National Geographic Backyard Guide to the Night Sky.

Stargazing’s too much fun to leave to astronomers. In these inviting pages, “Night Sky Guy” Andrew Fazekas takes an expert but easygoing approach that will delight would-be astronomers of all levels. Essential information, organized logically, brings the solar system, stars, and planets to life in your own backyard. Start with the easiest constellations and then “star-hop” across the night sky to find others nearby. Learn about the dark side of the moon, how to pick Mars out of a planetary lineup, and which kinds of stars twinkle in your favorite constellations. Hands-on tips and techniques for observing with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope help make the most out of sightings and astronomical phenomena such as eclipses and meteor showers. Photographs and graphics present key facts in an easy-to-understand format, explaining heavenly phenomena such as black holes, solar flares, and supernovas. Revised to make skywatching even easier for the whole family, this indispensable guide shines light on the night sky–truly one of the greatest shows on Earth!

Gage wants to be a scientist. He tells me this almost every day. He knows a lot about space and loves it. He tells me this most days too. So, when Trish asked if I wanted to be on the book tour for this book I said YES! as fast as I could. As a matter of fact I said yes before I remembered that I had no interest in space, knowing that I prefer to dig my bare feet in the dirt more than sticking my head up in the clouds. Well, I’m happy to say that this beautiful book is packed with interesting and useful information and I devoured it all.

I kept thinking I was going to wow Gage with my knowledge, like this afternoon when I asked if he knew that the moon was moving farther away from Earth every year. He, of course, already knew this. I was able to surprise him by telling him that Jupiter’s moon Europa is ripe for life. I even managed to correct Jason on a few things and he considers himself fairly well versed. As I was reading in bed this evening Jason walked in and started laughing because it was not the type of book he thought he’d ever see me reading cover to cover. While I don’t that’s the best way to experience it, whatever works for you.

While I learned about our planets, stars, galaxies, comets, constellations and more, at its heart it’s a guide to find all of these things from your backyard. It tells you what’s visible when and whether you can see it with the naked eye or if you might need binoculars or a telescope. It even maps out each season and where’ll you find the constellations from 40 degrees north latitude (NYC, Columbus, Ohio, Denver, Colorado, and Northern California). My favorite chapter was on the moon. There are also sections on how to choose the best equipment and best ways to capture the night skies on camera.

If you or someone you love likes to look at the stars or is interested in space in general this is a perfect gift!

Thanks TLC and Hachette Book Group for getting me the book and National Geographic for making me way smarter 🙂