Iowa StarWatch: The Essential Guide to Our Night Sky

With the down-to-earth style and far-ranging knowledge that have made him America’s favorite stargazing instructor, Mike Lynch guides amateur and expert alike through the wonders of Iowa’s night sky. Whether watching the sky from a backyard lawn chair or manning a high-powered telescope, stargazers of all levels will learn how and when to identify the major constellations visible at Iowa’s latitude (40?43° north). With chapters on the origins and movements of stars, the mythology of constellations, the phases of the moon, the planets, and even buying a telescope, this book serves as an accessible and in-depth beginner’s guide to the night sky. It includes 12 monthly star maps for Iowa skies, 21 constellation diagrams, a local resources guide, a list of the brightest stars in the state, and more than 80 beautiful color photographs of the heavens.