If you have someone who is interested in the night sky, but is unsure where to start, these ideas are a good foundation for many years of enjoyable stargazing.
- NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe, Terrance Dickinson, Firefly Books. This is a fantastic introductory book chock full of information and charts. Well written and engaging, it is sure to provide all the information to get Dad started looking at the night sky.
- Star-Hopping for Backyard Astronomers, Alan M. MacRobert, Sky Publishing Corp. While out of print, copies can be found at ABE books and other second hand sources. This is a very practical HOW-TO manual of finding faint and fuzzy objects with a telescope. Just the thing for the time Dad is ready to take that next big step.
- The Monthly Sky Guide, Eighth Edition, Ian Ridpath, Wil Tirion, Cambridge University Press. This slim volume sets out significant sky event for the 2010 to 2014 period. There are monthly star charts and a good introductory section on basic astronomy. New to this edition is a detailed moon map and planetary information.
- Sky and Telescope Magazine, Sky Publishing. A subscription to this magazine will get Dad information on the latest astronomy gear and how to use it.
- Astronomy Magazine Kalmbach Publishing CO. A little easier to digest than Sky and Telescope for the beginning astronomer, this magazine has helped a lot of accomplished stargazers get off on the right foot.
Don't forget a membership to the local astronomy club as a gift. Finding other people who like astronomy might be just the push Dad needs to pursue his interests.
For those already stargazing, the gambit of gifts in this range runs from more books through to binoculars and off to telescopes.
Books for Stargazing
- Celestial Sampler: 60 small Scope Tours for Starlit Nights, Sue French, Sky Publishing. This is a wonderful book based on French's columns in Sky and Telescope Magazine. Broken down by month the tours offer exciting objects described by insightful writing that come from French observing all these objects herself.
- Deep-Sky Wonders A tour of the Universe With Sky &Telescope's Sue French, Firefly books. A volume of work that is sure to please any astronomer. The writing is top notch and the photos and charts are a joy to see and use.
Binoculars for Amateur Astronomers
These are great for the beginning stargazer who wants to go beyond naked-eye sky watching:
- A 7(magnifying power)x50 mm(aperture) binocular will show four moons circling Jupiter and will easily split the Mizar-Alcor double star system in Ursa Major. M45, the Pleiades Cluster, looks magnificent in this size of binoculars.
- Avoid high power binoculars such as 15x50, the high magnification makes it hard to find objects in the night sky. Low power allows for wider, richer views. If you do go this route, consider purchasing a tripod and a mounting bracket for the binoculars for steady viewing.
Telescopes for Stargazers
To purchase a telescope first for someone else is pretty tough because of the many choices out there. Is there one telescope that stands above the rest in terms of price performance and ease of use? The eight inch Dobsonian telescope stands out as a great value. For an apartment dweller a small (70 to 80 mm) refractor on a sturdy alt-az mount from and astronomy specialty store (or on-line astronomy outlet store) that is easy to transport to a viewing site may be a more usable alternative.
All of these gifts will bring smiles to the face of any new stargazer.
John Kulczycki - I've been a freelance writer for more than 20 years, but I've been an amateur astronomer for longer than that. Astronomy is the one ...
