Citizen Science Projects

New Book: Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders

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I work in the Maker Media Division of O’Reilly Media, and I did not work on this book. But I’m very proud to be a part of the organization that’s published Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders: From Novice to Master Observer. I just looked at a copy of it here in the office, and it’s a fantastic resource for amateur astronomers and anyone who enjoys the night sky.

It reminds me in many ways of the beloved Burnham’s Celestial Handbook, but this is a fresh, modern guide to the most interesting observable objects outside of our solar system. The authors consolidated several sky object lists into a grand collection of almost 400 objects, each one including a detailed description, finding directions, a finder chart, and a photograph. It’s a marvelous synthesis of information and data, and it includes very useful introductory chapters on observing practices and equipment.

I love the interior design of this book and all of the new books being released by Maker Media (others include Eccentric Cubicle, the Big Book of Windows Hacks, and The Best of MAKE). This one lies flat for easy referring when your hands are busy with equipment. The charts are clear and indicate both a finder and eyepiece fields, while the text directs you specifically on how to move from brighter nearby objects to the target object. The photos are a great feature and liven up the book considerably.

One thing I especially like about this book is that it’s quite useful for binocular observers. It’s a good resource for citizen scientists who are, for instance, interested in variable star research but lack the ability or inclination to buy a telescope.

I wonder a bit about the choice of title, and am probably glad I wasn’t privy to the potentially aggravating discussions that may have surrounded it. When I hear “Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders”, I think I’m going to get a coffee table book with lots of spectacular photos. I might have chosen to call this the “Illustrated Guide to Observing Astronomical Wonders”, because the book is such a great hands-on guide for observers who really want to get out and find these objects.

It will be interesting to see future titles in the Maker Media DIY Science series. If they’re doing more astronomy books, I’d love to see a companion to this book for observing objects within the solar system…planets, moon, comets, asteroids, satellites…things that might be even more accessible to those binocular observers. Hey, I’m still trying to figure out how to fund those Swarovski EL 10×42 binos for birding…they’d definitely need to do double duty if I’m going to get sucked back into the astronomy hobby!