Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. The materials in this archive are copyright © The Manitoba Library Association. Excuse me for a moment while I read again what Dickinson has to say about photography. NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe is a Used Spiral Bound available to purchase and shipped from Firefly. I have just bought a camera mount for my rickety refractor.
Nightwatch shows why so many reputable sources have accepted eight hundred of Dickinson's articles. The book is a wonderful blend of craft, art, and scholarship, a joy to use, a pleasure to own. The 10 x 10 inch format (25 x 25cm) permits clear text and tables. Illustrations range from clear snapshots of equipment, through beautiful shots of the night sky, to a professional image of the churning glory of our own sun. Dickinson gives references for further reading as well as a selected list of supply houses. The star charts are cleverly annotated and printed, with star colours, magnitudes, diametres, and other data. The quasi-professional might find it a little elementary, but it does have some unique features. Science and geography students and would-be astronomers will specially enjoy this readable book. Read Dickinson's excellent advice before you spend a dollar. (There is nothing on telescope making but see references.) The sections on backyard astronomy and stargazing equipment are good. His book concisely discusses the constellations, comets, meteors, eclipses, our solar system, and the nature of the universe.
I had often enjoyed his work I had insufficiently appreciated the talents of this writer, teacher, and broadcaster. Then, on two successive days, magazines with articles by him flipped through my mailbox. I admit I doubted the claim of Dickinson's prodigious production. An expanded chapter on Astrophotography lists the best modern films and cameras for skyshooting.NIGHTWATCH: AN EQUINOX GUIDE TO VIEWING THE UNIVERSE Improved spacecraft measurements of the distances to the stars (recently released by the European Space Agency) are included in the charts, along with additional observing tips for stargazers using binoculars and telescopes. All charts, tables and diagrams have been updated and, in some cases, redesigned for easier use. With 250,000 copies in print since its initial publication in 1983, NightWatch has become a standard reference guide for stargazers throughout North America. cover and interior design by Roberta Cooke. Back cover photo: Spiral galaxy M81 by Robert Gendler. Front cover composite photo: Veil Nebula and observer by Terence Dickinson.
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