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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for Astronomy buffs and Science Fiction buffs
Review: This book has three parts: the Starlist, the visual binary stars (includes drawn orbits), and the variable stars (includes graphs of maxima/minima). Excellent ephemerides.The first part, the Starlist, has been an indispensable source of information. Stars are listed by constellation and includes: RA/Dec, spectral classification, absolute magnitude, apparent magnitude, distance (in light years), parallax, proper motion, direction of apparent motion (disregarding precession), space velocity, radial velocity (where known), size (in solar diameters), luminosity, and Henry Draper Catalogue star reference number (HD). There are many remarks/comments throughout, on various stars. These remarks are concise and helpful, and show Mr. Dibon-Smith's love for the field. Think of it as a one volume condensed Burnham's Celestial Handbook. The second section of this book, visual binaries, includes the combined magnitude, apparent magnitude of each component (with a few exceptions, only the brightest pair of a multiple system), PA/Sep, and orbital information. At the end of the section is a graphic representation of the orbits of binaries with periods of 300 years or less. The third section, variable stars. They are listed by subgroup: pulsating, eruptive, rotating, peculiar, eclipsing, and type uncertain. The first part has graphs of the maxima/minima of Mira type stars, and some semiregular variable stars. Part three also lists type of variable, maximum range, epoch, period, and best viewing dates. That's not all this book offers. There is a section on computer programs (in BASIC) to find: day of the week (given the Julian date), Julian date (given the calendar date), calendar date/day of the week (given the Julian date), position of a star (given the RA/Dec and latitude/longitude of the observer), RA on the meridian (given the calendar date), midnight transit of a star (given the RA), and the approximate date of maxima of a long-period variable. Another section lists stars by RA. Another section identifies star names (fun if you had no idea where Zubenalgubi is...it's Sigma Librae). The bibliography and indices are also helpful. I learned that this book is also tons-o-fun for the science fiction buff, too. So, the space ninja chased the nasty asteroid pirates all the way to Phi Eridani, did they? Well, now you'll know that Phi Eridani is a B8 V, and 180 light years away. Seriously, this book has been indispensable. It's fun to browse though for kicks, and it's extremely helpful if you're into Astronomy.
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