My Favorite Astronomy Books

I was lucky enough to get a bunch of new books lately, so I thought I'd create a post of my favorites for you to check out. I've mentioned some of these before, but I'm putting the whole lot here for easy reference :)

Astronomy Hacks
By Robert Thompson, Barbara Fritchman Thompson
This has become my bible of sorts. Always a good read, and plenty of things to keep the newbie busy. How to pick a scope, how to trick it out, computer gizmos to buy, etc. A must read.



The Stars: A New Way to See Them
H.A. Rey
Yes, the same H.A. Rey that wrote and illustrated Curious George books. He was also a scientist, and this book is a the coolest way to learn the constellations. My kids love it, I love it, you'll love it.






Nightwatch
Terence Dickinson
This is one I just got, and like the Hacks book, it is a great beginners guide to all things astronomy. Lots of pictures, easy to read, and it is spiral-bound to lay flat. The 2006 edition has all new goodies, too.


Sky Atlas 2000.0
Wil Tirion
I just found the older 80's printing (black cover, spiral bound, unlaminated) at a half-price books store for under $9! Had to buy it, even if it is SO hardcore. This is an amazing book of star charts, well organized and full of great stuff to hunt down. The link is for the new edition, and has sprial bound laminated pages. Pricey, but a great resource.


Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas
Roger W. Sinnott
An easy to use field guide full of star charts. Many deep sky objects, easy to read (even at night), and a super bargain. If you're not going to spend $75 on SkyAtlas 2000.0, this $10 book is right up your alley.

Amazing beginners book - Astronomy Hacks

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to a book that I LOVE. A fellow AAAP member reminded me of it when he recommended it to me yesterday (two of us like it - so it must be good!).

The book is called Astronomy Hacks, by husband and wife team Robert Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson. Click the link to find it on sale at Amazon.com.

This book saved my time and money, and reading it was fun and informative. I'm still not done reading it, because I keep re-reading the early parts :)