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Norton's Star Atlas and Reference Handbook, 19th Edition Edited By Ian Ridpath This is an excellent reference book that has stood the test of time and has become a classic among backyard astronomers. This most recent edition was released in August of 1998, adding the most up-to-date astronomical information to an already near perfect reference book. As the name implies, one of the main components of Norton's is a series of excellent star charts which cover the entire night sky for both the northern and southern hemisphere. The charts show all stars in both hemispheres down to magnitude +6.0 and over 600 deep sky objects, including the entire Messier catalogue. Accompanying each chart is a list of interesting objects that can be found on that chart, such as double stars, variable stars, nebulae, clusters, and galaxies. But Norton's is more than a set of star charts; the reference portion of this book contains a tremendous wealth of information about the solar system, observing, astrophotography, stellar evolution, general astronomical principles, and much more. Both the star charts and the reference section are perfect for beginners; in fact, you will find that you will continue to refer to it as a more advanced amateur!

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Sky Atlas 2000.0, 2nd Edition By Wil Tirion and Roger W. Sinnott A more comprehensive set of star charts, Sky Atlas plots 81,300 stars down to magnitude +8.5 and over 2,700 deep sky objects using data from the Hipparcos astrometry satellite. The atlas uses dots of varying sizes to represent the magnitude of the stars plotted, plus unique symbols are used to differentiate multiple and variable stars, globular clusters, open clusters, galaxies, planetary nebulae, etc. Each chart folds out to a large 20 by 15 inch page, and there are a total of 26 charts. A clear plastic coordinate overlay is included with the atlas to help determine the accurate positions of objects. Wil Tirion is reknown for the excellent quality and accuracy of his star charts, and this one is no exception.

Small Telescope Astronomy For Beginners

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