Solar System Books

Alright, here's the skinny.

1. It's a reverse veiw map. So it looks the same as the view through your refractor with a star diagonal or SCT.
2. Rukl knows his business. The map is detailed, and shows you everything you can see.
3. It's laminated. It won't get damaged from dew or those inevitable drink spills.
4. The "hinging" system makes it easy to use. It folds nicely, isn't bulky, and is easy to carry, store, and use at the eyepiece.
5. At this price you can't go wrong just TRYING it.

Face it. This is a moon map that you will USE. If you don't need the reversed view (perhaps you prefer binoculars or the naked eye to a telescope) there is a non-reversed version available, too.

For price, performance, and just plain smart design, this is MUST HAVE if you're looking for a moon map.

I am workinkg part time for Planetary of University of Santiago of Chile, and when is necessary watch the moon by telescope, I was received many children to make excursions over moon surface. Then I was used this map, to locate place where astronauts from Apollo 11, put their feet first time on the Moon. I give to children locate trought mirror scope, many moon features: Seas, Hills, craters, until arrive aproximately over site, where man from earth, arrive there. Is very funny to children and adults too.
Fernando Franco Blü.
Rancagua, CHILE.

Both versions of this map are drawn by Antonin Rukl whose Atlas of the Moon in book form is currently the gold standard for readily available paper lunar atlases. While the scale is smaller here, the amount of detail will be sufficient for the vast majority of telescopic observers.

But what distinguishes these maps is how well they're designed. Laminated, folding in quarters and just about the perfect size, it's plain that Sky Publishing meant these to be practical and rugged.

Also, two very nice touches. The lunar surface features are repeated where the map folds so no details are lost "in the ditch". And each map quadrant shows the libration zones.

This map is excellent.

I loved this Mirro-Image of the Moon so much I bought two, one to hang in my bedroom and one to use at the Telescope. With my Celestron C8-SGT and the mirror image I'm not constantly correcting myself and can find eveything so much easier. And its laminated, when helps when the Dew and late night moisture comes in. I have about ten sky atlases, but only this one and another are laminated.

I decided to buy this Mirror-Image field map because I have a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope that also reverses viewed objects. I already had the true-image field map, but I had a lot of difficulty using it because I'm a novice of lunar topography. The reverse map made such a difference in my ability to see and identify landmarks. The map is laminated and folded, separating the moon into four quadrants. This makes it easy to handle and use without worrying about nighttime dew. I took it to an astonomy club star party, and showed several experienced amateurs. None had ever seen this particular map before. It got rave reviews from them too.

This book is great! It teaches children about astronomy as well! In this book, Ethan wishes he could have a night sky in his room. He grabs the moon, clouds, and stars right out of the sky. Ethan learns that the stars, moon, and clouds are happier in the sky because that's where they belong. At the end of the book, the sky is smiling just for Ethan! Get this book today!!!

The story sparked such interest in both of my children to pick the book up over and over again and re-read it. They find it even more exciting when they get to read it under the covers.

Reading this book to my child was a real joy. To see her eyes light up as the pages glowed in the dark was wonderful. This book has now sparked an interest in my child to learn more about the moon and the stars. Great book.

My 3 1/2 y.o. son loves to read this book while using a flash light which really help the stars & clouds shine when we turn off the light.

This is a story about a young boy that wants to catch the stars and keep them in his room. He soon finds the stars won't shine without their frind the moon, etc... It's a cute story and my 5-year old son likes it.

Totality by Mark Littman, Ken Willcox and Fred Espenak was a pretty interesting book. This book explained the stages of eclipses of the sun. It also explained how to safely view eclipses and the history of eclipses. Mark Littman( a professor in science writing and astronomy at the University of Tennessee), Ken Willcox( was a professor of physics and astronomy at Bartlesville Wesleyan College) and Fred Espenak( an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center) explained everything about eclipses very well. They explain the parts of the sun and the stages of the sun. The authors used many examples of past eclipses to back up there information. There were many interesting and detailed pictures to look at. They showed pictures of the stages of eclipses and famous people such as Albert Einstein and Joseph Norman Lockyer. I enjoyed this book most of the time but sometimes it got a little boring. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy reading about solar eclipses and people who want to observe solar eclipses themselves. This book is good for people just starting to observe solar eclipses because it gives safety rules to use when looking at and eclipse. Also it tells you what kind of telescopes and cameras you should use and at what focal length to get the best picture you are looking for. I am sure this book could help out a beginner in observing eclipses. The most interesting part of this book to me was when I read observing a total eclipse. I was fascinated when I learned that animals and plants were affected by total solar eclipses. There were many examples of this. Also I was interested in learning about the many different eclipses. There were many different examples of eclipses to read about. The least interesting part to me was when the authors talked about the history of eclipses. That part was a little boring , but overall this was a pretty good book.

very good book for understanding all the aspects of solar eclipses; gives advice on how to view them, and conveys why they are special events; after reading this book, I was lucky enought to travel to Aruba to see my first total solar eclipse right beside the authors--it was great!

Even if you have other eclipse books at home, TOTALITY provides fresh information about this fascinating phenomenon. This book describes in clear language what makes a total solar eclipse so special. The authors explanation of the science behind eclipses helps to demystify the eclipse, while the chapter devoted to impressions from a group of dedicated eclipse chasers, gives a sense of the magic of a total solar eclipse. There are plenty of drawings and photographs complement the writing, with an excellent set of references in the appendix. Highly recommended, Jerry Levy ....

"Totality" is a superior reference providing a very comprehensive coverage of solar eclipses. I highly recommend this book for advice on understanding, enjoying, photographing, and experiencing solar eclipses, especially total solar eclipses. The information provided is easy to understand as well as practical and useful. I have about a dozen books on eclipses and this is one is the best. "Totality" is a must read for anyone preparing to experience a solar eclipse.

After being three times under the Moon's shadow, I already know very well what kind of excitement, marvel and amazement a person can feel during a total eclipse of the Sun. Reading "Totality", not only you learn, understand and comprehend better everything concerning the "most awesome sight in the heavens" (sic from the book's review), but feel again those very special sensations you only expect to find during totality. If you are not infected by the eclipse bug after the 1999 European eclipse, perhaps this book will do the work. I only miss a bit more extent on science (chapter 9) and about historical eclipses (chapter 5). Anyway, a very well-written, complete and fascinating book.

We enjoy star gazing, and this is a perfect book for learning about what we're looking at. Very well written and very easy for a "novice" to follow without getting too "scientific".

I loved this book, as did my father who is now 87 years of age. We just want Mr. Shaffer to write an updated book so we can see the constellations in the future years ahead!!

This is one of those books from which you can take as much or as little as you want. Shaffer is not intent on making an in-depth astronomer out of everyone (although if that's what you're bound for, this book will be a fine first leg up). His presentation is clear and friendly, good for browsing, for reference, or for reading straight through. Use it however suits you.

The first three chapters cover basics -- longitude and latitude and why they matter; how to read sky maps; paths of the sun, moon, and planets; basic terms; how telescopes work; etc. These might sound like intimidating topics but they're covered in just enough depth and not a bit more (e.g. "A Very Short Primer on Light").

A nice feature is on page two, a section titled "If You're in a BIG Hurry, What to Read First" (i.e. what parts of this book).

After discussion of telescopes, including how to choose one and what to do with it, there are five chapters on sky-watching. First there's the close stuff: artificial satellites, the moon... and then there's the farther away stuff: planets, stars, nebulas, groups of galaxies.

There's a sky map for each month; the maps are easy to read. Beginner that I was, with this book I was able to identify a few stars I'd noticed several nights in a row -- turned out to be one side of Orion. The fact that what I saw in the sky was recognizable on the map here is a big plus.

This is a book that will last you long past the very-beginner stage.

If you enjoyed the "Star Wars" and "Star-Trek" films, and your visits to your local planetarium, you're in for a treat. This book helps you uncover stars, comets, galaxies, nebulas, planets on your own time. Equipped with the maps, photographs and the space parameters given you in this book, you can step out at night in your own back yard, gaze at the sky and chart your own course. No rocket ships included. You won't need them to apply this excellent handbook to the heavens.

If you're new to backyard astronomy and are seeking a guide, here's the ticket. This covers all the bases, from the moon, sun, planets, and constellations to the locations of deep-sky objects, from lunar and solar observations to how to pick and set up the appropriate telescope (good information from a man who has designed award-winning telescopes). Shaffer starts at the beginning with the basic layout of the night sky and continues into greater detail without getting overly technical or confusing the neophyte. Every topic is presented in a friendly and engaging manner, with touches of dry humor, that eases the unfamiliar into the techniques of backyard astronomy without overwhelming them. Along the way he adds details about general scientific concepts as needed (such as explaining photons and spectrums) and includes sky maps, charts, graphs and other things to help guide the reader.An altogether excellent guide.

This book provides an insider look at the trials, tribulations, successes and failures involved in unmanned space exploration during the 1970s. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in space, project management, policy, technology and history.

Kraemer, the former director of NASA's plantary exploration program, has an easy-reading style, but he doesn't skimp on details. The book is well-organized, discussing each probe and its history in turn. He also provides diagrams and charts, including one very striking and effective 'balanced approach' chart that all program managers should study and modify for their own use. The center section of the hardcover version also includes some beautiful color plates of some of the planets and their moons.

This book will give you an appreciation of the extreme technical, social and political difficulties that need to be overcome to study our solar system in depth. If you liked Donna Shirley's "Managing Martians," you'll like this book as well.

This book provides an insider look at the trials, tribulations, successes and failures involved in unmanned space exploration during the 1970s. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in space, project management, policy, technology and history.

Kraemer, the former director of NASA's plantary exploration program, has an easy-reading style, but he doesn't skimp on details. The book is well-organized, discussing each probe and its history in turn. He also provides diagrams and charts, including one very striking and effective 'balanced approach' chart that all program managers should study and modify for their own use. The center section of the hardcover version also includes some beautiful color plates of some of the planets and their moons.

This book will give you an appreciation of the extreme technical, social and political difficulties that need to be overcome to study our solar system in depth. If you liked Donna Shirley's "Managing Martians," you'll like this book as well.

According to author Robery S. Kraemer they certainly were. He points to several key missions as demonstrations of this fact: Pioneers 10 and 11, Vikings 1 and 2, and Voyagers 1 and 2, as well as a host of other projects begun during the decade. This important recollection explores many of the central themes affecting space science during the latter half of the twentieth century. It describes and analyzes the conduct of NASA's planetary science program throughout the 1970s, enhancing our understanding of the NASA missions to all of the planets of the Solar System save Pluto. Not so much a part of the "new aerospace history" as it is a ringing insider account of the subject, Kraemer's discussion provides the details that only a participant would know about the progress of these important missions.

It is a heroic story in Kraemer's telling, one filled with men and women of good character striving to achieve important objectives. They did not always agree with each other, and competed ferociously for their respective positions, but they all respected each other. The result was astonishing and that alone may have given rise to the belief that the planetary missions executed during the 1970s were the "golden age" of the program.

Although the case may be well made for this assessment at present, and Kraemer makes it well, will that be the conclusion of those one hundred years hence? Will probes sent to the planets serve, something like Columbus did with the Americas, as vanguards of sustained exploration and settlement? Or will they prove to be more like Leif Erickson's voyages, stillborn in the public conception of new lands? No one knows at present but books such as this make a subtle case for many additional voyages of discovery.

In the 1960s Kraemer worked for Ford Motor Co., serving as chief engineer for its Space Systems Division and as a manager of its Lunar and Planetary Programs. In this capacity he learned firsthand of the challenges inherent in planetary science programs. Charting the delicate course between the requirements of the scientists for their instruments and the rigid confines of technological systems managed by engineers, he worked on some of NASA most significant missions of the decade. Kraemer moved to NASA Headquarters in 1967 to work on Mars exploration planning efforts, and throughout the first third of the decade of the 1970s he was Director of Planetary Programs. During this period he shepherded to launch many of the illustrious planetary missions that have given rise to the belief that the 1970s was the "golden age" of planetary science.

Because of this deep background, Kraemer's insider account of planetary science in the 1970s is a welcome addition to the history of space exploration. It compares well to other books relating experiences in space science. That is the reason that I agreed to write an introduction for this book. I recommend it as an engrossing account of an important episode in space exploration history written by the consummate insider.

During the period from 1971 through 1978, NASA launched twelve space probes to explore the planets and the sun and achieved many firsts, such as, the first planetary orbiter, the first planetary lander, the first spacecraft to visit the outer planets and the first spacecraft to use the gravity assist. While a good portion of these stories is presented in the first person, such as the budget battles the author had to fight, this is not his autobiography.

The book is divided into chapters covering each planetary or solar probe and also includes an introductory and closing chapter. Each chapter presents the organization of the spacecraft management team, the determination the science objects, hardware development problems, the budget (and sometimes budget problems), the problems encountered from launch to the arrival, and finally a summary of the important discoveries of each planetary encounter. Each chapter also presents a detailed drawing or two of the spacecraft and a few photographs. Detailed findings from each mission are presented, since these would be books in themselves.

One of the most interesting chapters covers the joint German-US solar probe Helios. This was the first major joint space project. This spacecraft orbited the sun at a distance of less than 30 million miles, which closer to the sun than the planet Mercury and returned valuable data on the nature of the sun.

While I found all the chapters in this book very interesting, I think the final chapter of the book was by far and away the best. The author summarizes what he learned over his many years in the upper management of NASA and his dealings with Congress. In this position, he learned two things. 1) Do not let politics dictate technical decisions and, 2) Do not lie to Congress. These are two concepts that our current NASA administrator should embrace. If he did, I believe more of our country's space projects would funded and succeed.

Una excelente colección de todos los objetos que el cielo puede ofrecer. De lo mejor, tanto para los principiantes como para los más expertos.

Even if these 3 books are a little bit outdated (1983), it is still in irreplaceable source of information on all the celestials beauties to be seen on an amateur telescope

Being an amateur astronomer I bought this and the other two volumes recently and I have found it indispensible. Im writing this review keeping solely the tyro's in mind, since one knowledgeable in astronomy would have already had this book. If you are getting interested in astronomy, this is the book to buy - it will surely deepen your interest. Get the book and take a journey through the starts that Burnham offers you in the first few pages.

There are plenty of astronomy books for amatuers with fantastic photos. And sometimes it can be intimidating to know what to buy. Burnham's book is worth every penny (and it doesnt cost much either). It does not contain colorful photos (though contains plenty of b&w photos taken from Lowell/Palomar and other observatories). All 88 constellations are dealt with in detail. First a list of double stars are given in each constellation followed by details of each bright star (including spectrum analysis for some). The book is set in "type-writer" font, so it gives a special feeling of reading some research paper.

A unique feature of this book, which is probably not found in any other astronomy book I have come sofar, is that, it also contains a perspective of a given constellation or star by several different cultures. Most astronomy books stop with Greek and Roman myths - giving a feeling that no other culture was knowledgeable in astronomy. Coming from Indian background, I found it very intriguing that Burnham mentions several stories and myths from Indian folklore (including those that I heard from my granny!). For eg, Varahamihira (c 100 AD?) in his "Brihat Samhita" compares Ursa Major (aka called "Seven Sages") to string of pearls. I was surprised to see Burnham mention this.

One other way I use the book is to first locate some star in the telescope (by lazily moving it around), notice the color, constellation and other characteristics, then look into the book about the details and compare with what you saw. Thats a fun way of learning.

Though more experienced astronomers would observe that some Burnham's values are of older epoch, this should not really bother a beginner. Burnham has certainly packed a wealth of information into three volumes. Again this is a book that will accompany for life on observing the wonders that are up above the sky.

For the first few months that I owned these books, I went to bed each night reading them. The quantity of information makes these books the most useful astronomy guides (short of a good atlas) I have ever seen, but it is the extra comments (from theological to philosophical to historical) that make them truly wonderful. Much of the information is badly dated, but if I had to recommend one book to someone who loves to look through telescopes, this would be it, hands down.

This book was delivered in excellent condition, and has already proved itself very useful. It is most interesting, provides useful information, and helps to understand the evolution of our solar system using the asteroid pieces fallen on Earth.

A very up-to-date review and very comprehensive. Some parts are for the chemists in the crowd but all-in-all well worth having on your bookshelf.

This is a fantastic reference to meteorites. Large, beautifully bound and with great colour images and illustrations. Norton certainly knows his subject and takes us on a cosmic jouney, from black rocks found in the desert to a time before the formation of the solar system. There is plenty of technical and scientific details to feed the mind of the most educated reader. He explains concepts like radio-isotope dating with a clarity lacking at many eductional institutions today. Highly recommended for all those with an interest in space or astronomy and the growing number of meteorite collectors out there. My only minor criticism is that the font used in the book could have been a little bolder and easier to read for my aging eyes. Norton deserves a 10/10 for this fine effort.

THERE IS NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS EXCEPTIONAL BOOK EXCEPT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT IN-DEPTH LOOK AT METEORITES WITH SUPERB COLOR PICTURES. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN METEORITES, ESPECIALLY COLLECTING THEM, YOUR LIBRARY SHOLD NOT BE WITHOUT THIS BOOK.

Do you know how old the universe is, why our galaxy is called the Milky Way, or why Venus is the smartest planet in the night sky? Do you know how far away outer space really is, if you could stand on Jupiter, or catch a shooting star? The answer to these and many other similar questions, can be found in Kenneth Davis' marvelous, fact filled, Don't Know Much About the Solar System. This is a book chock full of interesting information, fun facts and trivia and history about the universe, galaxy, solar system, planets, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, comets, stars, space exploration and astronomy. Mr Davis' text is written in an easy to read, question and answer, conversational style and complemented by Pedro Martin's humorous and engaging illustrations, that just add to the fun. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, Don't Know Much About the Solar System whets the appetite and leaves kids running to the library for more. So find out if there are aliens living on Mars, and enjoy!

The illustrations and photos are terrific. It is jam packed with information.

Nice book for a teaching your kids.

My six year old and 11 year old fact nuts sat spellbound for an hour and a half as I read this book with them, and it kept my interest as well.

The fun but factual text is interspersed with cute cartoons that my six year old enjoyed, and which helped fix certain ideas in all of our memories.

The only drawback...they wouldn't let me stop reading it!

I can't wait to try out Don't Know Much About Geography.

"Five billion years ago, a starship passing through our region of space would not have slowed down for a second look. There was nothing to see. No Earth, no sun, no solar system. Nothing but a huge tenuous cloud of gas.

Now, as the result of billions of years of evolution, and centuries of scientific research, we can chart our way through the solar system . . . with Sally Ride as our navigator. Starting from the sun and working outward, Sally Ride and Tam O'Shaughnessy take readers on a tour of the nine planets (Editors Note - Now it's 10 they will need a new edition!!) and explain the formation, current conditions, and possibility of life on each.

Filled with crisp, full-colour photographs and lucid prose, this comprehensive volume untangles the complexities of space and allows readers to feel like masters of the universe."

Exploring Our Solar System is a definitive guide to space will particularly interest readers ages 10 and older with its survey of the planets by former astronaut Sally Ride, who begins with the Sun and moves outward. Over a hundred color photos and diagrams lends to classroom assignment and research use.

Wow! This book offers a fabulous introduction to the solar system and our place in it. It is more than the usual description of the sun and 9 planets -- it describes how the solar system was formed, how the planets came to be so different, and why the Earth is unique. And the pictures are spectacular!

This is an outstanding book! My mother bought it for my younger sister but I borrowed it to help me research a report for my 10th grade science class. It is extremely clear and well written, and the pictures are cool! My science teacher liked it so much that she bought a copy for our classroom. I highly recommend Sally Ride's book for kids (and teachers) of any age.

Fundamental Astronomy is both the title and an excellent description of the content of this handsome hard back volume. For the book to reach the fourth edition, it must be hitting a niche in the market. The preface to the first edition in 1987 identifies that market as a "university textbook for a first course in astronomy" which is also suited for serious amateurs who "find the popular texts too trivial". In my opinion, that description from the original preface is "spot on" and makes this volume a must-buy for any serious amateur looking for a comprehensive overview of matters astronomical.

The book covers the basics of astronomy, stellar astrophysics and mainly features of our Universe which are relatively close-at-hand. Large scale structure and cosmology are less than ten percent of the content. It covers all topics to considerable depth, far more so than most publications aimed at a general readership. It is mathematical, although the maths is present largely for academic completeness, and can be skimmed or by-passed as required without reducing to any great extent, the utility provided. Its usefulness for education purposes is enhanced by worked examples in each section followed by exercises.

Within its 19 major sections, it contains much relevant and dare I say fundamental material. The book is well illustrated with mainly monochrome plates which are relevant to the subject at hand plus many carefully constructed, concise graphics and illustrations.

This is a comprehensive reference volume, which will age but slowly on any serious amateur's book shelf, as the subject matter is largely timeless.

.This is a great and comprehensive primary textbook for a student. It is massive introduction to the huge field of astronomical study, and as such contains much of the basic concepts and plenty of hands-on exercises.
I have been mainly using the Finnish version, but having also browsed through the English one I can safely say that the two differ from each other only minimally and thus my experiences with the original hold true with the translation too.
As an end note I might point out, that even though having studied astronomy at the university, it is by no means my area of expertise: I'm majoring in linguistics. That alone, I think, proves how clear and well-written this tome really is: even an Arts students can read it and actually understand and learn! ;)

I am an astronomy student, i like so much this book, because i can laern all about the fundamental ideas in astrophisics, is so easy to read, so clear and it have a wonderful content.

The items of this book are so importants to any student in astronomy, and is very interesting to the other people, if they like study the universe.

I like so much the part about CCD, and the study of spectrography, I realy want to have this book with me.

Thank you so much.

Pablo Cuartas.

As an amateur astronomer who loves theory and the math that goes with it, I found this text to be utterly exquisite for helping me recapture a lot of my old math skills. While the real amount of calculus needed in the text was not overtly taxing, I did find the text very useful indeed for requiring the use of a strong algebra background, along with lots of Trig, and of course, geometry and Calculus.

The problems in this book were intriguing, challenging and just awesome in every respect. For example, I found myself for the first time since I can recall, drawing Trig and geometrical diagrams to assist in visualizing a particular problem as an aid toward the ultimate answer! These problems, all of them mathematical in nature, are extremely interesting and encourage you to make a sketch of the phenomenon at hand in order to arrive at a solution.

And in addition to the problems, the text has very useful solved examples that show you how a particular problem calculation is reached. You really do learn a lot just from these examples.

I think the book might have benefitted from having even more exercises in it, which to me would make it even more useful for a semester university course in introductory Astrophysics. Instead of having 73 exercises, perhaps 150-200 problems would have been more 'whetting' to an appetite like mine is for Astronomy. But, I can heartily recommend that this book, if completed and all the problems worked, will definitely prepare one for a more challenging text with more Math and problems!

The authors could only improve this thing with more text length and more problems, as far as I am concerned. The appendixes and Tables in the back give the student a little bit of good background to the Math needed in the book as well.

This text is a complete WINNER in the category of INTRODUCTORY TEXTBOOKS for the beginning course in college Astronomy!