Reviews for The stars

The average rating for The stars based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-02-25 00:00:00 Hidber Nicolas Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend. H.A. Rey, author of the Curious George books, studied philosophy and natural sciences after World War I. He transformed his enjoyment of star gazing into this user-friendly guide for star recognition and the finding of constellations. If you know the stars you are not easily lost. They tell you the time and direction on land, on sea, and in the air, and this can be valuable on many occasions. The Stars is divided into two segments. The first half of the book is dedicated to introducing stargazing in the most comprehensive means possible for beginners. Ordinarily, constellations are presented as either allegorical images or confusing geometric shapes. Not so in The Stars. [This book] shows the constellations in a new, graphic way, as shapes which suggest what the names imply: it shows the group of stars known as the Great Bear, in the shape of a bear; the Whale in the shape of a whale; the Eagle as an eagle, and so on. These shapes are easier to remember, and once you remember them you can retrace them in the sky. Forty star charts are provided that depict where and when to search for individual constellations. Though the book is designed mainly for users in northern latitudes (from 30 to 50 degrees), star charts for all other latitudes and their constellations are included. The second half of the book is more scientifically advanced and introduces complex theories and terms. Altitude, the rotation of the earth on its axis, latitude and longitude, solar and sidereal days, black holes, solar eclipses, and much more are explored in great detail. Stars are enchanting specks of glistening light in the night sky, but Rey succeeds in making them sound even more enticing and ignites a desire to grab a sweater and peer up at the sky on the next clear night. And should you venture into outer space, anywhere in the solar system, where no earthly landscape exists, the constellations would be your only guidepost, and familiar ones, too. A helpful index and glossary are included at the back of the book and, as an added bonus, the book jacket unfolds into a 22 X 26" poster that's a chart of the night sky with all of the constellations drawn on it. The Stars is a dazzling introduction to the lost art of gazing at the night sky and familiarizing oneself with the stars.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-07-27 00:00:00 David Lell This book led to me knowing my way around the night sky, the constellations and their histories, and eventually, to getting an astronomy internship and going to Stanford for physics... Yeah: it's good. And really easy to understand, and fun, too.