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Book of the Day

If you are just starting out in astronomy or you are looking to learn even more about this fascinating subject, you will find that the books listed below are quite informative and helpful. These are the books that we recommend most often to amateur astronomers, armchair astronomers, educators, and kids.

You can help the Big Sky Astronomical Society by buying one of these featured books. Just click on the Order Now buttons below and buy a book from either amazon.ca or amazon.com. When you use these links to purchase a book, part of the purchase price will go to help support the educational programs of the Big Sky Astronomical Society.

SUNDAY

	365 Starry Nights An Introduction to Astronomy for Every Night of the Year This introductory book will have you learning about the sky all year long. It consists of 365 short segments - one for every night of the year! Lots of diagrams, drawings, and maps are included. Many interesting facts too!

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

MONDAY

	Exploring the Sky Projects for Beginning Astronomers Hands-on astronomy projects complete with illustrations, photos, and charts. Build a sundial, photograph a meteor shower, draw planetary orbits, or complete some of the 69 other projects in this book.

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

TUESDAY

	Exploring the Night Sky The Equinox Astronomy Guide for Beginners This guide to the stars is aimed at young astronomers who are anxious to expand their astronomical knowledge beyond that of the Big Dipper and Little Dipper.

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

WEDNESDAY

	The Stars A New Way to See Them This is one of the best books for learning the constellations and it is written in a manner that is suitable for both younger and older readers. This book contains several simple star charts and many wonderful illustrations.

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

THURSDAY

	The Universe and Beyond This book is a great one for the armchair astronomer, who prefers to read about astronomy rather than actually going outside to observe the sky. The award-winning author takes the reader on a wonderful tour of the universe and beyond.

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

FRIDAY

	NightWatch A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe This book is widely regarded as the essential guidebook for beginning stargazers. Currently in its third edition, with over a quarter-million copies in print since its initial publication in 1983, it's easy to see why this book is the one that we most often recommend to those just starting out in astronomy.

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

SATURDAY

	MAKE it WORK! - SPACE The Hands-On Approach to Science An illustrated book of projects that offers a hands-on approach to learning about space. Some of the topics covered include telescopes, constellations, the solar system, stars, rockets, and satellites.

		This link recommended for Canadians.
		This link recommended for Americans.

Big Sky News

The Nanton Legion recently contributed $1000 to our 2010 Facility Enhancement Project.

Space History

January 1

On this day, back in 1801, Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi discovered the first asteroid. It was named Ceres, in honour of the Roman goddess of agriculture. Ceres has a diameter of about 950 km, which makes it the largest asteroid in the Asteroid Belt. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union adopted the term "dwarf planet" and since then Ceres has been classified as a dwarf planet.