All Other: Astronomy Hacks - Tips and Tools for Observing the Night Sky

4.0 Astronomy Hacks

Subject matter well organized; Plenty of tips and suggestions; Suggestions on assembling world class ocular collection.

Biased toward reflector users.

When I first saw the title of this book, I thought it was about people who had weird misconceptions about the science of astronomy, or the myths and mysteries of space exploration itself. I couldn't have been more off base. It turns out that this book is full of tips and suggestions for the amateur and advanced astronomer alike.

The book starts out informing the prospective observer of the different items that will be needed to explore the heavens above, learning your way around the sky, and selecting the right instrument for your observing sessions. The author admits up front to being biased toward reflectors and the book tends to drift in this direction when it comes to "tweaking or tricking-out" your scope. That aside, there is so much useful info, ideas, and suggestions that you will overlook this bias and be engulfed in the well organized wealth of knowledge.

My favorite part of the book is the section that deals with eyepieces and how to assemble a world class collection of premium or semi-premium eyepieces. You may already have many of these eyepieces, and the author helps guide you with very insightful recommendations for different scopes and ocular combinations. The book is littered with (#'s) - numbers that refer to a particular "hack", that in turn refers to a particular fact, suggestion or tip.

In conclusion, don't let the title lead you astray. This book is fun, and it may help you "hack" your way through many of the mysteries and unanswered questions about this wonderful hobby we call astronomy.