One of the very earliest astronomy books that I had was A FIELD GUIDE TO THE STARS AND PLANETS (1964), by Donald H. Menzel. I received this, now well worn, field guide from my parents one Christmas. I was probably twelve or thirteen at the time and was observing with a Tasco 60mm refractor. This book was to become my primary source of study and reference. The book contained a sky map for each month along with a complete set of atlas style charts and accompanied by a photographic plate. Under the chart was a description of some of the most significant deep sky objects. There were lunar and martian maps, discussion of how telescopes worked and several tables of astronomical data. It was truly an amazing reference for a young observer. I remember toting it with me on family vacations to cottage country in Central Ontario and on trips to Florida with my grandparents. Although many of the objects in the charts were beyond the capabilities of my 60mm refractor, the book whetted my appetite for the hobby.
Fast forward about 25 years and I am now thirty-something and living on the Texas Gulf Coast. I did not become the professional astronomer that I thought I would become. No, I was far more practical and became an engineer, however, I did not lose my enthusiasm for the night sky. In 1997, I purchased a 4.5 inch reflector. The views through it were incredible compared to those I remember of the little 60mm. So with this new scope, I also upgraded my library and purchased Terrance Dickinson's beautifully illustrated NIGHTWATCH, A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO VIEWING THE UNIVERSE. Now the meat of this book was its star maps. In some ways they were simpler than those of the previous guide. The charts only covered what the author thought were the most interesting parts of the sky and only listed the objects that were easily seen from a suburban location with a modest scope or binoculars. So, like its title, it was very practical for those like myself. The new scope and this book opened up a whole new universe for me.
Well, it did not take someone with a new scope long to go through the list of objects in Terrance's book. I was fortunate to come across another influential guide and this time it was Robert Garfinkle's, STAR-HOPPING - YOUR VISTA TO VIEWING THE UNIVERSE. In this book, Robert teaches the reader the art of star hopping to locate some of the sky's elusive treasures. There is a chapter for each month which takes the reader through a star hopping journey which stops at multiple and variable stars, nebula, clusters and galaxies. Robert interweaves into the journey visual descriptions, historical and scientifically significant data. It is a fascinating read whether you are at the scope following his simple directions, or in the easy chair on a cloudy night. It has been a few years since I have actually used this book now, but as I leaf through its chapters I get the urge to take one of the author's star hopping journey's again.Well, these three volumes will always have a place on my over-crowded bookshelf. Even if they do not contribute to my current observational work, there is simply too many memories to part with these gems. They're like old friends that you like to spend time with on occasion and perhaps one day they will be passed on to an interested youngster to inspire them as they have me.
clear skies;
rw
