Continuing the tradition begun by John Guy Porter and Patrick Moore over 60 years ago, Editor Brian Jones has produced this excellent latest edition for eagerly-awaiting astronomers both at home and abroad. The book follows the similar format that readers have enjoyed for many years. In an A5 footprint, this handy book contains all the information required to satisfy the astronomical observer for the coming year. If you need to find out something for a particular month, this is the guide for you.

The beginning of the book contains traditionally styled star charts for both Northern and Southern Hemisphere observers, after which the regular Yearbook contributors David Harper and Lynne Stockman have provided detailed information and maps showing the different positions of the major planets throughout the year.

Following the Lunar Phenomena and Eclipses pages, the Monthly Sky Notes provide an observing paragraph for each planet for every month together with apparition charts, compiled by David Harper, for Mercury and Venus. Details of comets, minor planets and meteor showers visible throughout the year are compiled by Neil Norman.

Each month a short article by a popular writer is included to keep the astronomy and space enthusiast occupied on cloudy nights, the authors this year including Neil Norman (The Great Comet Crash of 1994); Jonathan Powell (Cave Art, The Buran Soviet Space Shuttle and the Fate of Beagle 2); David Harper (Chaos in the Solar System); Gary Yule (The History of the Smith-Clarke Reflector); and John McCue (Where are the Sunspots?), to name but a few. The main section of the book follows, and contains articles on a wide range of topics including, among others, Recent Advances in Astronomy; Recent Advances in Solar System Exploration; Riccardo Giacconi: X-ray Astronomy Pioneer; Things Fall Apart – Chaos in the Solar System; Astronomy in Antarctica; Male Mentors for Women in Astronomy; Tracking Older Artificial Satellites; Inner Lives of Dead Stars; and A Triumvirate of Telescope Makers – Thomas Cooke, Howard Grubb and Alvan Clark.

The Yearbook of Astronomy 2024 provides a fantastic all-in-one snapshot for the astronomical observer to plan their observing activities throughout the coming year, and is available from all good booksellers for just £19.99. You can also obtain your copy from a number of online sources, or ordering direct either from the publisher at pen-and-sword.co.uk (UK and Europe) or the US distributor at casemateipm.com (USA and Canada) and searching ‘Yearbook of Astronomy 2024’.

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