is well organized, especially for educational purposes. It starts with the basics and gives the reader simple tasks, studying the phases of the moon, tracking the motion of the stars and planets over weeks, and learning to recognize some of the brightest constellations. This sets a foundation for future sky watching. There is also a wonderful opening illustration on Sizing up the Galaxy, which will help set the scope of the nighttime sky. Take note of the use of your hand to find your way while observing the sky. This is a great idea for beginners, especially children. Even more than that, before we even get into space, there is information on our atmosphere and tricks of light that many people have observed, like a green flash, light pillars, halos, sundogs, auroras, noctilucent clouds, and sprites, for example. There are techniques presented for making the most of viewing eclipses and meteor showers. Then there is information about the more esoteric phenomena such as black holes and supernovas.
Chapters are logically organized into: Discovering Starry Skies; The Atmosphere; The Sun; The Moon; The Planets; Comets & Meteors; Beyond The Solar System; Beyond The Milky Way; Navigating The Night Sky; Sky Charts; Viewing The Naked-Eye Planets; Further Resources and an index. Since it is a National Geographic guide, expect beautiful photographs and illustrations, charts and graphics. There are also a plethora of tips and techniques to assist in viewing the night sky with your naked eyes, binoculars, or a telescope. Since we are closely related to someone who lives out away from light pollution and has the perfect place for viewing the night sky, this is going to be a well used guide.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of National Geographic in exchange for my honest opinion for TLC Book Tours.… (more)