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Good Reads
for the Stargazer in Your Family
If someone on your gift list has been bitten
by the astronomy bug, you'll be happy to learn that a
universe of gift ideas is now at your disposal. Whether
you're shopping for a veteran stargazer or an
astro-novice who first looked at the night sky when Mars
was close last August, dozens of sure-to-please presents
are as close as your local bookstore or on-line
bookseller.
Before giving you my list of "good reads" to look
for, here are some bad ones to look out for.
First and foremost, be careful not to confuse
astronomy with astrology. If you're perusing book or
magazine in which words like horoscope, planetary
houses, aspects, and the signs of the zodiac are
prominently featured, that item would make a very bad
gift for someone interested in the science of astronomy.
Other things to avoid: any book proclaiming that the
"face" on Mars was built by an advanced Martian
civilization, or that Einstein and other established
scientific knowledge is all wrong, or that the Apollo
moon landings were a giant hoax. While good science is
always open to new ideas, the utter lack of logical
thought in these tomes reminds us that some unscrupulous
authors are apparently more interested in selling books
than in enlightening readers.
Happily, you should have no trouble avoiding bad
astronomy reading material, because in this field,
excellent writing abounds. For astronomy buffs at almost
any level, a subscription to either Sky and Telescope or
Astronomy magazine will be glad tidings that last well
beyond the holiday season. Both of these magazines offer
well-written articles, updates on current space
missions, sky charts, equipment reviews, and dozens of
beautiful astronomical images - all this for around $40
for a 12-issue subscription. You should be aware that
the articles in Sky and Telescope are somewhat more
detailed - it's read by professional as well as amateur
astronomers - while Astronomy seems to specialize in
introductory-level articles and superb
astrophotographs.
If a full-year subscription doesn't fit your
budget, special editions offer many of the features of
the monthly astronomy magazines for substantially less
money. During the Christmas holidays, both Sky and
Telescope and Astronomy offer annual sky guides for
about $7. These special issues (this year's are called
Skywatch '04 and Explore the Universe) provide star
charts for each month of the upcoming year, allowing
skywatchers to plan their observing months in advance.
Helpful features such as telescope buyers' guides and
articles on how to set up and begin using astronomical
equipment make these ideal stocking stuffers for budding
astronomers. Another good choice is Guy Ottewell's
quirky but technically impeccable Astronomical Calendar
($24.95 from Sky Publishing). This is a perennial
favorite of many experienced hobbyists as well as
professionals, who seem to favor its large format and
holistic feel. You should also consider the Royal
Canadian Astronomical Society's Observer's Handbook 2004
($23.95 from the University of Toronto Press). This
small paperback volume is jam packed with useful data
and short articles explaining the basics of
observational astronomy.
For those with interest in all things planetary,
a special edition of Scientific American called "New
Light on the Solar System" is on newsstands right now
for $5.95. Eleven brief, clearly written articles on
topics ranging from "Water on Mars" to "The Eerie Oort
Cloud" explain the very latest results of Earth-based
and spacecraft exploration of the solar system, with
plenty of references to related books as well as
original research papers.
This year has also seen the publication of
several spectacular astronomical picture-books. My
personal favorite is Beyond by Michael Benson. As its
name implies, Beyond ($55 from Harry Abrams Publisher)
is a compilation of images taken by spacecraft that have
journeyed far beyond our Earthly horizon. Culling a few
hundred of the very best images radioed back to Earth
from robotic cameras onboard spacecraft hurtling through
the solar system, Benson has created a visually stunning
answer to the question of why we explore space. As if
eye candy needs icing, several thoughtful essays by
Benson, Arthur C. Clarke, and Lawrence Weschler are
included.
Also worth a long, slow look is Magnificent Mars
by Ken Croswell ($60 from Free Press). While the images
in Beyond cover the entire solar system, Croswell
restricts his attention to the Red Planet. This book
makes a timely gift, coming between the close approach
of Mars in August of 2003 and the impending landing of
several spacecraft on the rusty Martian surface in
January 2004. The spectacular vistas of Olympus Mons,
Valles Marineris, and other landmarks will hold special
significance for anyone who glimpsed Mars through a
telescope last summer, and they'll provide a nice
context for the thousands of images that have been
streaming back to Earth since January. For those seeking a
bit more depth on the Red Planet – in a handier format –
William Hartmann's superb A Traveller's Guide to Mars
($18.95 from Workman Publishing) should fit the
bill.
The Hubble Space Telescope may be nearing the end
of its career, but its recent images of planets, stars,
and galaxies are among the best ever produced. British
astronomer Robin Kerrod has assembled a breathtaking
collection of 300 of these images in Hubble – the Mirror
on the Universe ($35 from Firefly Books). After nearly
150 pages of the best and most recent Hubble images,
Kerrod includes a "Background Briefing" describing the
Hubble itself and explaining how NASA engineers
recovered from the near-disaster of a badly misshapen
primary mirror.
For a less-pricey collection of spectacular
astro-images, Sky and Telescope's Beautiful Universe has
dozens of recent images taken by spacecraft,
ground-based observatories, the Hubble, and amateur
photographers – albeit with minimal explanation – for
$9.99.
Perhaps you're looking for a book more practical
than inspirational. In that case, two excellent choices
are Nightwatch by Terence Dickinson and The Backyard
Astronomer's Guide, also by Dickinson with co-author
Alan Dyer. Nightwatch ($29 from Firefly Books) brims
with helpful information on virtually every aspect of
observing the night sky, and its loose spiral binding
makes it well-suited to use in the field. Several
chapters are devoted to astronomical hardware, with
lists of all the things you should consider in buying a
telescope, eyepieces, or binoculars. The star charts in
Nightwatch include a feature that I find particularly
helpful – the distances to many of the stars, nebulae,
and galaxies shown on the charts. The hardcover The
Backyard Astronomer's Guide ($49.95, also from Firefly
Books) covers much of the same material in considerably
greater depth, and is especially useful for anyone
interested in taking their own photographs of objects in
the night sky.
For most new skywatchers, learning the
constellations is both enjoyable and helpful in locating
celestial happenings. The International Astronomical
Union designates 88 official constellations, about 20 of
which are visible from one location at any instant. For
help in learning these constellations, you can't do
better than The Stars by H.A. Rey ($11.95 from
Houghton-Mifflin). First published in 1952 but
frequently updated – and standing the test of time quite
well - this book is notable because Rey connects the
dots of each constellation's stars in a way that
actually makes them look like their namesakes. So Gemini
the Twins, a featureless inverted "U" shape in
traditional renderings, becomes two charming stick
figures holding hands as they saunter across the winter
sky. Rey brings the same common-sense approach to all
the constellations, and when I trace shapes in the night
sky with my astronomy students, his patterns guide our
fingers.
And if someone you know is in a hurry to learn
the sky, Stikky Night Skies ($12 from Laurence Holt
Publishing) promises to teach its readers to recognize
six constellations, four stars, one planet, and a galaxy
in one hour. Relying on pattern-recognition rather than
deep understanding, this is certainly the quickest route
to gaining familiarity with the major signposts on the
celestial sphere. If Nightwatch and The Stars are the
Discovery Channel, then Stikky Night Skies is
MTV.
So that's my list for this year, although I'm
sure there are dozens more wonderful astronomy books out
there just waiting for you to discover them. And if
you're feeling overwhelmed by choices, take heart in the
words of Oliver Wendell Holmes: "The mind, once expanded
to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its
original size." When you give a gift whose dimensions
cover the entire Universe, how can you go
wrong?
Copyright 2003
Daniel A. Fleisch |
