Astronomy enthusiasts are lucky when it comes to books and other resources. We have shelves and shelves of amateur and professional writings and recordings at our fingertips. I’ve always appreciated the backyard astronomer community and its openness to sharing and helping others. To pay it forward, here is a collection of my favorite resources as of late. Click on each item for more information.
Favorite Guides to the Stars (Not the Hollywood ones!)
Over the last few years, I’ve really focused in on studying double stars. This popular guide has been invaluable as I plan observing lists.
Talking double stars, I recently purchased this book, and it has become my favorite resource for double stars. Author Agnes Clarke’s lists are packed with helpful specs and info, while the supporting sky maps are nicely designed.
I’ve owned this classic atlas for most of my adult life. While I use mobile apps more often now, I still turn to this guide when I need a more comprehensive map and list of objects at my fingertips.
A fantastic free observing guide by Massimo Zecchin. The book provides a collection of viewable planetary nebula under suburban skies using a small to moderate-sized scope. The sketches give you a good idea of what you can expect to see.
This was one of the first books I turned to when I started cataloging my observations on this site. I appreciate Cooke’s descriptions and practices when viewing objects under light-polluted skies.
Author Roger Fell has made this guide free as a PDF (click pic above). I continue to find this book helpful as I “check off” NGC items to observe. Fell’s descriptions are helpful to me, especially when I’m double-checking dimmer objects in my scope and I’m unsure about what I’m seeing.
For the Love of Astronomy
Reading Caroline Herschel’s diary in the early morning hours after a night out under the stars is a great experience. Try it.
A bestseller for many good reasons. Ferris’ storytelling is compelling, and reading this book makes you feel glad you have astronomy as a hobby.
Stefan Klein teaches about the universe in a way that’s poetic and never dry. A fun, quick read.
Jim Kaler’s book teleported me to all these great stars. The book also inspired me to seek out more stars with my telescope instead of just deep-sky objects. Also, Kaler’s summary of stars online has helped me immensely with this site.
Giles Sparrow teaches us about the important role of stars in developing our understanding of the cosmos. I enjoy his engaging and clear writing.
I like Sutter’s style. He has a way of teaching tough concepts well, while not dumbing down the material.
Once I started this book, I didn’t want to put it down. If anything, the tales made me feel connected to a bygone, magical era in astronomy.
Astrophysicist Dr. Rebecca Smethurst (aka Dr. Becky) is a great science communicator on YouTube. Her warm and engaging style comes across in the book. A fun, quick read and a book to recommend to family and friends who have an interest in the cosmos.
Sutter shows us how treacherous the universe is! I appreciate his humor and engaging writing style, without dumbing down the topic.
This is a masterpiece as reference guides go and is considered a must-have for any amateur astronomer wanting to take things to the next level!
Some of Susan French’s objects are too dim for my scope and light-polluted sky. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for how this book is designed with observations divided by month. French also provides accurate descriptions of what objects look like through various-sized scopes.
The Jesuit astronomer Guy Consolmagno is an inspiring teacher. I encourage you to listen to his speeches available online if you are interested in theology or metaphysics. I recommend this guide to any newcomer diving into the hobby.
Astronomy Apps I Use the Most
SKY GUIDE My favorite app for general observing. It has a user interface second to none.
SKY SAFARI PRO I enjoy preparing and entering my observing plans in this app.
ASTROPHERIC This app is a must for me, especially living in the cloudy Pacific Northwest.
The Garden Astronomer 