The beauty and awe generated by the celestial void captures our imagination and delights our aesthetic sense. Antiquarian map societies are prospering, and celestial maps are now viewed as a specialty of map collecting. This book traces the history of celestial cartography and relates this history to the changing ideas of man’s place in the universe and to advances in map-making. Photographs from actual antiquarian celestial atlases and prints, many previously unpublished, enrich the text. The book describes the development and relationships between different sky maps and atlases as well as demonstrating contemporary cosmological ideas, constellation representations, and cartographic advances.

The Observer's Sky Atlas contains star charts and information for all those who observe the night sky with unaided eyes, with binoculars, or with small telescopes, and also for those who just wish to look at constellations and interesting objects. Equally useful for the beginning observer and the old hand, the atlas presents: -a short introduction into observing the sky and a thorough description of the star charts and tables - clearly arranged charts of all the stars visible with the unaided eye (up to 6th magnitude) - enlarged chart sections for binocular observation, highlighting 250 interesting nebulae, galaxies, and stellar clusters (to magnitude 9) - a catalog of more than 1000 objects that takes into account the far-reaching measurements of Hipparcos Satellite published in 1997 - tables of predicted separations of binary stars until the year 2015 The Observer's Sky Atlas is an indispensable and handy companion for every observer. It has appeared in four languages. From reviews of the first edition: , .." the most informative little sky guide in the business" "Astronomy "

Every amateur astronomer - and many non-astronomers - will be familiar with seeing a "star" that shows that characteristic steady slide across the starry background of the sky. Artificial satellites can be seen any night, and some as bright as the planets. But how many of us can identify which satellites or spent launch vehicle casing we are seeing? Artificial Satellites and How to Observe Them describes all the different satellites that can be observed without optical aid, including of course the International Space Station and the many spy satellites operated by different nations. Richard Schmude looks at them in detail and describes how they can be observed by amateurs, how to recognize them, and even how to predict their orbits. Artificial satellites have changed since the beginning of the millenium. Several additional countries have launched them. And amateur astronomers have utilized digital cameras in order to image satellites to a resolution of about three feet. This book describes how to recognize, observe, and image satellites. Examples of recent images and how they were made are given. It also offers up-to-date descriptions of the many satellites that are orbiting the Earth and other celestial bodies. Readers can learn how satellites impact our day-to-day lives. In short, Artificial Satellites and How to Observe Them is a detailed and up-to-date overview of artificial satellites and how to study them in the night sky.

A tribute to the favorite "Star Wars" ship provides layer-by-layer analyses of the Millennium Falcon's features, from laser cannons and cockpit controls to smuggling bays and Han Solo's speed modifications. On board pages.