Peterson's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets

If there is a perfect second book that you should have, I'd nominate this one: Peterson's Field Guide to the Stars and Planets It is more than just a collection of sky maps (although it contains those) it is a nice little "short course" in astronomy. It is a small, thick book, with color illustrations and photos. You won't regret having it in your library, and it makes a great book to keep in the glove box of your car.

One of my fondest memories is of my younger brother and I laying out in my parent's front yard, using this book (and a cheap-o pair of 7x35 binoculars) to "star hop" to M101 (which we successfully did)! We felt quite a sense of accomplishment, and it was cool to know that the fuzzy patch of light we located there was a galaxy, like our own. . . an island of stars in the vast ocean of empty space.



That is one of the really cool things about amateur astronomy. You can enjoy it by yourself, or with others.