"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who
does not ask remains a fool forever."
~ Chinese proverb
The most common misconception about joining a club and learning more about the night sky is that people believe that have to own a telescope first. Absolutely not. A good pair of binoculars will make visible some deeper sky objects but there is so much you can learn first with the naked eye. If you aren't interested in joining a club, there are many good books you can purchase to self-guide your way around the heavens.
Information Index for the Beginning
Astronomer:
Excellent Books for Beginners In
Mind
Astronomy Magazines
How
to..Astronomy
Excellent Books for Beginners In
Mind:
NightWatch,
An Equinox Guide to Viewing the Universe
by Terence Dickinson ~ Camden
House Publishing
~ ISBN 0-920656-89-7
The Friendly Guide to the
Universe, A Down-to-Earth Tour of Space, Time and the Wonders of the Cosmos
by Nancy Hathaway ~ Published by Viking
~ ISBN
0-670-83944-2
The Monthly Sky Guide
by Ian Ridpath & Wil
Tirion ~ Published by Cambridge University Press
~ ISBN
0-521-56839-0
Observing the Constellations, An A-Z Guide for the
Amateur Astronomer
by John Sanford ~ Published by Fireside/Simon &
Schuster Inc.
~ ISBN 0-671-68924-X
The Stars Belong to Everyone,
How to Enjoy Astronomy
by Helen Sawyer Hogg ~ Published by DoubleDay
& Company, Inc.
~ ISBN 0-385-12302-7
A Walk through the
Heavens, A Guide to Stars & Constellations and their Legends
by
Milton D. Heifetz & Wil Tirion ~ Published by Cambridge University
Press
~ ISBN 0-521-46980-5
From the Big Bang to Planet X, The 50
Most-Asked Questions About the Universe...And Their Answers
by Terence
Dickinson ~ Camden House Publishing
~ ISBN 0-921820-71-2
365
Starry Nights, An Introduction to Astronomy for Every Night of the
Year
by Chet Raymo ~ Published by Fireside/Simon & Schuster
Inc.
~ ISBN 0-671-76606-6
National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our
Universe
by Roy A. Gallant ~ Published by R.R. Donnelley & Sons
Co.
~ ISBN 0-87044-644-4
Astronomy Magazines:
Sky News, The Canadian Magazine of Astronomy &
Stargazing
~ SkyNews Inc., P.O. Box 10, Yarker, Ontario K0K
3N0
To Subscribe: 1.866.759.0005
Sky & Telescope
~
Sky Publishing Corporation, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138-1200
USA
To Subscribe: 1.800.253.0245
Astronomy
~
Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI
53187
To Subscribe: 1.800.533.6644
How to...Astronomy:
Sky &
Telescope's - how to...reference guide ~ An excellent reference on a
variety of topics!!! ~ a must see site