Dorling-Kindersley Eyewitness Companions: Astronomy by Ian Ridpath

Astronomy is a fascinating subject that leads us from the solar system to the galaxy and out into the wider universe. From the earliest times, man has studied the heavens, seeking to understand what he saw in the sky on a daily basis. Why did the groupings in the stars change over the course of months or the year? Why did the moon grow from nothing to a bright disk in the heavens, and then dwindle to nothing again? Why did the sun appear to change where it rose in the east every morning over the course of the year?

Ancient people couldn't answer these questions well, so instead, they built stone observatories and studied the stars to try and find out these questions. As time passed, succeeding generations built on and improved the answers they found to the questions about the sky and the universe. Today, we are heir to knowledge that originated in the earliest questions and answers that man found in the sky and the stars.

This book, published in 2006, offers a fairly up to date understanding of the universe, but isn't completely up to date (Pluto is still called a planet rather than a Dwarf planet, Pluto-like object or a Trans-Neptunian object). However, the rest of the information is still up to date.

Starting with History, the book also covers two major sections: The Universe, broken up into three parts- Origins, Phenomena and the Solar System, and The Night Sky, broken up into four parts- Observation, The Constellations, A Monthly Sky Guide and an Almanac. Each part is lavishly illustrated with pictures, and the section on Constellations is stellar, if you'll forgive the joke, with information on the constellations, when and how they were named, the major stars within them and other objects, such as Galaxies, Nebulae and Open Clusters that may be observed in or near the various constellations.

Each section offers plenty of information about what it covers, along with numerous pictures, graphs and illustrations explaining things.

Such a profusion of information could be confusing, but the book lays it all out so that instead of being confusing, it is enlightening. The book starts small, and goes on, getting progressively larger and larger in scope, from the planets to the solar system and on to the stars. And then from there to the agglomerations of stars the constellations.

I found the constellations part the most fascinating. Most of the northern constellations were named long ago, but many of the smaller, Southern Constellations were only drawn and named in the 1800's and one huge one (Argo, representing the ship that Jason and the Argonauts sailed on) was broken up into three huge pieces: the sail, the stern, and the keel. The newer constellations consist of such prosaic devices as a Sculptor's chisel, a furnace, a sculptor's table, and a compass (the kind used in drawing class rather than one used to navigate). A set square, altar and pendulum clock round out the constellations drawn and named by Louis Lacaille.

But more than just showing readers these constellations, the book includes sky maps for each month in the back, allowing you to go out and look at the night sky at any time of the year and understand what you are seeing.

This was a wonderful book for understanding our universe, and especially the stars in the sky. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to understand what is beyond our sky, from kids and teens to adults. Any age can find something to enjoy in this book.