Stars of the Southern Skies

Many field guides and popular books on amateur astronomy have been written, but few are devoted entirely to the rich skies of the southern hemisphere. This book draws on the knowledge of a galaxy of South African experts to offer stargazers some unique insights into the night skies in their half of the world. An introduction addresses the question: 'If I want to make a hobby of astronomy, how do I go about it?' A practical chapter is devoted to how to choose an instrument -- from binoculars to telescopes -- with which to view the moon, the planets and the stars. Comets, meteors (methods of observing and times) and meteorites are the subject of one chapter; the myths -- classical and ethnic -- relating to southern hemisphere stars and constellations are detailed in another.Color charts which will assist in the recognition of the constellations and their principal stars are extensively illustrated with superb graphics by Frank Flowers, a former lecturer at the Planetarium at the University of the Witwatersrand, making this book a must for all budding amateur astronomers and an interesting addition to the shelves of the experts.