Publisher's Synopsis
Explore the night skies with this beautiful illustrated monthly guide to the stars and planets. This large-format almanac allows you to step outside and track the planets, locate the Milky Way, recognise the positions of the signs of the zodiac and watch meteor showers. Stargazers' Almanac 2011 is a beautiful month-by-month guide to the night skies. It's designed specifically for naked-eye astronomy -- no telescope required! -- making it ideal for beginners, children and backyard astronomers. It has become a popular Christmas gift -- and one which lasts the whole year round. Each monthly chart features two views of the night sky looking north and south, and a visual guide to the phases of the moon and the movements of the planets. The notes include fascinating insights into the science, history, folklore and myths of the stars and planets. This year the feature article is on sunspots. It is exactly 400 years since the first descriptions of strange spots on the sun were published in 1611. These dark areas of irregular shape overturned the classical views of the universe and revolutionized the way we study astronomy today. They show something of the strange surface of the Sun in the way we can observe them moving across the disk. Their increase and decrease follow a 22-year irregular rhythm and their activity is linked to the shape of the Sun's corona (the curved rays that can be seen during an eclipse), and the appearance of the aurora. Stargazers' Almanac 2011 also features: -- Advice on how to navigate the night sky -- Overhead reference map of the sky -- Reference plan of constellations -- Glossary of constellations and Latin names -- Glossary of brightness of stars -- Guide to the signs of the zodiac and how they relate to the stars -- Loop and eyelet for easy wall hanging; presented in a sturdy cardboard gift envelope The almanac is endorsed by the British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies. 'Sky glow' affects nearly all Britain's night skies with the result that the beauty of our starlit skies, twilight and emerging daybreak are being drowned in an orange sodium glow. Stargazers' Almanac 2011 shows how to reduce light pollution in the home and neighbourhood to reclaim the wonder of the night, as well as save energy. Suitable for astronomy enthusiasts throughout the Northern Hemisphere's temperate latitudes.
