Astronomy and Astrophotography books to help beginner's get started

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And welcome.   Welcome to 'UnderSouthWest Skies'. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find the experience worthwhile. This blog post has been written from my own 'beginner perspective' after doing lots of reading on  various basic astronomy and astrophotography topics of interest to beginners.  In getting my head around it all, I may have got odd bits slightly wrong; but, like you, I am on a leaning journey, so please forgive any unintentional errors.  Also, just because I have gone down a particular road regarding equipment, doesn't mean that I have chosen the 'CORRECT' route!  

Meanwhile, clear skies to you. Take care and thanks for visiting   Steve aka PlymouthAstroBoy 

What makes a good book for aspiring beginner astronomers and astrophotographers? 

Good question – well I think so! And its my blog! So here goes!

·        Easy to read style and simple, clear and concise language

·        Easy to understand – you don’t need oodles of prior scientific knowledge or experience to get the basic ideas

·        Useful practical information on all those simple tips that can make such a difference to your night time experiences e.g. using your fingers to estimate the distance between stars

·        High quality photos and simple descriptions to accompany them

·        Lots of examples to illustrate core ideas and principles

·        Aimed at people like me with basic beginner’s gear

So here we go. My take on useful books for beginner’s. There are not in any order of preference etc. I will add to this list as and when I come across a book that I think fits my criteria above  - so do pop back occasionally 

‘Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope and How to Find Them’        By Guy Consolmagno and Dan M. Davis

Format: Available in paperback, e-book, or spiral-bound

Print: Glossy black & white pages for bringing to the field

Mine is looking a little dog-eared isn't it? 

The first book I got on the subject. And I adore it. It comes with me on all astronomy observation sessions with my bigger telescope. It goes on every motorhome trip. Recommended to me by the team at First Light Optics as a good starter book when I purchased my Skywatcher Star Discovery 150i WIFI GOTO telescope. The book describes how objects will appear with simple telescopes and binoculars; what impact light polluted skies will have on the object being viewed compared with viewing from dark sites. Clear simple diagrams, concise text and arranged in a format which helps the beginner learn how to navigate the night sky in a sensible, effective fashion. With a mixture of easy to find objects and then more challenging targets, you can actually ‘grow’ with this book. And the mixture is good – galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, double binary stars. I’m never bored dipping into this book and it is always on my desk when planning an observation session.

One last point – the paper is glossy and withstands dew! Its spiral bound and slightly bigger than A4 in size. Basically it withstands a night outside!

‘Signposts to the Stars: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Learning the Night Sky and Exploring the Constellations’    by Richard J. Bartlett        Print: Black & white

Although I don’t have this book in my collection, it has been recommended to me. Essentially the book uses simple language, constellation maps, practical tips, stories about ancient myths and history to give a tour of our night sky, starting with the brightest, most easily identifiable constellations that you can see with binoculars or the naked eye. Basically, a detailed guide on how to find the constellations and features within them with easy-to-read maps.

‘Stargazing: Beginners Guide To Astronomy’   By Radmila Topalovic and Tom Kerss, Astronomers at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

Publisher: Royal Observatory Greenwich    ISBN: 9780008196271       Paperback

I have this one in my collection but have loaned it out to a nephew. I must get it back at some stage. Aimed squarely at those beginning their astronomy journey. From telescope and binocular choice to planetary information, seasonal star charts and advice on how to plan your stargazing, the book covers lots that a beginner would want to know. It was one of the first books I picked up when I first considered a new hobby – astronomy and astrophotography – just after I retired. I got it along with another book ‘Collins Guide to the night sky’. Both obtained from the shop at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, on a London visit. Anyway, I liked the simple clear language, informative diagrams and photos.

‘Collins Guide to the night sky – A month by month guide to exploring the skies above Britain and Ireland’   Publisher Collis and Royal Observatory Greenwich.

I have got one of these books every year since I started the hobby and it forms part of any astronomy/astrophotography session planning I do. Essentially it is a month-by-month guide to the planets, stars and constellations you can each night in a month across a year, from the northern hemisphere. A mixture of clear concise text, calendar lists, celestial charts and diagrams help me map the movement of the stars and the moon cycle over the month.  

‘Moongazing – Beginner’s guide to exploring the moon’   By Tom Kerss   Publisher: Collis and Royal Observatory Greenwich

Another from the Collins ROG stable which I really like and refer to often. Detailed moon maps, the history of lunar observation and exploration; what the moon is made of and more. How to draw moon sketches, choosing a telescope to observe the moon, and a comprehensive section on astrophotography tips and skills for moon photography. I learned loads about eclipses and blue moons! And finally understood what is meant by ‘conjunction’ and ‘occultation’! The photographs are fascinating. I love the lunar atlas bit – photos an accompanying maps in two page segments – details about surface features. With my smaller table top dobsonian, I can see some moon gazing nights materialising during the summer when we are motorhoming. I have yet to do much lunar observation or astrophotography but when I do, this book will be an excellent starting point.

‘Guide to imaging the moon’   by Dave Eagle FRAS    www.star-gazing.co.uk  Paper back

Another book I picked up but haven’t fully used yet. Dave has produced a series of guides – I have a few and will list them below. In this guide he covers DSLR and webcam imaging of the moon. From imaging to stacking them, techniques on noise reduction and sharpening, its practical with good step by step tips and techniques. He refers to using Autostakkert, Registax and photoshop for image processing.  Moon astrophotography is on my list of things to start exploring this year.

‘The Backyard Astronomer's Guide’    by Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer

I’ve been told to add this book to my collection soon. Why? Simple clear and concise information – from choosing a telescope to capturing the cosmos! Stunning images and stellar advice on choosing astronomy equipment. Sky tours, star charts and more. Latest edition is bang up to date on observation techniques and equipment and has five brand-new chapters, including three essential essays on binocular, telescope and Moon tours by renowned astronomy writer Ken Hewitt-White. From LED lighting technology, WiFi-enabled telescopes and the latest advances in binoculars, telescopes and other astronomical gear to new techniques for observing the Sun, the Moon and solar and lunar eclipses. And new sections on dark sky reserves, astro-tourism, modern astrophotography and mobile phone astrophotography.  It is on my wish list!

‘Photographing the night sky – Techniques, planning and processing’    by Alyn Wallace

Publisher – www.fotovue.com

The most expensive book I have ever purchased and worth absolutely every single penny, a thousand times over!  I can’t begin to sum up what an influence this book has been on my skills development. Comprehensive – an inadequate summary! If you are a beginner to landscape astrophotography, then this is the book for you! 

Detailed, informative, highly readable. Stunning photographs and illustrations. Clear, concise explanations – nothing overwhelming but everything aimed at you assimilating and understanding concepts quickly. Is it an encyclopedia? Yep, think so! From equipment, settings and multiple exposure techniques to astronomy basics, location scouting and photo post editing techniques, I am always referencing some chapter monthly! Complex topics explained in an easy to grasp manner have had immediate impact on my milky way landscape images. Is it making me a better night time landscape imager? Absolutely!

‘Night sky photography – from first principles to professional results’   by Adam Woodworth  Publisher: Octopusbooks/Illex Press

Another book which has taught me so much! And a book I constantly dip back into regularly. This is a book, that like Alyn’s above, takes you through everything you need to know – step-by-step. From what gear you need to simple techniques to master when out in the dark. I like his post editing workflows – they have helped me enormously. The book is well written and easy to understand. Explanations are simple, concise, informed and well-paced. Stunning photographs throughout. Heavily milky way focused but that is what I wanted. There are sections on shooting the northern lights as well. From gear to software, settings to post editing techniques – this book is great for beginners to nightscape astrophotography.

‘The Stargazer’s Handbook – The definite field guide to the night sky’  By Giles Sparrow  Publisher: Quercus books

I love this book. I pick it up in my quiet downtime moments just to browse. It is a first port of call when I am looking for new deep space objects to capture.   Complete maps of constellations and celestial bodies. Month by month guides. Beautiful, extraordinary photography – over 400 images. You take this book out with your binoculars on those warm, clear nights! Every star, constellation and nebula is fully illustrated and comes with a detailed annotated star chart. Infact, what I like most, is it is completely arranged by constellation. Love this book.

‘Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe’    By Terence Dickinson

This is a book that is a general introduction to astronomy. And its on my Christmas list for 2025. Although up to now, I have focused on my astrophotography, I know it is time to start exploring the astronomy side of things more.

Anyway, this book has been recommended to me. Stunning photographs, charts of famous stars to seek out with binoculars or small telescopes. Useful equipment section as well. Clear, concise and simple language make it an easy read. Explanations are relatable, easy to follow an understandable.  Great sections on the moon and planets. Even a chapter on astrophotography and sections about the latest digital computerised smart telescopes. A huge amount of information condensed into bite sized chunks.