Turn Left At Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them

The Kindle Edition is quite a reference. But it is more than this. First, the reference part.The main point of the book is to show what objects in the sky look like, through 3 and sometimes 4 different views. The first is through a pair of good binoculars. The second is through a refractor telescope of 2.5" to 4" diameter (6 to 10 cm). The third is through a medium sized reflector scope (a 8" to 10" (20 to 25 cm) Dobson in this case). The fourth is what the object looks like through the medium sized scope using a small mm (high magnification) eyepiece. The reference section truly excels in this effort. Showing what the observer will see is so VERY important. One of the challenges in this hobby is trying to figure out whether you are looking at what you 'think' you are looking at! This book helps clarify what it is you should be seeing.Choosing inexpensive and readily available viewing equipment to show what is being seen, is genius. It will apply to a very large viewing group of amateur astronomers. If you have any type of telescope or plan to obtain one of 10" aperture (lens or mirror diameter) or less, or just using a good pair of binoculars, you want this book! If you have or want to own a larger telescope, this book will still be a good source of lining up your field of view on a sky object in low magnification before you 'jump' to higher magnifications.But the book is MUCH more than the reference noted above. It is also an excellent beginner's book. The book bypasses the need for observers to learn or know constellations. Facing learning 40 primary or all the 80+ constellations is intimidating to a beginner and puts many of them off the hobby. This knowledge is not needed to enjoy and use this book. In addition, the author explains in two or three chapters, in easy to understand terms, some astronomy basics. The book would be of value to the pre-beginner or beginner even if not yet ready for the reference sections.The reference material is primarily divided up into four seasonal skies. It is not the way I would have arranged the book, since each season actually overlaps its neighboring season depending upon the time of night and the month of that season. Thus I don't appreciate its arrangement. But I bought and am using the Kindle Edition and find searching the entire book for any word, phrase, or sky object exceedingly easy. I would not reduce my rating due to how the book is organized because of this.A fundamental approach for easy to understand writing is not introducing new words or terms to mean or stand for a new word or phrase. By this I mean it is poor writing for the beginner to learn about a "manufacturing facility" and keep interchanging or switching (using) words like 'building' or 'plant' or 'company' in place of the word 'facility' in the text. It is the downfall of authors who know the text, are educated, and a bit bored that they can't keep using the same word when they themselves have a larger vocabulary about the subject. But to the person just starting out, it is better to be consistent with the choice of words and maintain a uniform vocabulary. In this book, the author does pull a few 'switches' but not extensively. And again, with the Kindle Edition, it is easy to search all uses of a word until you find its connection to a word or phrase you've been told about previously.This book, along with NIGHTWATCH is a must for each amateur astronomer, from pre-beginner to intermediate. My only real disappointment is that there is no reference view for a large telescope (e.g., a 14" or 16" reflector). That would encompass (and help) a larger audience, albeit not all that much larger.

1) What hardware should I buy, and advice,hints, cautions for using it.A good book here, and the one often recommended online is:The Backyard Astronomers Guide by Dickinson and Dyer.2) What do the interesting objects look like through an amateur telescope.No one book is a standard popular choice on this, I like Seeing Stars by C.R. Kitchin.Although about $80 new, I bought one in very good condition used at Amazon for about $16.3) How to find the object you now wish to observe.This book, Turn Left At Orion.Which of the three types is most valuable to the beginner, I would say 3).Unfortunately as I write this the Amazon Peek Inside is useless for evaluating the book because only the first few pages can be seen and those pages tell nothing about what the book is mainly about. Google Books online will show more pages including many from the middle which will illustrate the help given for each of the 100 or so objects. Unfortunately as I write this Google Books site is showing an older edition (2000 / edition 3) which is arranged differently than the newer (2011 / 4th edition). And I think the newer edition is better in every way!Views shown for each of the 100 or so interesting sky objects:1) "where to look view" a naked eye view of a portion of the sky with a label of where the object is inside that view.The old edition will have 1 to 4 scope icons which is how great the view is through a small 3" refractor telescope.It will also have 1 to 4 Dobsonian icons representing how great the view is through a dobsonian telescope (these usually have more power and light gathering ability).The new edition adds a third icon set 1 to 4 binocular icons which is how the great the view would be through binoculars. Binocs have less power but greater width of field. The large objects look their best when you can see it all at once, i.e. the binoculars are the best device to use.The new edition will show the same "where to look" view except the view is bigger, i.e. if you measure the size of the pictureas printed on the page, in the new edition it will be more inches wide and tall. Obviously that is better.2) "in the finderscope" view S on top N on bottom W on left and E on right and an arrow pointing the direction the stars will drift over time.This is not the view thru the telescope, it is the view through the auxiliary viewing device every amateur will place on his scope with a lower power view. This makes it easy to find things. Once it is found in the finderscope, it will also now can be seen in the main telescope.The new edition has the same view. But they are all slightly different as the authors have reviewed all objects in their scopes and now have what they consider better diagrams. I.E. you may sometimes get a better idea how large each star is, and sometimes there is a few more stars shown. In other words they have done what they consider some improvement in each of these, but the changes are minor.The old edition is just about as good.3) " in a small telescope" view. N on top S on bottom E on right W on left. Upside down, but not changed right to left. This is how a 3" refractor telescope would view the object.The old and new both have a similar view. But they are all slightly different in the new edition.The old edition is just about as good.4) "In a Dobsonian view". S on top, N on bottom, E on right and W on left.This is how starfields are oriented thru a Dob. There is no star diagonal which is why the view is upside down. Also more stars will be shown than view 3. This is because Dob has a wider mirror than a refractor lens, cost for cost. The Dob gathers more light. And so weaker stars may be seen.These views are not given in the old edition. It is given for every one of the objects in the new edition.If you have a Dobsonion, (instead of a refractor) then the new edition will be of far greater use.A. Dobsonian , B. refractor, C. Newtonian, D. catadioptricBetween A. and B., the refractor is quicker to set up, lighter, more rugged, more hassle free (e.g. far less likely to ever require collimation). But the dob has bigger optics, it will see fainter stars (dollar for dollar).C. Newtonian reflector: optics like a Dob A, but mounted on a tripod like a refractor B.D. catadioptirc: Optics are a combination of lenses and mirrors , i.e. optics are a combination of A. and B. optics. And type D can be found for purchase mounted on a tripod like B (usually) but sometimes like a Dob A (especially smaller, cheaper catadioptrics).A and C are open to the sky (the internal optics can get dirtied by dust far, far, easier).B and D are have closed and sealed optical tubes. Eventually dust can enter.----------------Take what is below with a large grain of salt.My advice for someone who will have the scope stored and used at home is A.If you are going to have to pack up the scope and drive quite a ways, usually over bumpy roads, to find a dark site, I chose B.If you are going to do both a lot, then my choice would be C. or D.If you are going to have to pack up the scope and travel a short way, say to a local astronomy club meeting at a dark sky area, then I don't know, its about a tie in my opinion. If forced, I would take A. and probably a big one.There will be many folks who recommend A, B, C, or D as the best all around choice, all have their fans for use by beginners.Take everything after the ------------------- with a grain of salt. Opinions vary. But the book review above the ------ is, in my opinion, accurate and reliable.A and C are have their main optics open to the air, thus they can get dirty from dust over time.B and D have the optical tube sealed.

I have a Dobsonian telescope and this is the perfect book for observing stars when you don't have a motorized "go-to" where you can press a button and the telescope finds your target. Being able to find the stars and deep sky objects by yourself really makes you familiar with the sky all on your own. I have astronomer friends who have no idea where anything is because they rely on their computerized equipment to find it for them. For me, this is a lot more fun. Well written and easy to use.