Night Sky Adventure: Print and Web Resources for Families

by Andrew Fraknoi
[September 2001]

Books for Adults

Berry, Richard Discover the Stars. 1989, Harmony. An excellent brief guide if you want more detailed star charts and information than our kit has, in an easy-to-read format.

Graun, Ken What’s Out Tonight? A 50-Year Astronomy Field Guide. 2001, Ken Press. Handy book by an amateur astronomer with many clear guides to what to see when in the night sky, including specific moon and planet information for half a century. Available through the Astronomical Society of the Pacific catalog: 1-800-335-2624.

Heifetz, Milton & Tirion, Wil A Walk through the Heavens, 2nd ed. 1998, Cambridge U. Press. Brief engaging primer on finding the constellations and their legends.

Moore, Patrick Stargazing: Astronomy without a Telescope, 2nd ed. 2001, Cambridge University Press. A master explainer introduces the sky and the constellations.

Raymo, Chet 365 Starry Nights : An Introduction to Astronomy for Every Night of the Year. 1992, Simon & Schuster. Excellent collection of observing hints and star lore.

Books for Youngsters

Rey, H.A. Find the Constellations. 1976, Houghton Mifflin. Classic book by the author of the Curious George books, which can help kids of all ages find their way around the skies.

Asimov, Isaac & Reddy, Francis A Stargazer’s Guide. 1995, Gareth Stevens. A nice guide for kids, with simple language and color illustrations.

Web Sites

Sky & Telescope’s "The Sky at A Glance": http://SkyandTelescope.com/observing/
Information on what is in the sky this month, with star charts, observing hints, and loads of information for beginners and more advanced observers.

Weather Underground Star Maps: http://www.wunderground.com/sky/index.asp
Enter your zip code and you will get a star map for your location, for a time of the night (or day) that you select.

SkyWatcher’s Diary: http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyWatchersDiary/Diary.html
A listing of what is interesting in the sky each day of the current month, from the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.

Stars of the Week: www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/sow/sowlist.html
Astronomer and popular author James Kaler picks one bright star to highlight each week and tells you what astronomers know about it. The archives let you pick many stars of interest and get to know them better. No fancy graphics, just text.