Denis Berthier has spent thirty years observing the night sky from within a city and his practical guide will enable amateur astronomers to observe and photograph stars, planets and other celestial objects from their own town. It is becoming more and more difficult to find an observing site with clear, dark skies away from light and industrial pollution. However, by choosing the right targets to observe, with patience and simple equipment, amateur astronomers can still find observing from towns and cities to be a rewarding hobby. Denis Berthier is the French journalist who has been passionate about astronomy for the last thirty years. He has been Laureate of the French Association for Astronomy and has published numerous papers on astronomical photography and instrument construction.

2 Responses to “Urban Astronomy”

1. L. Gray says:

   August 16, 2009 at 12:00 am

   Easy to read Great info.A few errors in
   
   the facts,but a good book to read and to
   
   refer back to.
2. urban astronomer says:

   September 1, 2006 at 12:00 am

   Tackles commensense issues such as weather conditions. Beautiful illustrations of the seasonal night sky depicted in the city. Takes a conservative approach as to what can actually be seen beyond the planets. If only the list of deep-sky objects was larger. But a good introduction nonetheless.

   For those wanting to delve deeper into the realm of deep-sky observing from the city, Rod Mollise’s “The Urban Astronomer’s Guide” is the book to get.