The first edition of Stargazing Basics was published in 2008 but, since then, there have been advances with both the equipment used and computer technology – hence, this second edition. Many of the tables on locating the planets have been updated, and there are new illustrations, charts and colour images with a list of celestial events unto 2025.
Paul Kinzer is an amateur astronomer who lives in the USA and who is obviously very enthusiastic about astronomy, and he wants to equip the readers with some knowledge to make informed choices about equipment. He was hooked on star gazing after seeing Saturn through his “spotting scope” on an overnight camping trip with some children.
The book is aimed at those people wanting to get started in recreational astronomy or stargazing. It is split into three sections. Part I explains the equipment needed and basic techniques. It covers how to look with the naked eye and then has a detailed account of binoculars and what to look for when deciding on purchasing a pair. This, of course, is a personal choice, but guidance is provided giving information in dollars and with details of US magazines, etc., as despite the Cambridge University Press imprint, this is a book from an American author with focussed content on USA. Part I then covers telescopes with advantages and disadvantages of different telescopes, eyepieces, etc., which is 44-pages long and very detailed. The author gives advice as to purchasing and using the equipment and also discusses astrophotography.
Part II covers what is actually up in the sky and is a brief tour of the universe – it covers the solar system starting with the moon and the sun and then the rest of the planets. There are some important event dates in the book which cover 2015-2025, which is a useful feature, for example, date for the opposition of Mars, well-known meteor showers and Jupiter’s travels across constellations. Meteors and the deep sky, stars and galaxies and one page of further resources (books, star charts and software) finish this section. Part III is an extensive 29-page glossary from Aberration to Zoom Lens. There are a couple of appendices covering the Greek alphabet and constellations, and then finally eight simple star charts covering the four seasons in both the northern and southern hemisphere. A 15-page index is at the end of the book with items found in the glossary marked in bold. These terms in the glossary also appear in the text in bold, which is a useful feature.
There are only 12 colour plates in a section called Color in the Sky – not normally seen with the human eye. This includes a picture of Lovejoy – a comet looking a beautiful green colour (from the gases released as it nears the sun). Throughout the text, there are More Info and Step Beyond boxes. These do exactly what they say on the tin with the step beyond not aimed at the newcomer to the subject but those wanting to take stargazing further. Websites mentioned in the book are USA-based, which, again, is a drawback for a worldwide audience.
This book is ideal for a beginner just getting into astronomy and it is an easy read. Hence, it would be good in a general reference library, but, as the title suggests, it is only covers the basics.
