Best guide book to southern skies?

[coliea]

Hi all

I'll be heading to New Zealand in November and I am looking for book recommendations to the southern skies. I'm a relative noob to astronomy and a complete noob to the southern hemisphere, so any advice is much appreciated. I've come across A Walk Through the Southern Sky (http://tinyurl.com/2cwvn44) on Amazon UK - is this worth considering or are there alternative titles you would recommend?

Regards
Col

[Suzy]

:welcome: Hi Colin,
Welcome here and to this wonderful hobby.

I have this book and it is a great "guide" book to search for the constellations. It guides you by star hopping using dotted lines and numbered stars. Very easy to read and understand. The back section of this book is dedicated to explaining the legends behind the constellations - fascinating reading!

Just a note, that the above book doesn't contain maps and objects of interest. If you are after something along these lines, may I suggest "The Southern Sky Guide", by David Ellyard & Wil Tirion. It's filled with easy to read maps where each page describes the objects of interest for that map page. I was nearly going to suggest another terrific book I have and then realised it only gave one diagram of the constellation per page, where as the book I just mentioned, actually shows you the surrounding constellations as well on every page (easier to plot your way around), which I think maybe more helpful when you are viewing unfamiliar skies.

Enjoy our wonderful skies! :)

[[1ponders]]

I second "The Southern Sky Guide" Col, for finding your way around. Its a pretty good starters book. You might also want to consider a planisphere. While not as detailed as a book, it great for quickly finding the constellations.

[erick]

Atlas of the Southern Night Sky! :thumbsup:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=23186

[Omaroo]

How about a home-grown one here: http://www.macastro.org.au/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66:heavensabove&catid=41:categorymerch

It's actually designed as a reference for southern sky binocular users, but is a fantastic book in general astronomy terms too. Bob Bee has his own regular astronomy column in the Macarthur Advertiser and is a member of our club - so it's standard reading! :thumbsup:

78573

[jjjnettie]

Australian Sky and Telescope magazine has a beaut all sky map in it.
A lot easier to travel with a magazine than a clunky hard back.

[Ket]

+1 for Atlas of Southern Night Sky. I'm a newbie as well and this is the only book I own. I found that I needed a planisphere which will compliment the book really well.

[Omaroo]

Heavens Above is about half the size of a magazine and it's designed for beginners in mind - without forgoing detail. :)

[Brundah1]

Another mainly Australian edited publication "Astronomica" foreword by Fred Watson. RRP AUD79, but I bought two at QBD for AUD27each.
This is a great general knowledge book on Astronomy which has a Southern Sky flavour.
Second copy for my grand daughter, the budding astronomer :)

I also have Steve Massey's Atlas of the Southern Night Skies
bought on line from Emporium Bookshop AUD43.

Also highly recommend Steve Massey's "Space Stars and Planets" RRP AUD 20. This is the best book for the child astronomer that I have seen.
But unfortunately is out of print and very hard to find. You should find it in the local library.

BTW last check Steve Massey (My Astro Shop) stocks limited quantities of some of his books.

Cheers,

David

[Robh]

Atlas of the Southern Night Sky (Massey and Quirk) and Heavens Above (Robert Bee) are both great resources for the beginner.

You can also download my maps and data "Night Sky Objects" in pdf form for free (and no advertising on site) at ...
http://sites.google.com/site/southernastronomer/

Regards, Rob

[coliea]

Wow! 9 replies in less than a day - you guys are really on the ball. Thanks to everyone for the feedback and advice. That's given me everything I need to prepare for Nov.

All the best.
Col

[MikeyB]

Now that's what I call a truly useful publication, Rob - thank you for your efforts in compiling and distributing it, as well as its companion Galaxy and Planetary Nebula Supplement. Thanks also for bringing both of these to my attention - great work!:)

[luckystar]

Thank you Col for asking the original question. I second Suzy's recommendation. I felt like MikeyB's (from his quote) blind pig till I got a copy of 'A walk through the Southern Skies'. Very memorable descriptions of constellations, relationships and pathways. Really good too for any beginners who like me found reading glasses and good light an essential aid to viewing any planisphere or star chart in the dark. It gave the sky a readable, recognisable connected structure.
Also I'll second MikeyB's words on Robh's '"Night Sky Objects", 'as well as its companion Galaxy and Planetary Nebula Supplement'. Just brilliant!!!

Steve Williams

[GrahamL]

I think this a great book in that its content is very well thought out .. A lot of astronomy publications are chock full of pretty general info
for the beginner, this one does do a good job of closeing the gap a bit in regard imo.

Though the red constellation headers on each page dissapearing under
a red torch light ? .. is that intentional ?

[erick]

I doubt it - I think that's an "Ooops!" It was the one problem I observed with the book. But elsewhere on the page is the name of the constellation that can be read, I recall.

[Paddy]

Yes, bottom right hand corner. Certainly a surprise when I first started using it.

[GrahamL]

Yeah I can see a positive in it of sorts in that it leaves a classical
name there , but the mod constellation name moves to the opposite page corner makeing us take in and retain both ( if the grey cell memory hd has a little uncorrupted space on it ) :) :)

Great book to find as an x-mass gift if someome asks before buying imo

[Jen]

All of the above :P

I love astro books :)

[Brundah1]

Rob H,
I second MikeyB's comments, fabulous work that indicates much dedication to your passion; also note the dedication to your late wife. Its wonderful people like you that enrich our lives. Thank you

[NeilW]

As a beginner, and I stand to be corrected here, I found that the charts in "Atlas of the Suthern Night Sky" were actually northern hemisphere oriented. The chart showing Leo, for instance, is upside down to what I'm observing.

[erick]

I haven't had the opportunity to use it for quite some time, but I do remember turning the book upside down for a few constellations :confuse3: Didn't fuss me too much. :)

[Paddy]

I suppose the convention with any map is north up. And as only the constellations close to the celestial equator have a vaguely consistent orientation over the months that they are visible, it's reasonable to stick with the convention. No point in trying to have an orientation of Crux, Pavo, Scorpius etc for southern observers as they change so much as they cross the sky.

[stephenb]

Neil, You are quite correct on this. I just checked my copy, and yes, all the constellation charts are orientated north at top, south at bottom. I think this is just a way of standardising all the charts and making them uniform in the one publication. I certainly didn't think twice about it until now. :lol: Think of it in terms of a terrestrial or world atlas? There is no southern hemisphere version.

+1 vote for Atlas of the Southern Night Sky but too good a book to be carrying outside at night. Use it as your good reference book for inside.

Stephen

(Damn, Patrick beat me)

[Paddy]

Not if you've got one of these:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-446-0-0-1-0.html

I even use my Night Sky Observer's Guide in the field.

[Robh]

Having the maps upside down may not fuss the veteran observer but for the novice it is entirely confusing. Especially, if they are looking for the stars in a constellation the wrong way up. And when you turn the maps over, all the text is upside down and hard to read at night.
One of the reason's I did my maps as a Southern Hemisphere observer was to correct the orientation when looking north i.e. the constellations are the right way up (but upside down for a Northern Hemisphere observer). Of course, the embedded text is also the right way up so you can read it easily. As mentioned by Patrick, when facing south, the constellations nearer to the South Celestial Pole are seen to do a complete rotation around it so the orientation will change constantly. On my maps, I left these constellations with Celestial South down as they are best seen when they are highest in the sky.
I also designed each page (A4 size) map and data so that they could easily be slotted into a plastic sleeve type booklet to use outside at night.

Regards, Rob

[erick]

I've got one. As a matter of fact, I have that one ;)

[NeilW]

I've also been using the Tirion laminated star charts, which I've found very useful, and are Southern Hemisphere oriented, but which also have their page numbering in red, rendering them almost invisible under a red light :(

[Liz]

I use an assortment of charts, all with their various good and not so good points.
I also use the Wil Tirion laminated charts, and really like them. Easy to use, and great having a few constelltions and targets on one chart.
Also use 'The Atlas of the Southern Sky' - a very popular and good book. Yes, reckon its a shame that the charts arnt made for Southern Hemisphere, so you are forever turning the book around??
Have 'A Walk through the Southern Sky' - prob a good start, but not enough info, more of a guide on how to find the constellations.
One of my favs from awhile back is 'Observing the Constellations' by John Sandford. It was all I used for a long time - lots of info and good charts.
Sky and Telescopes little atlas is also a beauty - ghreat charts with heaps of targets.
Collins 'Stars and Planets' is also a goodie - good charts and info in a smaller book.
Recently bought 'The Cambridge Double Star Atlas' supherb maps there, and 'The Southern Sky Guide' by Ellyard and Tirion - havent used much yet, but charts look good, and up the right way. ;)
Robs charts look good, will have to have a good look. :)

[Suzy]

Wow!!! These maps are brilliant! Fantastic for putting into plastic sleeves for my folder when I'm outside. Exactly what I'm looking for - thankyou so much. :bowdown: