Observing the Moon: The Modern Astronomer's Guide
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Review
From reviews of the First Edition: 'North advises the novice observer based on his own extensive experience, and he includes a brief review of lunar science from Apollo to Lunar Prospector. He richly illustrates his 48 crater descriptions with drawings, amateur and professional photographs, and spacecraft images ... I recommend North's observing guide as visually pleasing, meaty, and easy to read.' Sky and Telescope 'North is an experienced lunar astronomer, and it shows ... Observing the Moon will certainly help you on your way to make the most of your time behind the telescope.' Sarah Dunkin, Physics World 'Observing the Moon is a beautifully produced, well illustrated, and thorough guide to the techniques of lunar observations, as well as being a detailed A to Z (well Agarum and Albategnius to Wargentin and Wichmann actually) of the more interesting features of the lunar landscape. Huge enjoyment can be obtained from studying our nearest celestial neighbour, and this book will help to improve your technique.' David W. Hughes, The Observatory 'Guided by this book amateurs can undertake observations of real scientific usefulness and thus can make their own contributions to the understanding of our Moon.' Orion (Societe Astronomique de Suisse) 'Observing the Moon is a pretty comprehensive guide to beginning lunar observation and recommended reading.' Astronomy and Space 'North is full of useful information for backyard astronomers who would like to move to the next level in their observations of the earth's satellite ... Key advantages of North's volume include its practical focus - e.g. lots of advice on the strengths and weaknesses of various types of equipment - and its mix of vivid photographs and clarifying maps and charts.' Booklist 'The latest in a long and venerable collection of astronomy titles from Cambridge University.' Bloomsbury Review '... the friendly and chatty style of Observing the Moon continues in this second edition ... Chapters 4, 5, and 7 ... have had major modifications to reflect the changes in the past seven years and cover subjects such as camera attachments to the telescope, modern CCD cameras, camcorders and webcams, image processing techniques ... and ... online web resources. ... this book is a good friendly way to introduce amateurs to lunar observing and has some excellent examples of observations by well known observers to illustrate what can be done.' Tony Cook, Journal of the British Astronomical Association 'This book includes lots of pictures of the moon as well as some hand drawn diagrams and it provides details of the telescope and camera used to take each...' Journal of Science and Technology '... North has managed to convey his enthusiasm while making this book accessible to those with no prior knowledge of the topic. ... There are ... a great deal of modifications to those chapters dealing with technologies and techniques that have been updated since the first edition. ... North's friendly and informative writing style assists the reader in learning about the techniques of lunar observation. ... an excellent reference tool for first-time astronomers and experts alike. ... the perfect companion for a budding amateur astronomer.' EOS
Review
From reviews of the First Edition: 'North advises the novice observer based on his own extensive experience, and he includes a brief review of lunar science from Apollo to Lunar Prospector. He richly illustrates his 48 crater descriptions with drawings, amateur and professional photographs, and spacecraft images ... I recommend North's observing guide as visually pleasing, meaty, and easy to read.' Sky and Telescope
'North is an experienced lunar astronomer, and it shows … Observing the Moon will certainly help you on your way to make the most of your time behind the telescope.' Sarah Dunkin, Physics World
'Observing the Moon is a beautifully produced, well illustrated, and thorough guide to the techniques of lunar observations, as well as being a detailed A to Z (well Agarum and Albategnius to Wargentin and Wichmann actually) of the more interesting features of the lunar landscape. Huge enjoyment can be obtained from studying our nearest celestial neighbour, and this book will help to improve your technique.' David W. Hughes, The Observatory
'Guided by this book amateurs can undertake observations of real scientific usefulness and thus can make their own contributions to the understanding of our Moon.' Orion (Société Astronomique de Suisse)
'Observing the Moon is a pretty comprehensive guide to beginning lunar observation and recommended reading.' Astronomy and Space
'North is full of useful information for backyard astronomers who would like to move to the next level in their observations of the earth's satellite … Key advantages of North's volume include its practical focus - e.g. lots of advice on the strengths and weaknesses of various types of equipment - and its mix of vivid photographs and clarifying maps and charts.' Booklist
'The latest in a long and venerable collection of astronomy titles from Cambridge University.' Bloomsbury Review
'… the friendly and chatty style of Observing the Moon continues in this second edition … Chapters 4, 5, and 7 … have had major modifications to reflect the changes in the past seven years and cover subjects such as camera attachments to the telescope, modern CCD cameras, camcorders and webcams, image processing techniques … and … online web resources. … this book is a good friendly way to introduce amateurs to lunar observing and has some excellent examples of observations by well known observers to illustrate what can be done.' Tony Cook, Journal of the British Astronomical Association
'This book includes lots of pictures of the moon as well as some hand drawn diagrams and it provides details of the telescope and camera used to take each…' Journal of Science and Technology
'… North has managed to convey his enthusiasm while making this book accessible to those with no prior knowledge of the topic. … There are … a great deal of modifications to those chapters dealing with technologies and techniques that have been updated since the first edition. … North's friendly and informative writing style assists the reader in learning about the techniques of lunar observation. … an excellent reference tool for first-time astronomers and experts alike. … the perfect companion for a budding amateur astronomer.' EOS
'North is an experienced lunar astronomer, and it shows … Observing the Moon will certainly help you on your way to make the most of your time behind the telescope.' Sarah Dunkin, Physics World
'Observing the Moon is a beautifully produced, well illustrated, and thorough guide to the techniques of lunar observations, as well as being a detailed A to Z (well Agarum and Albategnius to Wargentin and Wichmann actually) of the more interesting features of the lunar landscape. Huge enjoyment can be obtained from studying our nearest celestial neighbour, and this book will help to improve your technique.' David W. Hughes, The Observatory
'Guided by this book amateurs can undertake observations of real scientific usefulness and thus can make their own contributions to the understanding of our Moon.' Orion (Société Astronomique de Suisse)
'Observing the Moon is a pretty comprehensive guide to beginning lunar observation and recommended reading.' Astronomy and Space
'North is full of useful information for backyard astronomers who would like to move to the next level in their observations of the earth's satellite … Key advantages of North's volume include its practical focus - e.g. lots of advice on the strengths and weaknesses of various types of equipment - and its mix of vivid photographs and clarifying maps and charts.' Booklist
'The latest in a long and venerable collection of astronomy titles from Cambridge University.' Bloomsbury Review
'… the friendly and chatty style of Observing the Moon continues in this second edition … Chapters 4, 5, and 7 … have had major modifications to reflect the changes in the past seven years and cover subjects such as camera attachments to the telescope, modern CCD cameras, camcorders and webcams, image processing techniques … and … online web resources. … this book is a good friendly way to introduce amateurs to lunar observing and has some excellent examples of observations by well known observers to illustrate what can be done.' Tony Cook, Journal of the British Astronomical Association
'This book includes lots of pictures of the moon as well as some hand drawn diagrams and it provides details of the telescope and camera used to take each…' Journal of Science and Technology
'… North has managed to convey his enthusiasm while making this book accessible to those with no prior knowledge of the topic. … There are … a great deal of modifications to those chapters dealing with technologies and techniques that have been updated since the first edition. … North's friendly and informative writing style assists the reader in learning about the techniques of lunar observation. … an excellent reference tool for first-time astronomers and experts alike. … the perfect companion for a budding amateur astronomer.' EOS
Inside This Book
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Nice book to discover the moon and study it, with practical recomendations on equipment to observe, draw, photograph and ccd image it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Not the best Moon book!
29 Aug 2001
Format:Hardcover
It is difficult to know what to say about this book. The author has invested much time in preparing it, and Cambridge has done an excellent job of reproducing the many fine drawings and photographs included. Yet it leaves me surprisingly flat; I suspect this is a book which will sit on my shelf rarely opened.
The book is strangely lopsided. Its longest and best section, fully half the book, is a set of detailed descriptions of forty-eight selected regions of the Moon, selected for their topographic variety and interest. Each region is illustrated by photographs and drawings under various illuminations, and North provides descriptive text and an at-the-eyepiece tutorial. The drawings are typical of the British school of lunar drawing: meticulous pen and ink drawings which are striking to look at, but so stylized as to bear little resemblance to what one sees through the eyepiece.
This massive descriptive section is preceded by seven short chapters to provide the reader, whom North typifies as an "interested amateur astronomer who is yet to become a lunar specialist," with the background necessary to begin observations of the Moon. After an introductory chapter, there are sections on the history of lunar observation, equipment and visual observation, photography, electronic imaging, the physical nature of the Moon, and reference sources. Following the large descriptive chapter, there is a chapter on transient lunar phenomena, obviously a subject dear to North's heart. Much of this material is superficial, but it is interlaced repeatedly with rather technical sections, almost as if the author wished to show off his scientific credentials.
When I initially started to read the book, I gravitated to the chapter on reference sources. Clearly North's favourite source is Lunar Sourcebook-a User's Guide to the Moon. Unfortunately this is currently out-of-print. North lists seven books and maps taken from Sky Publishing's web site, which includes such standards as Antonin Rükl's Atlas of the Moon, and then makes an extraordinary statement: "I must admit that I have no personal experience of the adequacy, or otherwise, of any of these items." In other words, he has not bothered to consult a large part of the standard reference works for lunar observers! This was when I seriously began to doubt the quality of the research underlying the rest of the book.
Finally, there is the question of North's writing style. This is what I call the "chatty British eccentric" style, typified by the writing of Patrick Moore and Gerald Durrell. While charming to some in small doses, it definitely becomes tiresome in a long book. Then there is his constant whining about the page limitations imposed on him by his publisher, which he repeatedly uses as an excuse to flog his other book and just about anything else published by Cambridge. It took a major effort of will for me to wade through all this.
So what is an amateur astronomer interested in the Moon to do? My favourite book on the Moon, Rükl's Atlas mentioned above, is currently out-of-print, but due to be reprinted by Sky soon. It is what I always keep at hand while observing the Moon, and is well worth seeking out on the used market. I can't in all honesty recommend North's book to either a beginner or a more advanced student of the Moon.
The book is strangely lopsided. Its longest and best section, fully half the book, is a set of detailed descriptions of forty-eight selected regions of the Moon, selected for their topographic variety and interest. Each region is illustrated by photographs and drawings under various illuminations, and North provides descriptive text and an at-the-eyepiece tutorial. The drawings are typical of the British school of lunar drawing: meticulous pen and ink drawings which are striking to look at, but so stylized as to bear little resemblance to what one sees through the eyepiece.
This massive descriptive section is preceded by seven short chapters to provide the reader, whom North typifies as an "interested amateur astronomer who is yet to become a lunar specialist," with the background necessary to begin observations of the Moon. After an introductory chapter, there are sections on the history of lunar observation, equipment and visual observation, photography, electronic imaging, the physical nature of the Moon, and reference sources. Following the large descriptive chapter, there is a chapter on transient lunar phenomena, obviously a subject dear to North's heart. Much of this material is superficial, but it is interlaced repeatedly with rather technical sections, almost as if the author wished to show off his scientific credentials.
When I initially started to read the book, I gravitated to the chapter on reference sources. Clearly North's favourite source is Lunar Sourcebook-a User's Guide to the Moon. Unfortunately this is currently out-of-print. North lists seven books and maps taken from Sky Publishing's web site, which includes such standards as Antonin Rükl's Atlas of the Moon, and then makes an extraordinary statement: "I must admit that I have no personal experience of the adequacy, or otherwise, of any of these items." In other words, he has not bothered to consult a large part of the standard reference works for lunar observers! This was when I seriously began to doubt the quality of the research underlying the rest of the book.
Finally, there is the question of North's writing style. This is what I call the "chatty British eccentric" style, typified by the writing of Patrick Moore and Gerald Durrell. While charming to some in small doses, it definitely becomes tiresome in a long book. Then there is his constant whining about the page limitations imposed on him by his publisher, which he repeatedly uses as an excuse to flog his other book and just about anything else published by Cambridge. It took a major effort of will for me to wade through all this.
So what is an amateur astronomer interested in the Moon to do? My favourite book on the Moon, Rükl's Atlas mentioned above, is currently out-of-print, but due to be reprinted by Sky soon. It is what I always keep at hand while observing the Moon, and is well worth seeking out on the used market. I can't in all honesty recommend North's book to either a beginner or a more advanced student of the Moon.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Solid, But Far Too Compressed
16 Aug 2001
Format:Hardcover
North is a respected person in the amateur lunar community. Given that, I can't help but wish this book could have been somehow better.
North starts out by giving a good account of the Moon itself, dealing with such concepts as gravity, tides, phases, libration, lunar coordinates, and occultations. He then goes forward to give a short account of pioneering lunar selenography. Then he goes onward with chapters dealing with drawing the Moon through a telescope and photographing the Moon with both cameras and CCDs. All of these chapters, while good, could have been more in depth, I think.
A (very) short chapter on the Moon as it is studied from the desktop is included. This so barely scratches the surface the chapter is easy to miss.
The largest portion of the book is a chapter (over 100 pages long) on selected lunar landscapes. This is a great part of the book and North does a great job with it. It seems the only part of the book that isn't cut short due to space considerations, but here more could possibly been done.
Finally, there is a short, but good chapter on Transient Lunar Phenomena, the subject that North has been working on for some years.
In the end, the most annoying part of the book for me was North saying again and again and AGAIN that "much more could be said about this, but I'm already over the page allotment that my publisher set." In the end, due to this, "Observing the Moon" is largely an average book...that has two GREAT books struggling to get out of it.
Want a first book on the Moon? You can start with this, but it will only whet your appetite for more...which may not be a bad thing.
Mr. North, I look forward to you working on the next version of this book. However, for the next version, if possible, split it into the two great books that are struggling to get out of the book you've written: one book that is just Chapter 8 ("Selected Lunar Landscapes") and another book that is all the other chapters.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
More a reference than a read
1 Aug 2002
Format:Hardcover
North's very attractive book struck me less as a "good read" than as a useful reference for the amateur astronomer. The half of the book devoted to an "A-Z" of lunar landscapes in particular is quite good for this purpose -- if you've been out viewing the moon and are curious to know more about a particular feature, both the text and photographs are of value. I agree with a previous reviewer that this would have been better as two books. The overview chapters are well written but not of much value to the advanced astronomer; the information on CCDs, software etc. is likely to age pretty quickly. The info on transient lunar phenomena is interesting but not of much use unless you have a big 'scope. Still, as a reference book for lunar features I haven't seen much else that compares with it.
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