National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Constellations of the Northern Skies

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully compact; good binocular or naked eye companion.
Review: This tiny book packs the only most useful information into the smallest usable size, small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. I keep mine in my binocular case. It has compact overview maps showing constellations and a few selected objects by season, then constellation by constellation maps with greater detail and many objects which can be seen in binoculars or a small telescope. On the page facing each map is short, well written text describing the most interesting stars and deep sky objects on the map.

Because of its small size, it is limited to only the brightest stars and objects, but there is plenty detail for star hopping to interesting objects with the aid of a pair of binoculars. It is not a substitute for a serious field guide and star atlas, but begginers will find plenty to look for with this and more experienced stargazers will appreciate its convenience.

This book is a good way to learn your way around the sky. Remember, it takes some practice to learn how to read a star map and mentally rotate and project it onto the curved night sky. You get better at this with practice. I also suggest you get a small flashlight with a red filter.

Beginners wishing to learn constellations may also wish to consult Levitt and Marshall's classic "Star Maps for Begginers", which has much less cartographic detail (perhaps an advantage for learning the constellations). This book is much more useful on an ongoing basis, however.