I like stargazing. Nothing makes me more aware of my place in the universe than exploring a clear, dark sky.1One of the nice things about fall is that you don’t have to stay up as late before it gets dark. Just remember to dress warm.
The best first book for learning about the night sky and how to find and identify stars is The Stars by H. A Rey.2That’s right, the same guy who wrote the Curious George books. Rey makes learning the stars easy. He uses English names3For example, Great Bear instead of Ursa Major. for the constellations and he draws the connecting lines in the star charts so the constellations look like their names. You’ll learn a few brighter stars and how to use them as a roadmap to find others.
Yes, The Stars is appropriate for kids and you could use your kids as an excuse to get this book.4Like you did when you got the Lego set when your kids were newly born. Even if you don’t have kids, this is a great first stars book for you. I love mine!
Do you have a favorite first astronomy or science book?
- 1One of the nice things about fall is that you don’t have to stay up as late before it gets dark. Just remember to dress warm.
- 2That’s right, the same guy who wrote the Curious George books.
- 3For example, Great Bear instead of Ursa Major.
- 4Like you did when you got the Lego set when your kids were newly born.
Comments
2 responses to “The Best First Stars Book”
I thought that name looked familiar.
Thanks for the tip. I’ve just been introducing my kids to star gazing. I’ll have to look for this.
The ranch we’re going to attracts an amateur astronomer club every year because of the lack of smog and light pollution.
You’re very welcome. The Stars also makes a great gift for young relatives.
Don’t fall into the trap of getting a telescope too soon. I still prefer binoculars. You get to use two eyes, you can see the colors of stars, you get to see a lot of stars at once, star clusters are cool, they’re better for looking a comets, etc.
Enjoy!