If you were to buy only 1 book....

"David Knisely" wrote in message
...
Coppy Littlehouse posted
I never felt that the Norton atlas was really a field guide. .

I don't think I would go quite that far. [..snip..]
It isn't as deep an Atlas as S.A. 2000, but it is quite useful, especially
for the beginner who needs guidance in the hobby, as well as a useful set
of maps which do not overwhelm the novice amateur

Indeed, it was my first set of charts on which I cut my teeth as a
star-hopper. Later I got SA2000, then BSA, then H-B, in that order. The
latter two are my favorites for field use, the former two I use mostly for
quick desk reference.

BSA for use with the little ED refractor, and H-B with the 12.5" Dob.

I haven't settled on a DSO reference yet, but the NSOG V1:2 seems an
excellent set.

I would suggest A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets - not a bad
book.

The other possibility is All About Telescopes by Sam Brown (if you
could find a copy).

Norton's isn't that great. Both their star charts and their anti-virus
software are overrated.

"Gil" wrote in message
oups.com...

Norton's isn't that great. Both their star charts and their anti-virus
software are overrated.

Now the latter is something on which we definitely agree.