Book Review: Stargazer's Atlas

Do you love looking out into the night sky? I have always loved it, but I often have no idea what I'm looking at. Thankfully, National Geographic saves the day!

National Geographic- Stargazer's Atlas

Richly illustrated with luminous photographs and informative maps and graphics, this expansive book is the perfect guide for everyone discovering the wonders of the night sky, from those just learning the constellations to dedicated telescope observers.

Combining science, exploration, and storytelling, National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas invites readers to roam the night sky for constellations, planets and moons, eclipses, comets and meteor showers, auroras, and deep-sky treasures including nebulae and galaxies—many visible to the naked eye and all with binoculars or a backyard telescope.

Beginning with basic space science and including a complete set of night sky maps for all four seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, this fascinating book guides the reader toward the most rewarding observations. A unique chapter on astrotourism highlights ancient observatories, dark-sky preserves, and other global destinations for the sky-seeking traveler; a final chapter details current and future space missions and what they might discover.

Richly illustrated with awe-inspiring imagery—including photos from space missions and telescopes, science-based artists’ interpretations, and explanatory graphics—the book also contains 170 maps and charts of planets, moons, and constellations, from Earth’s moon to moons of Saturn. Practical advice throughout helps readers see what they have been reading about, building key observational skills such as “star hopping” from easy-to-find stars to fainter deep-sky objects and focusing on “deep sky treasures:” areas rich in observable phenomena.

Approachable and authoritative, gorgeous and fascinating, National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas will intrigue all who love to gaze up in wonder at the night sky—and find themselves wanting to know more.

I have always loved gazing at the stars. I remember laying in our backyard on a blanket and looking into space. The idea that there was more beyond Earth, just on and on into infinity, and as humans we will never know how far it goes. I also don't know a whole lot about space, but it was always my favorite unit in school science lessons but I think my lil' ol' brain just can't comprehend all there is to know. Thankfully though, National Geographic breaks it down into manageable chapters and gives us information we can all understand. 

If you live in an urban area and can't see the glorious night sky in its true glory, National Geographic pulls through and gives us page after page of absolutely stunning photos. The book gives you suggestions on how to see all of these things for yourself (because we don't all have access to high powered telescopes, as it turns out), and it tells you all that you need to know. 

Did you know there is a meteor shower calendar? Did you know there are sky maps? I can barely navigate a land map, but a sky map is a whole new beast, but I really want to learn. It seems daunting because this changes seasonally so that's like the interstates all moving around every few months. Throughout the book you'll see photos of galaxies and nebulas (and more!) but those are my two favorites I think, and they are just..... stunning. To think these are just casually out and about around us blows my mind. Even cooler? There is a large section of the book that talks about the importants of the wonders of the universe and the impact those had on early civilizations. 

If you're looking for a great holiday gift, I very HIGHLY recommend this! I don't know anyone who wouldn't be immediately drawn into this book and soon everyone will be crowding around it. It would make an amazing coffee table book, and anyone who pages through this is going to learn something and look at the night sky just a little differently. 

A huge thank you to National Geographic and TLC Book Tours for having me on this tour! I am a huge fan of anything to do with National Geographic and their books are my #1 gifted book of all time. You literally cannot go wrong with anything they put out there, they are all winners. 

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