These are my favorite night, astronomy and astrophotography books. The simple stuff is simple to do and the challenging stuff is hard, complicated, and expensive to do. These books will get you started and help you can go as far as you choose to go.
For more information about each of these books (and a planisphere), read The Best Night, Astronomy, and Astrophotography Books.
The next two books will get you started with the things you can do with just a camera, lens, and tripod.
Creative Night: Digital Photography Tips and Techniques by Harold Davis
Photography: Night Sky, A Field Guide for Shooting after Dark by Jennifer Wu and James Martin
Choose a planisphere that matches your approximate latitude. Spin the dial to match the date and time and the planisphere will give you a map of the overhead night sky.
Planisphere: The Night Sky 30°-40° (Large; North Latitude) by the David Chandler Company
Planisphere: The Night Sky 40°-50° (Large; North Latitude) by the David Chandler Company
The Light-Hearted Astronomer by Ken Fulton
Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe by Terence Dickinson
The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide by Terence Dickinson – An excellent guide to enjoying the night sky. This book is not about photography.
Exploring the Night Sky: The Equinox Astronomy Guide for Beginners by Terence Dickinson – This book is a very good introduction to the night sky for children, grades 4 – 6.
Splendors of the Universe, A Practical Guide to Photographing the Night Sky by Terence Dickinson and Jack Newton
Digital SLR Astrophotography (DSLR version) by Michael Covington
Getting Started: Budget Astrophotography by Allan Hall
Getting Started: Long Exposure Astrophotography by Allan Hall
Page created November 6, 2017. Updated November 27, 2024.