***PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ONLY THE KINDLE VERSION IS WRITTEN FOR BOTH BEGINNERS AND EXPERTS**** Amazon have combined the reviews for both versions, so *please* check the "Look Inside" feature to make sure it's what you want before buying. Due to publication costs, the paperback version only contains monthly star maps and not the full color graphics that appear in the Kindle version.
Designed for astronomers in North America, the guide provides details of hundreds of astronomical events throughout 2016.
Written by Richard J. Bartlett, a former freelance writer for Astronomy magazine, the guide includes almost daily data and information on the Moon and planets, as well as Pluto, Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta:
* The phases of the Moon
* Conjunctions between the Moon, planets and asteroids (including angular separations.)
* Lunar and Solar eclipses
* Annual summaries of when to observe the planets and asteroids
* Annual summaries of notable planetary conjunctions
* Peak dates for the major meteor showers (including corresponding lunar phases)
* Dates of perihelion, aphelion, perigee and apogee of the planets and asteroids
* Inferior and Superior conjunction dates for Mercury and Venus
* Eastern and Western elongation dates for Mercury and Venus
* Opposition and solar conjunction dates for the outer planets and asteroids
* Apparent diameter changes for the planets
* Magnitude changes for the planets and asteroids
* Constellation changes for the Sun, planets and asteroids
Whether you're an expert astronomer or a casual star gazer, An Astronomical Year is the essential guide for observers everywhere.
About the Author: A former monthly columnist for Astronomy magazine, Richard J. Bartlett has had a passion for the stars since the age of six. His first website, StarLore, was featured in Sky & Telescope magazine in early 2001. Following that success, he freelanced for Astronomy, reviewing astronomical websites and software in his monthly Webweaver Picks column. Additionally, he has moderated on the UniverseToday forums, operated his own astronomical messageboard and still manages his own space news website, AstroNews. Now living in the suburbs of Los Angeles, he still stops to stare at the sometimes smoggy night sky through the city's light-pollution.
