The Sky at Night
Easy Enjoyment from Your Backyard
Tim B. Hunter
208 pages
$23 (paperback), $20 (ebook)
Published 2023

On Wednesday, 15 February 2023, I attended a special book launch celebration for The Sky at Night by Tim Hunter, co-founder of the International Dark-Sky Assocation and amateur astronomer.

I purchased a copy, which Tim autographed for me.

The Sky at Night is a compilation of over 750 of Tim's weekly newspaper columns that have been published since 2007. Intended for the new or infrequent (hoping to make them frequent sky observers), the columns have been consolidated and organized into specific topics, as seen in the Table of Contents.

Table of Contents:

Preface
1. Amateur Astronomy
2. The Moon
3. The Planets
4. Stars
5. Constellations
6. Other Wonders of the Night
7. The Seasons and the Calendar
8. Selected Famous Astronomers, Events, and Places
9. What I Learned from Writing an Astronomy Column
10. What Telescope Should I Buy?
Acknowledgments
Astronomical Resources
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Index

As noted in the Preface, the emphasis is on naked-eye viewing of the night sky and objects that are easily seen, with occasional use of binoculars or a low-power telescope. Along the way, the reader will learn some basic facts about what is being observed. Objects, locations in the sky, and concepts involved are presented in ways that casual observers of all ages can comprehend. Photographs and illustrations are effectively used to show appearances of objects and where to look in the sky.

Summary

Tim's enjoyment of the night sky began in 1950. His newspaper columns and this book reflect his continued enjoyment and allow anyone to experience the joy of observing the night sky. For the general public who are curious about what they see in the sky, The Sky at Night is an excellent basic guide to observing the night sky without overwhelming the reader with technical details.

---

Comments are welcome using Email. If you are on Twitter you can use the button below to tweet this review to your followers. Thanks.

Tweet

---

Cassiopeia Observatory Home Page