A compact, comprehensive guide to looking at stars and planets for readers from around the world The clearest, most accessible guide to observing the night sky. Authoritative text, crystal-clear charts, and a systematic approach make the DK Handbook of Star and Planets the perfect beginner's guide to the night sky. A highly visual introduction explains the basic concepts of astronomy and gives advice on the best methods and equipment for observation, including binoculars and telescopes. Each of the planets in the Solar System is described and illustrated in detail, with images taken from space probes as well as from the ground, showing them as you can expect to see them. More than 160 star charts were made especially for this book by the Royal Greenwich Observatory. There is a separate detailed chart for each of the 88 constellations, adding up to a complete atlas of the sky. The text for each constellation reveals its history and mythology and lists notable stars, galaxies, nebulae, and other objects. Alongside the constellation profiles is a month-by-month guide, including a set of charts and a user-friendly text guide that picks out the highlights above your head each month. Complete with jargon-free text written by one of the foremost popularizers of astronomy and an authority on the history of constellations, the DK Handbook of Stars and Planets is the perfect introduction to stargazing.