Pattern Asterisms - (Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy) by John Chiravalle (Paperback)

About the Book

This book provides a learning tool to facilitate identifying patterns and stars in the sky with binoculars or at most a low-power telescope. It reflects a new aspect of astronomy that does not involve serious science - but makes it easy to learn about the night sky.

Book Synopsis

This book provides a valuable learning tool to facilitate identifying patterns and stars in the sky. It reflects a new aspect of astronomy that does not involve serious science - but makes it easy to learn about the night sky.

In most cases, the minimum equipment needed for observing these is just binoculars, or at most a low-power telescope. This catalog includes star pictures, dot-to-dot outlines of the objects (on a negative photograph for clarity), and an artistic image next to the star patterns. Size, stellar magnitudes, and coordinates are provided, along with north direction, star-hopping instructions and Sky Atlas 2000 references. With the help of this book, the imaginative observer will soon begin to develop a new insight into star patterns, and will start seeing patterns of their own.

From the Back Cover

Orion is a familiar constellation. He even looks like a hunter - at least it's easy to visualize his belt and sword.

Since the very beginning of astronomy, people have looked up at the night sky and constructed patterns out of the almost random scattering of stars. The fact that the constellations are still used today reflects their usefulness in identifying bright stars in the rotating dome of the sky.

But why stop there?

What applies to big groups of stars can also be applied to smaller ones - so here is a set of memorable mini-constellations to help astronomers identify and remember stars in typical binocular or low-magnification telescopic fields. Size, stellar magnitudes, and coordinates are provided, along with north direction, star-hopping instructions and Sky Atlas 2000 references.

Not only is this book a new and effective aid to navigating the night sky, it's also the basis of a great group activity for star parties - guessing and visualizing entirely new star patterns!

Review Quotes

"At the age of 14,"the author writes, "I became aware of the sky above me. The next day I announced, as a student in my seventh grade science class, that I had found constellation coffee pot. A brief burst of laughter ensued. I was politely told to take my seat." Nevertheless, "I still see the Orion asterism as a coffee pot."

This book is the result of Chiravalle's liftetime search for eye-catching asterisms, most of them visible in binoculars or a telescope. --Alan M. MacRobert, Sky & Telescope, November 2006, p. 80)