Announcing a new book by GRAAA member Will Millar

Cambridge University Press has published the first book of a series authored by GRAAA member and Grand Rapids Community College Professor Will Millar. This first book, "The Amateur Astronomer's Introduction to the Celestial Sphere," is a basic introduction to the night sky. Here is the synopsis from Cambridge's website...

This introduction to the night sky is for amateur astronomers who desire a deeper understanding of the principles and observations of naked-eye astronomy. It covers topics such as terrestrial and astronomical coordinate systems, stars and constellations, the relative motions of the sky, sun, moon and earth leading to an understanding of the seasons, phases of the moon, and eclipses. Topics are discussed and compared for observers located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Written in a conversational style, only addition and subtraction are needed to understand the basic principles and a more advanced mathematical treatment is available in the appendices. Each chapter contains a set of review questions and simple exercises to reinforce the reader's understanding of the material. The last chapter is a set of self-contained observation projects to get readers started with making observations about the concepts they have learned. William Charles Millar, currently Professor of Astronomy at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, has been teaching the subject for almost twenty years and is very involved with local amateur astronomy groups. Millar also belongs to The Planetary Society and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and has traveled to Europe and South America to observe solar eclipses. Millar holds a Masters degree in Physics from Western Michigan University.

Contents

1. The lure of the sky; 2. Location and coordinates; 3. Stars and constellations; 4. Motions of the Earth; 5. The seasons; 6. The phases of the Moon; 7. Eclipses; 8. Observation projects; Appendices.

Paperback (ISBN-10: 052167123X | ISBN-13: 9780521671231)

Find it at your local bookstore, and if they don't have it, request they carry it. Or you can...

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Please check back in the future for information on personal appearances and book signings.