The Florida Night Sky

by De Wire, Elinor

• ISBN13: 9781561642380
• ISBN10: 156164238X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Pineapple Pr Inc

Summary

The Florida night sky is a source of fascination, inspiration, and enjoyment. Whether your aim is a casual appreciation of the heavens or a serious study of astronomy, The Florida Night Sky will get you started on a rewarding journey of cosmic discovery, beginning with how the known universe is organized and where Florida fits into the picture. Every place on earth has its own singular view of the stars and Florida is no different. There's an enviable openness to the Florida landscape and flat horizon, allowing for a broader view of the sky in all directions. The warm, snowless winter nights, with their long periods of darkness, are ideal for stargazing, and Florida's position near the tropics offers a view of the four stars in the Southern Cross in the spring and early summer. The two coasts offer stunning views of the sun rising and setting in the water--watch for the Green Flash as the sun finally drops into the ocean on the Gulf Coast. A starting point for those who want to learn about the Florida night sky and enjoy its treasures, this book also serves as

Author Biography

Elinor De Wire has been enamored with the sky and all it contains since she first looked through a telescope at the planet Saturn at age six. An avid amateur astronomer, she served on the staff of the Mystic Seaport Planetarium from 1988 to 1994, writing and producing programs, teaching astronomy courses, and lecturing. She has authored numerous articles on astronomy and often features sky topics in her newspaper column, "Shore Almanac." Her three children's books -- Journey Through the Universe, Activities for Young Astronomers, and Reach for the Sky -- are used in schools throughout the nation. A former resident of Florida, Ms. De Wire now watches the stars over her home in Seabeck, Washington

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	viii
Jacket Photographer's Note	ix
Introduction Looking Up at the Florida Night	1	(6)
Your Place in Space	7	(21)
Get Acquainted with the Night	28	(33)
Observing in Florida at Dusk and Dawn	61	(21)
Start with the Moon	82	(33)
Enjoying the Planets	115	(54)
A Sampling of Constellations	169	(37)
Observing and Understanding the Stars	206	(39)
Looking for Comets and Asteroids	245	(20)
Near-Sky Phenomena	265	(27)
Looking into Deep Space	292	(27)
Gear and Gadgets	319	(38)
Glossary	357	(12)
Suggested Reading List	369	(10)
Appendices
1 Planetary Data	372	(2)
2 The Twenty Brightest Stars	374	(2)
3 The Messier Objects	376	(3)
Index	379