The Total Skywatcher's Manual: 275+ Skills and Tricks for Exploring Stars, Planets, and Beyond

For stargazers, comet-spotters and planet-seekers looking to enhance your deep sky knowledge and observations - this is your quintessential guide. The Total Skywatcher’s Manual will help you choose the best telescope, identify constellations and objects in the night sky, search for extraterrestrial phenomena, plan star parties, capture beautiful space imagery and much more. With high-quality design, intricate detail, and a durable flexicover—this manual is the perfect gift! With fully illustrated star charts, gorgeous astrophotography and step-by-step project instruction, this family friendly book is the only guide you’ll ever need to navigate the nightsky. Learn about the phases of the moon, how to conduct your own deep-sky observations, how the universe is expanding, our search for life on other planets, meteors vs. meteorites, sunspots and solar flares, best eclipse-viewing techniques—everything you need to know to appreciate the wonder of our universe. Based in San Francisco, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific has a 125-year history of providing resources, tools, and information to astronomy enthusiasts, including amateur astronomers, families, and science educators (K-16). Join the ASP on this journey through the nightsky and beyond. Packaged in a durable, wipe-clean flexicover with metallic corner-guards, this practical manual withstands heavy-duty use indoors and out. Cover CONTENTS NAKED-EYE ASTRONOMY TIPS Introduction 01 Meet the Universe 02 Dissect a Star 03 Learn Stellar Classification 04 Discover Star Groups 05 Spot the Closest Stars 06 TOP FIVE: Recognize Ideal Skywatching Conditions 07 Go Urban or Rural 08 Pack a Beginner Skywatching Kit 09 Optimize Your Vision 10 Improvise a Red Flashlight 11 Notice the Brightness and Color of Stars 12 Navigate the Northern Celestial Sphere 13 See the Sights in the Southern Hemisphere 14 Witness Zodiacal Light at Dawn 15 Spot Morning and Evening Planets 16 Rediscover Sunrise 17 Meet the Sun 18 Understand Solstices and Equinoxes 19 Get the Reasons for the Seasons 20 Explore Ancient Astronomical Markers 21 Track the Sun with an Analemma 22 Create Your Own Solargraphs 23 Make Your Own Planisphere 24 Look South with Your Planisphere 25 Measure the Heavens 26 TOP FIVE: Zone the Sky 27 Time the Sunset with Your Fingers 28 Measure Degrees of Separation in the Sky 29 Start at the Big Dipper 30 Pinpoint Arcturus 31 Locate Regulus 32 Suss Out Spica 33 Test Vision with the Big Dipper 34 Track Time with the Little Dipper 35 Assemble a Star Clock 36 Find Your Way by the Wind, Stars, and Waves 37 Use the Big Dipper to Locate Polaris 38 Orient Yourself with a Gnomon 39 Find South in the Southern Hemisphere 40 Find the Southern Cross 41 Bag the Coalsack 42 Locate Centaurus 43 Sail Over to Vela 44 Check Out Capricornus 45 Hunt Down Hydrus 46 Look for Libra 47 Gaze Upon Carina 48 TOP FIVE: Track Things That Move Above 49 Locate the Celestial Equator 50 Find 0hr Right Ascension 51 Use Orion to Measure Spherical Coordinates 52 Trace Draco the Dragon 53 Hunt Down Ursa Major 54 Follow Ursa Minor 55 Get a Glimpse of the Giraffe 56 Begin at Orion 57 Get Yourself to Gemini 58 Track Down Taurus the Bull 59 Find Canis Major and Canis Minor 60 Gaze at the Majestic Milky Way 61 Glimpse Spilled Grain in the Cherokee Milky Way Story 62 See More Milky Way Myths 63 Spot a Llama in the Incan Milky Way 64 Learn How the Aboriginals See the Milky Way 65 Luck Out with Noctilucent Clouds 66 Feast Your Eyes on Afterglow 67 Glimpse the Green Flash 68 Meet the Moon 69 Decode the Phases of the Moon 70 Understand the Moon Illusion 71 Watch the Tides Come and Go 72 Spot Some Strange Moons 73 Meet the Man on the Moon, All Over the World 74 See the Crescent Moon Around the Globe 75 Watch the Moon Turn Red in a Lunar Eclipse 76 Read a Lunar Eclipse Map 77 Put Together a Lunar Eclipse Model 78 Meet Mercury 79 Begin with Pegasus the Flying Horse 80 Pinpoint 51 Pegasi 81 Find Andromeda the Princess 82 Scout Perseus the Hero 83 Acquaint Yourself with Faint Aries 84 Chase the Charioteer 85 Behold Corona Borealis 86 Hail King Cepheus 87 Explore the Zodiacs of Different Cultures 88 Tell a Meteor from a Meteoroid 89 Pick the Best Time to Meteor-Watch 90 TOP FIVE: Go on a Meteorite Hunt 91 Name That Meteor Shower 92 Save the Date for Meteor Showers 93 Meet Venus 94 Demystify the Auroras’ Colors 95 Pick a Prime Spot to Aurora-Gaze 96 Journey for the Auroras 97 Time Your Aurora Travel 98 Probe Earth’s Atmosphere 99 Catch a Glimpse of Glories 100 Check Out Sun and Moon Dogs 101 Demystify Twinkling Stars 102 Spot a Solar or Lunar Halo 103 Meet Mars 104 Catch a Conjunction 105 Witness Planets in Transit 106 Watch an Occultation 107 Scope Planets at Maximum Elongation 108 Observe Planets in Retrograde 109 Stay up All Night for Opposition 110 Model the Solar System with Paper 111 Understand Planets’ Relative Sizes 112 Start at the Summer Triangle 113 Detect Delphinus 114 Fly with Aquila the Eagle 115 Soar with Cygnus the Swan 116 Find Lyra 117 Locate Hercules 118 Set Your Sights on Hydra 119 Track the Serpent Bearer 120 Catch the Southern Fish 121 See Sagittarius 122 Say Hello to the First Great Skywatchers 123 Meet Jupiter TELESCOPES & OTHER TOOLS 124 Pick a Pair of Binoculars 125 Go with Porro or Roof-Prism Binoculars 126 Learn All About Eye Relief 127 Adjust Binoculars for Vision 128 Clean Your Binoculars 129 TOP FIVE: Treat Binoculars with Respect 130 Peep Cassiopeia’s Pacman Nebula 131 Nab the Double Cluster with Binoculars 132 Align Your Sights with Algol 133 See Star Clusters with Binoculars 134 Feast Your Eyes on Distant Galaxies with Binoculars 135 Use Binoculars to Track Jupiter’s Moons 136 Tour the Milky Way with Binoculars 137 Catch Canes Venatici 138 View Vulpecula 139 Look for Leo Minor 140 Pinpoint Pisces 141 Dissect a Basic Telescope 142 Discover the Classic Refractor Scope 143 Consider a Reflector Telescope 144 Learn About Other Telescope Types 145 TOP FIVE: Select a Telescope 146 Go Computerized or Stick with Manual 147 Buy a Starter Scope for a Kid 148 Set Up Your Telescope 149 View the Skies with a Computerized Scope 150 Collimate Your Telescope to Fine-Tune Your View 151 Aim Your Scope with a Piggyback Finder 152 Focus and Point Your Telescope 153 View the Moon with a Scope 154 Aim for Antlia 155 Draw the Southern Triangle 156 Catch the Bird of Paradise 157 Notice Norma 158 Scan Skies with an Altazimuth Mount 159 Set Up a Dobsonian 160 Track Stars with an Equatorial Mount 161 Pick a Proper Eyepiece 162 Understand Eyepiece Magnification 163 Find the Right Field of View 164 Boost Resolution with the Right Eyepiece 165 Pick the Right Finder Scope 166 Find a Red Line Sight 167 Light the Way with Lasers 168 Mount a Webcam to Your Telescope 169 TOP FIVE: Pick a Solid Tripod 170 Set Up Your Gear for Safety 171 Take a (Comfortable) Seat for Skygazing 172 Cool Your Telescope Tube 173 Light Up Your Tripod 174 Piggyback Your Camera 175 TOP FIVE: Treat Your Scope to a Trip 176 Camp Under the Stars 177 Behave at Star Parties 178 Transport Gear Safely 179 Cover Up, Rain or Shine 180 Shield Your Scope from Dew 181 Cap Your Optics 182 Peep the Sun Safely Through Solar Filters 183 Enjoy Lunar and Planetary Filters 184 Probe Deep Space with Nebula Filters 185 Meet Saturn 186 Fire Up the Furnace 187 Get Up Close with Grus 188 Nab the Fly 189 Find the Phoenix 190 Zoom In and Out of the Orion Nebula 191 Gaze Upon Albireo 192 Find the Great Cluster in Hercules 193 View Virgo with a Telescope 194 Scope Out the Sombrero Galaxy 195 Check Out M87 196 See M84 and M86 in Markarian’s Chain 197 Spot the Shadows of Jupiter’s Moons 198 Split Double Stars into Three 199 Spy Saturn’s Rings 200 Peek into Orion’s Stellar Nursery 201 Witness the Death of Betelgeuse in Orion 202 Watch the Young Pleiades in Taurus 203 Spot Scorpius 204 Find Globular Cluster M4 205 Peep the Butterfly and Ptolemy Clusters 206 Make Out M80 207 Meet Uranus 208 Gaze Back in Time with a Telescope 209 Run the Famous Messier Marathon 210 Begin at the Leo Triplet 211 Bag the Coma Galaxy Cluster 212 Catch the Coma Open Cluster Through a Telescope 213 Take a Peek at the M96 Group 214 Watch the Water Bearer 215 Nab the Crab 216 Look for Lepus 217 Discover the Unicorn 218 Look at the Sun Safely 219 Project the Sun with a Telescope 220 See Sunspots in Transit 221 Bounce the Sun onto a Wall with a Mirror 222 Watch a Solar Eclipse with a Pinhole Viewer 223 Sport Eclipse Shades 224 See Eclipses Through Leaves, a Colander, or Your Fingers 225 Travel for Solar Eclipses 226 Identify Solar-Eclipse Types 227 TOP FIVE: Catch a Total Solar Eclipse’s Highlights 228 Witness the Eclipse’s Effects on Earth 229 Meet Neptune 230 Study Up on Asteroids 231 TOP FIVE: Get Acquainted with the Neatest Asteroids 232 Sail Through the Solar System with Comets 233 Name That Comet 234 TOP FIVE: Get to Know Some Major Comets 235 Root Out Reticulum 236 Set Your Eyes on Sagitta 237 Glimpse the Sculptor 238 Scope Out Scutum 239 Pack a Basic Astrophotography Kit 240 Snap a Mobile Shot Through a Telescope 241 Freeze Stars with the 500 Rule 242 Shoot Star Trails 243 Create Rings in the Sky 244 Capture Three-Way Trails at the Equator 245 Craft a Time Lapse of a Lunar Eclipse 246 Stack Images in Software 247 Correct Your Scope’s Coma 248 Merge Your Telescope with a DSLR 249 Focus Your Camera Through a Scope 250 Speed Up Filter Swaps 251 Lock On with Autoguiders 252 Capture the Beauty of the Auroras 253 Meet the Inventors of Skywatching Gadgetry 254 Stock Up on Sky-Drawing Supplies 255 Draw Space Objects Like a Pro 256 TOP FIVE: Sketch Our Universe’s Highlights 257 Search for Serpens 258 Recover the Sextant 259 Snag the Southern Crown 260 Trace the Triangle ADVANCED TECHNIQUES 261 Travel to the World’s Greatest Observatories 262 Peek at Deep Space via the Hubble Space Telescope 263 See Star Birth in Infrared with SOFIA 264 Planet-Hunt with Kepler 265 Observe in Infrared via the James Webb Space Telescope 266 Look at X-Rays of Space with Chandra 267 Touch the Hand of God Nebula 268 Stop and Smell the Nebula Roses 269 Peep Pillars of Creation 270 Sightsee from Space Through Satellites 271 Track Junk in Orbit 272 Dissect Space Trash 273 Celebrate Our Missions Among the Stars 274 Journey to the Solar System’s Outer Edges 275 Check Out Exoplanets 276 See the Skies from Other Planets 277 Search for Intelligent Life with Drake’s Equation 278 Delve into Space’s Mysteries 279 Help Count the Stars as a Citizen Scientist 280 Explore the Zooniverse 281 Monitor Variable Stars 282 Identify Light Pollution 283 Study Up on Light Pollution’s Effects 284 Combat Over Illumination in Your Community 285 TOP FIVE: Seek Out the Darkest Skies 286 Throw a Star Party 287 Listen to a Meteor Shower Over the Radio 288 Witness the Big Bang on Your TV 289 Construct a DIY Scope Mount 290 Get a Bigger Light Bucket 291 Splurge on a High-End Refractor 292 Go All Out with Fancy Eyepieces 293 Send a Camera into Space 294 Mod Your Dobsonian with a Custom Tracker 295 Boost Your Light with a Superbright Diagonal 296 Make It Permanent with Piers 297 Swap Out Collimation Knobs 298 Build an Awesome Observing Chair Resources Glossary Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Acknowledgments About the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Naked-eye astronomy tips. Meet the universe Dissect a star Learn stellar classification Discover star groups Spot the closest stars Top five: Recognize ideal skywatching conditions Go urban or rural Pack a beginner skywatching kit Optimize your vision Improvise a red flashlight Notice the brightness and color of stars Navigate the northern celestial sphere See the sights in the southern hemisphere Witness zodiacal light at dawn Spot morning and evening planets Rediscover sunrise Meet the sun Understand solstices and equinoxes Get the reasons for the seasons Explore ancient astronomical markers Track the sun with an analemma Create your own solargraphs Make your own planisphere Look south with your planisphere Measure the heavens Top five: Zone the sky Time the sunset with your fingers Measure degrees of separation in the sky Start at the Big Dipper Pinpoint Arcturus Locate Regulus Suss out Spica Test vision with the Big Dipper Track time with the Little Dipper Assemble a star clock Find your way by the wind, stars, and waves Use the Big Dipper to locate Polaris Orient yourself with a gnomon Find south in the southern hemisphere Find the southern cross Bag the coalsack Locate Centaurus Sail over to Vela Check out Capricornus Hunt down Hydrus Look for Libra Gaze upon Carina Top five: Track things that move above Locate the celestial equator Find 0hr right ascension Use Orion to measure spherical coordinates Trace Draco the Dragon Hunt down Ursa Major Follow Ursa Minor Get a glimpse of the giraffe Begin at Orion Get yourself to Gemini Track down Taurus the bull Find Canis Major and Canis Minor Gaze at the majestic Milky Way Glimpse spilled grain in the Cherokee Milky Way story See more Milky Way myths Spot a llama in the Incan Milky Way Learn how the aboriginals see the Milky Way Luck out with noctilucent clouds Feast your eyes on afterglow Glimpse the green flash Meet the moon Decode the phases of the moon Understand the moon illusion Watch the tides come and go Spot some strange moons Meet the man on the moon, all over the world See the crescent moon around the globe Watch the moon turn red in a lunar eclipse Read a lunar eclipse map Put together a lunar eclipse model Meet Mercury Begin with Pegasus the flying horse Pinpoint 51 Pegasi Find Andromeda the princess Scout Perseus the hero Acquaint yourself with faint Aries Chase the Charioteer Behold Corona Borealis Hail King Cepheus Explore the zodiacs of different cultures Tell a meteor from a meteroid Pick the best time to meteor-watch Top five: Go on a meteorite hunt Name that meteor shower Save the date for meteor showers Meet Venus Demystify the auroras' colors Pick a prime spot to aurora-gaze Journey for the auroras Time your aurora travel Probe Earth's atmosphere Catch a glimpse of glories Check out sun and moon dogs Demystify twinkling stars Spot a solar or lunar halo Meet Mars Catch a conjunction Witness planets in transit Watch an occulation Scope planets at maximum elongation Observe planets in retrograde Stay up all night for oppposition Model the solar system with paper Understand planets' relative sizes Start at the summer triangle Detect Delphinus Fly with Aquia the eagle Soar with Cygnus the swan Find Lyra Locate Hercules Set your sights on Hydra Track the serpent bearer Catch the southern fish See Sagittarius Say hello to the first great skywatchers Meet Jupiter -- Telescopes & other tools. Pick a pair of binoculars Go with Porro or roof-prism binoculars Learn all about eye relief Adjust binoculars for vision Clean your binoculars Top five: Treat binoculars with respect Peep Cassiopeia's Pacman Nebula Nab the Double Cluster with binoclars Align your sights with Algol See star clusters with binoculars Feast your eyes on distant galaxies with binoculars Use binoculars to track Jupiter's moons Tour the Milky Way with binoculars Catch Canes Venatici View Vulpecula Lool for Leo Minor Pinpoint Pisces Dissect a basic telescope Discover the classic refractor scope Consider a reflector telescope Learn about other telescope types Top five: Select a telescope Go computerized or stick with manual Buy a starter scope for a kid Set up your telescope View the skies with a computerized scope Collimate your telescope to fine-tune your view Aim your scope with a piggyback finder Focus and point your telescope View the moon with a scope Aim for Antlia Draw the southern triangle Catch the Bird of Paradise Notice Norma Scan skies with an altazimuth mount Set up a dobsonian Track stars with an equatorial mount Pick a proper eyepiece Understand eyepiece magnification Find the right field of view Boost resolution with the right eyepiece Pick the right finder scope Find a red line sight Light the way with lasers Mount a webcam to your telescope Top five: Pick a solid tripod Set up your gear for safety Take a (comfortable) seat for skygazing Cool your telescope tube Light up your tripod Piggyback your camera Top five: Treat your scope to a trip Camp under the stars Behave at star parties Transport gear safely Cover up, rain or shine Shield your scope from dew Cap your optics Peep the sun safely through solar filters Enjoy lunar and planetary filters Probe deep space with nebula filters Meet Saturn Fire up the furnace Get up close with Grus Nab the Fly Find the Phoenix Zoom in and out of the Orion nebula Gaze upon Albireo Find the Great Cluster in Hercules View Virgo with a telescope Scope out the Sombrero Galaxy Check out M87 See M84 and M86 in Markarian's Chain Spot the shadows of Jupiter's moons Split double stars into three Spy Saturn's rings Peek into Orion's stellar nursery Witness the death of Betelgeuse in Orion Watch the young Pleiades in Taurus Spot Scorpius Find globular cluster M4 Peep the Butterfly and Ptolemy clusters Make out M80 Meet Uranus Gaze back in time with a telescope Run the famous Messier marathon Begin at the Leo Triplet Bag the Coma Galaxy Cluster Catch the Coma open cluster through a telescope Take a peek at the M96 group Watch the Water Bearer Nab the crab Look for Lepus Discover the unicorn Look at the sun safely Project the sun with a telescope See sunspots in transit Bounce the sun onto a wall with a mirror Watch a solar eclipse with a pinhole viewer Sport eclipse shades See Eclipses through leaves, a colander, or your fingers Travel for solar eclipses Identify solar-eclipse types Top five: Catch a total solar eclipse's highlights Witness the eclipse's effects on Earth Meet Neptune Study up on asteroids Top five: Get acquainted with the neatest asteroids Sail through the solar system with comets Name that comet Top five: Get to know some major comets Root out Reticulum Set your eyes on Sagitta Glimpse the Sculptor Scope out Scutum Pack a basic astrophotography kit Snap a mobile shot through a telescope Freeze stars with the 500 rule Shoot star trails Create rings in the sky Capture three-way trails at the equator Craft a time lapse of a lunar eclipse Stack images in software Correct your scope's coma Merge your telescope with a DSLR Focus your camera through a scope Speed up filter swaps Lock on with autoguiders Capture the beauty of the auroras Meet the inventors of skywatching gadgetry Stock up on sky-drawing supplies Draw space objects like a pro Top five: Sketch our universe's highlights Search for Serpens Recover the sextant Snag the Southern Crown Trace the triangle -- Advanced techniques. Travel to the world's greatest observatories ; Peek at deep space via the Hubble Space Telescope ; See star birth in infrared with SOFIA ; Planet-hunt with Kepler ; Observe in infrared via the James Webb Space Telescope ; Look at X-rays of space with Chandra ; Touch the Hand of God nebula ; Stop and smell the nebula roses ; Peep Pillars of Creation ; Sightsee from space through satellites ; Track junk in orbit ; Dissect space trash ; Celebrate our missions among the stars ; Journey to the solar system's outer edges ; Check out exoplanets ; See the skies from other planets ; Search for intelligent life with Drake's Equation ; Delve into space's mysteries ; Help count the stars as a citizen scientist ; Explore the Zooniverse ; Monitor variable stars ; Identify light pollution ; Study up on light pollution's effects ; Combat over illumination in your community ; Top five: Seek out the darkest skies ; Throw a star party ; Listen to a meteor shower over the radio ; Witness the Big Bang on your TV ; Construct a DIY scope mount ; Get a bigger light bucket ; Splurge on a high-end refractor ; Go all out with fancy eyepieces ; Send a camera into space ; Mod your Dobsonian with a custom tracker ; Boost your light with a superbright diagonal ; Make it permanent with piers ; Swap out collimation knobs ; Build an awesome observing chair. **For stargazers, comet-spotters and planet-seekers looking to enhance your deep sky knowledge and observations - this is your quintessential guide. __The Total Skywatcher’s Manual__ will help you choose the best telescope, identify constellations and objects in the night sky, search for extraterrestrial phenomena, plan star parties, capture beautiful space imagery and much more. With high-quality design, intricate detail, and a durable flexicover—this manual is the perfect gift!**