Designed with the beginner in mind and useful to anyone interested in astronomy, Star Maps For Beginners is the classic guide to viewing and understanding the heavens. It's superb maps are cross-shaped rather than round, making it much easier for beginning stargazers to match the correct part of the chart with the portion of sky they are observing. They provide the reader with a unique perspective on the sky and have been widely acknowledged as the easiest system yet for locating any constellation at any time of the year. (Our international customers south of the equator should take note that this book is designed for use only in the Northern Hemisphere. The constellations in the Southern Hemisphere are quite different, and are not included in this book.) Now revised for the 1990s, with updated planet charts and a new section on spotting meteor showers, Star Maps For Beginners includes: 12 complete maps - one for each month - showing the positions of the constellations viewed from every direction a synoptic table that shows how to choose the propper map for use at anytime the most up-to-date overview of the solar system available today the latest facts about each of the planets - orbit, size, atmosphere, internal structure, climate, and terrain. a full chapter on the history and development of the constellations and the ancient legends and mythological lore surrounding them a special section on meteors - how they originate and when and where to spot them. Initially published in 1942, and now celebrating nearly 60 years in print, Star Maps for Beginners has sold more than 450,000 copies.
