Exploring the Solar System with Binoculars Author: Stephen James O’Meara Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 978-0-521-74128-6 Price: £15.65 (Pb), 156pp
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Those who have heard Steve O’Meara speak at AstroFest will know of his engaging personality and infectious enthusiasm for his subject, which is usually, as here, visual observing in the traditional manner. He often describes himself as “A 19th-century astronomer in the 21st-century” – not there is anything backward-looking in his approach.

This book is intended as a companion volume to the authors’ Observing the Night Sky with Binoculars. Whereas in that book the focus is on the stars, here it is on the nearer Universe. To a large extent this is a just a basic introductory text on Solar System astronomy, but the approach taken in organising the information is distinctive: assume minimal equipment – the naked eye or small, inexpensive binoculars, together with a few other simple accessories such as a tripod and projection card – and explain every detail that could possibly be teased out using these by an observer as skilled as the author himself.

The six chapters straightforwardly cover the Sun, Moon, Eclipses, planets, comets, and meteors. I was particularly impressed with the chapter on the Moon, which gives photographs at a scale really to look like the binocular Moon, at various stages of illumination, with a key to the formations. The author actually goes into a great deal of detail on his subjects, including both interesting historical sidelights and the very latest information (which is always assiduously attributed – a rarity in a book of this kind). I found very few errors indeed.

My only caveats are that some readers on this side of the Atlantic might find the style a little too gushing, and that the layout is curious in that the illustrations (all in monochrome) lack captions. They are explained in the text, which means you do have to read the text to find out what they mean. This approach risks confusion occasionally.

I would recommend this book to all beginning observers. Don’t consider the low page count: this is a large-format book that is excellent value.

David Arditti