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astronomy, book review

Stargazing: Humanity’s Oldest Science

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Things to See in the Night Sky

A chart view of Orion, showing Betelgeuse in the shoulder of the giant. The three belt stars run through the middle, and just below them is the Orion Nebula starbirth region. Courtesy Zwergelstern on Wikimedia Commons.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a book review here, and I certainly have a few books piled up that I’ve read and want to share with you. So, we’ll start out with one of my favorite topics: stargazing. There are a lot of books out there to help you with stargazing, star charts, buying telescopes, and so on. I just got one a few weeks ago called 100 Things to See in the Night Sky: From Planets and Satellites to Meteors and Constellations, Your Guide to Stargazing”. It’s by Dean Regas, who has worked at the Cincinnati Observatory for years, has written for various publications, and knows his way around the sky. His publisher (who is also the publisher of my own Astronomy 101 book) sent me an advance copy and I spent some time the past few weeks reading it.

I have many books like these on my shelf. Still, it’s fun to open up a new one and see what the writer’s favorite objects are. Dean covers all the usual favorites (the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, Double Cluster, and others). He limits himself to objects seen from between 25 and 55 degrees north latitude on Earth. Each entry has some easy hints and tips about stargazing, and he demystifies the stargazing process.

Sectioning the Sky for Stargazers

I like how he divides the sky into various sections. Dean starts with the northern circumpolar star patterns and constellations and works his way south. For each deep-sky object, he has a “difficulty rating”. That relates to how dim or bright it is and how tough it might be to locate. He talks about some of the cultural significance behind the constellations and sky objects and gives a little scientific background about each thing he discusses.  I also like his discussions about looking for satellites and attending such events as eclipses. All very handy info. It’s all written at a level that’s really approachable for most users. I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to a pre-teen as well as an adult beginner. The graphic illustrations are simple and to the point.

So, if you’re looking for a gift book or a new stargazing book for your own shelf, check this one out. Click the link above for the Amazon page for Dean’s book. It has a “Peek Inside” logo, which means you can browse through the pages to see how well it’s written.

My New Book is Out

Speaking of books, my own latest book from Amberley Press will be out in hard copy on April 1. For those of you who prefer electronic books, it’s available now and called Space Exploration: Past, Present, Future. It’s aimed at folks who are interested in knowing more about space exploration but appreciate an executive summary of the topic. The text covers the ancient history of rockets all the way through the Space Age and beyond. It looks at the current state of affairs looks at various agencies and companies involved. Finally, it dives into the cultural changes that space exploration has brought about. It was fun to write, and I invite folks to check it out!

book review, books, Mars

A New Book About the Future Exploration of Mars

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Your Future on Mars

mars
Mars exploration is described in Leonard David’s new book, published by National Geographic as a companion to a TV series.

I’m in the middle of reading a new book about the exploration of Mars, written by my friend Leonard David. Specifically, he’s written about our future exploration and life on the Red Planet. It’s called Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet, and it’s a companion book to the National Geographic series . It, too, is about future exploration of the planet and premieres on November 14th.  I’ve written about the planet and what it will be like in the future to live and work there on this blog many times. So, you know that I’m that excited about it. In the book I’m currently writing, I also talk about future trips there. I KNOW that we’ll get to the Red Planet eventually.

When this book arrived on my review pile, I was equally excited to start reading it.  What I’ve read so far is pretty cool. As you first open it, you get to see highly detailed surface images and maps of the planet, showing just what the planet looks like. The introduction by the Mars video director Ron Howard shares his excitement about Mars (he’s my age and we both watched the Apollo landings at the same time (although not together) and you can tell he’s jazzed about it.  Leonard takes over after that, and for the next six chapters, he weaves the story of Martian exploration and colonization.

Getting to the Nitty Gritty of Exploring Mars

The idea of going to Mars is percolating through a lot of brains these days. As he wrote and researched the book, Leonard talked with many of the movers and shakers in the space community to get a sense of the challenges. (Leonard is a longtime space advocate himself — we first met at a Case For Mars conference in the early 1980s). From Elon Musk to NASA astronauts, everyone agrees it’s going to be hard. But, exploration is never easy.  We knew that even as kids during the glory days of the first space age.   As I’m reading, I imagine a younger version of myself checking out this book, resolving to get to the Red Planet no matter what.

I’m about a third of the way through the book (it arrived a week or so back), so I’ll report more when I’m finished. But, so far, I like it! Going to Mars is complex, and so is the tale. It’s well-illustrated, giving the real eye as well as the mind’s eye a chance to see the beauty of humanity’s future on the Red Planet. It will not be an easy future, but the book is pretty clear: it IS in our future!