any popular books upon astronomy have been written during the Mpast few years, but most of them cater either for the casual dabbler who is content to learn from the depths of his armchair or else for the serious amateur who already knows the main facts.What I have done, or tried to do, is to strike a happy mean.

Astronomy as a Hobby.- The Unfolding Universe.- Telescopes and Observatories.- The Solar System.- The Sun.- The Moon.- Occultations and Eclipses.- Aurorae and the Zodiacal Light.- The Nearer Planets.- The Outer Planets.- Comets and Meteors.- The Stellar Sky.- The Nature of a Star.- Double Stars.- Variable Stars.- Star Clusters and Nebulae.- Galaxies.- Beginnings and Endings.

Sir Patrick Moore, CBE, FRS is without a doubt the world’s most widely known and respected of broadcasters on astronomy. His BBC-TV program, The Sky at Night, remains the longest-running TV program in the history of broadcasting. For more than three decades The Amateur Astronomer has inspired generations of amateur astronomers. Almost uniquely, Patrick Moore has written a book that is useful to astronomers at all levels, from beginner to expert. Appendices – completely updated in this new edition – provide extensive star, lunar and planetary maps, along with a vast amount of data and information that makes this book an essential for every amateur astronomer’s library.

From the reviews of the twelfth edition: "The Amateur Astronomer is aimed at both novice and experienced amateur, although evidently biased towards the former. … should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking of buying a first telescope. … We find here useful statistical data, cartographies, catalogues, and notes relevant to the owners of small to medium telescopes. … Now approaching 50 years old … this 12th edition continues the book’s long tradition of providing an invaluable handbook for those requiring a broad introduction to amateur astronomy. A classic; absolutely recommended." (Steve Ringwood, Astronomy Now, June 2005) "Classic text that covers the basics of all the major areas of astronomical observing, from lunar and planetary studies to observing and measuring double and variable stars. The high-quality black & white illustrations and images in this book bring together the old and the new in a way that is refreshingly different. … This highly recommended book will have pride of place on my bookshelf and I will continue to dip in and out of it for many years to come." (Neil English, Astronomy and Space, January, 2007)

Detailed introduction to astronomy AND amateur instruments Extensive appendices provide all the information amateur astronomers need, in one place Hints and Tips from one from the world’s most famous and respected astronomers Ideal for introductory to intermediate level astronomers