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.

Sky Maps for Beginners

Humans beings are map makers. There is a good reason for that: Why waste time wandering around aimlessly when we can find our way to our objective with a proper map? The night sky is no different. Men long ago began finding patterns (technically called "asterisms") in the sky and giving them names. Today we know them as constellations.

Learning the Constellations (or at least beginning to learn them) is the first step towards appreciating the night sky. I highly recommend the following book: Sky Maps for Beginners. My experience is similar to that of those offering reader reviews at Amazon. My copy is falling apart from use (the sign of a good book).

The "revolutionary" thing about this book is that it does not present the sky maps in CIRCLE form (which, for beginners is a bit confusing). Instead, it takes the dome of stars above and splits is and lays it flat on the page so that you see the sky divided into the four cardinal directions (NSEW). Different maps are provided to cover the sky for any time of the year and any time of the night.



You will find this book so invaluable, that you will be wanting to give copies to friends (and even children) who are interested in learning more about the night sky. It is a wonderful, unintimidating little book and is now available in a 50th Anniversary Edition. I recommend getting the most recent edition of this book, as it will contain current information on the location of the planets in the night sky.

Welcome to Uranoscopic !

You may have never before heard the word "uranoscopic" before. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is now a "rare" term and has the following definitions:
a. Pertaining to the study of the heavens.
b. Directed towards the heavens.
For that reason, I thought it would be the perfect name for this blog.

Why might you find this blog useful? Good question, since I am not an experienced amateur astronomer and have no special knowledge or skills to pass along. Perhaps it would be better to think of what we might share. The first thing that you and I share is the night sky above us. In our modern world, many have seemingly lost the ability to even look up and appreciate the wonders above us. City lights and terrestrial concerns seem to drown out the interest of many in the night sky. But it is there, just waiting for those appreciative souls to "rediscover" its wonders.

The night sky knows no artificial borders (except those drawn upon it by men). It does not matter what national borders you live within or what race, religion, or creed with which you may associate yourself. You need nothing more than your eyes to begin your appreciation. You need be no minimum age before beginning your appreciation of the night sky.

So join with me as I point out resources that may help you in your appreciation of the night sky and share with you my experiences as a new telescope owner. Feel free to comment and share your experiences, as well. The universe awaits us!