Quick Look
Covering the whole spectrum of earth-centred astronomy, this guide to basic sky lore and naked eye observation of the night sky shows what can be seen with the unaided eye.
Description
Covering the whole spectrum of earth-centred astronomy, this guide to basic sky lore and naked eye observation of the night sky shows what can be seen with the unaided eye. It leads the reader from the stars as seen from Earth, through the sun, moon, planets to the Copernican revolution, comets and meteors. The text includes mythological and historical aspects of the subject, as well as numerous exercises for the student and an account of the sky in the southern hemisphere. The last chapter contains a collection of poetry about the stars from ancient India to modern times. There are also appendices dealing with future astronomical events, technical data, materials and publications.
Reviews
'An excellent introduction to the sky for the general public.'
-- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
'Refreshingly original work.'
-- Sky and Telescope
Author
Norman Davidson was born in Edinburgh in 1933. He was a journalist in the UK for ten years, writing on social and cultural events. He was a Waldorf school teacher for sixteen years, teaching astronomy, geometry, history, and literature. He has been director of Teacher Training at the Waldorf Institute of Sunbridge College in Chestnut Ridge, New York. Mr. Davidson lectures on astronomy and cultural topics, and is the author of Astronomy and the Imagination, a companion to Sky Phenomena.
Links
A new edition of this book is available:
Sky Phenomena, 2nd edition
Other books available on the theme of astronomy:
Stargazers' Almanac 2011: Monthly Guide to the Stars and Planets
Eclipses 2005-2017: A Handbook of Solar and Lunar Eclipses and other Rare Astronomical Events
Aurora: The Northern Lights in Mythology, History and Science
The Enigma of Sunspots: A Story of Discovery and Scientific Revoluation
Moon Rhythms in Nature: How Lunar Cycles Affect Living Organisms
