50 Things To See With A Telescope - Kids: A Constellation Focused Approach Paperback – July 27, 2017

Perfect book to go with the telescope that was just purchased! Good & informative information!

As a passionate amateur astronomer, I am frequently asked by parents for an astronomy book recommendation for their children. Not only have I recommended this book frequently, but I have also personally gifted this book several times.The format of the book is easy to follow, with icons to indicate “difficulty” of each target, whether or not binoculars can be used to view, and icons to indicate the season in which the target is most easily viewed. Targets are also grouped by their “season.” (I’ve highlighted these great touches in my photo.)The author gives great tips for “getting started,” to increase your odds for success, that may not be obvious to the first time observer.The section about choosing a telescope and the parts of a telescope are also extremely helpful. Choosing the right telescope and then opening the box and assembling it can be intimidating. This section helps remove some of the mystery from that process.If you check out the page with contents, you can see that there is a wide array of targets appropriate for beginners, and the constellation maps are also well-presented to help the reader get comfortable with the night sky.This book is the perfect companion to that telescope you plan to give as a gift! The author has a whole series published in this easy-to-follow format, which makes it easy for the observer to continue to learn as their skills progress!There is definitely a reason this book is a #1 Best Seller!!

I really like this book; I would actually suggest getting this one instead of the "small telescope" volume by the same author, even if you don't have kids. It takes a great approach of showing a naked-eye constellation or asterism which will promote familiarity with the night sky, but then also shows where to find a cool telescope object within that same area of sky. I like the obvious division into seasons (missing from "small telescope"). There's some overlap with the "small telescope" but not too much and I think the choices made in this book are much better, plus it's really got many more than 50 objects (for example № 26, "The Teapot" also includes M17 and M7).To make it appeal to kids, this book has been printed in full color, which is much more appealing than his previous books but much less friendly for low-light or red-light use. I use this book inside, and then mark the relevant pages in "Turn Left at Orion" to take out to the backyard. This small book doesn't have enough detail to be able to find distant clusters or galaxies anyway; I'll still need an atlas or other guide. Also, as the author pointed out in previous books, full-color astrophotography doesn't really represent what you (or your child) will see through the eyepiece. Fortunately, Mr. Read largely included photographs which are more representative; I especially compliment him for including the photographs showing what nearby planets (Saturn, Jupiter) will look like through a small telescope. They're good pictures, obviously taken in dark skies, but illustrate well the small angular size you can expect to see.In short I think this is a much-improved replacement for "50 Things to See with a Small Telescope" and should be considered by any new stargazer, child or not.

Grandson love this book, very informative.

Bought it for my 8yo son to go with his first telescope. Easy to understand, interesting, and engaging. Would fully recommend. Got as “used as new” and it didn’t disappoint.

Exactly what i needed. I love it!

Good book kids and adults to learn about the planets.

Good info for beginners