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Book Review, The Moon: An Observing Guide for Backyard Telescopes

by Don Loftus
Michael T. Kitt. (From the Publishers of Astronomy Magazine, Kalmbach Publishing Company). 8½x11; 80 pages; approx. 50 b&w photos; perfectbound softcover. ISBN 0-913135-09-7. Item #18354. $11.95 plus shipping.

The saying goes, "If you can't beat'em, join'em." Well, when it comes to astronomy you can't get away from the fact that the moon can make a mess of observing the night sky. So, why not "join'em" and start observing the moon itself?

I know most of us probably started out looking at the moon, said "cool" and promptly went on to other things. I mean, it's a chunk of rock with holes in it, right? Well, like anything that we have a better understanding of, we usually have more interest in. This book (did you wonder if I was ever going to talk about it) is a guide to lunar features that you can easily see with amateur telescopes. The book is divided into basically three parts: (1) How to observe the moon, (2) A guide to lunar history, and (3) A guide to lunar features (the main part of the book).

In the Foreword to the book Robert Burnham, editor of Astronomy Magazine says, "I can't figure out what happened. It was 20 years ago that human beings last set foot on the Moon. But until now no lunar guide book for amateur astronomers incorporated the scientific findings from Apollo missions and others...To put it bluntly, up until now backyard Moon observers have been short changed..."

There is a lot of information in this book and it is very readable. I haven't used the book for direct observations yet, but there are two problems I see with the format that may make it more difficult to use.

First, there is no lunar map!!! I was hoping to get some sort of overview chart, pictures or map that would show where the main features described in the book are located. As stated in the guide to lunar features, "You will need a good quality map of the Moon (see bibliography) to help locate these formations using my directions." So, now I need a map too! Second, the moon has been divided into 14 regions, usually after the major sea that forms the focal point. The problem here is that some of the features described will be in shadow while other features are visible on or near the terminator. In order to cover all the features visible on the terminator on a given night you will have to flip through the book to the different seas covered in the book. I think this may turn out to be a nuisance.

I checked out a book from the library called, Exploring the Moon Through Binoculars and Small Telescopes. This book's format is to discuss what is visible on and round the terminator each night during the month. I think this is a better format and this book is only $14.95 from Willmann-Bell, but that is a different book report. The point is that this book at least had maps located near the area being described and it went night by night.

All in all, The Moon: An Observing Guide for Backyard Telescopes, is a good little book and the inclusion of a map or more illustrations probably would have raised the price. It will probably do a fine job as a guided tour of the Moon and point out interesting sites along the way.

You can order it from Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612, 1-800-533-6644 or fax 414-796-1615. (Have your credit card ready before calling.

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