One look at a starry night sky is often enough to arouse an individual's curiosity and generate a desire to discover the wonders of the heavens. But how do you learn the identities of all those stars and constellations and when they appear? What is a planetary nebula or a globular star cluster--where do you find them and how do you tell them apart? Acclaimed popular science writer Fred Schaaf has created this eloquent guide that both beginners and veteran skywatchers will find rewarding. According to Schaaf, the secret to learning astronomy is to begin with one night and one part of the sky or one constellation and then let the passing nights add to your framework of knowledge and sights. To that end, after a introductory primer covering the basics of astronomy, the rest of the book uses a month-by-month organization, highlighting the constellations, stars, meteor showers, and other special phenomena visible each month, with many fascinating insights into the science, history, and lore of various celestial objects. Schaaf's many years of writing for "Sky & Telescope", the "Old Farmer's Almanac", "Mother Earth News", and other publications make him the world's leading expert in the monthly format of astronomy sights and the perfect guide through the year of the stars. Complete with beautiful maps, drawings, photos, a very useful glossary, and Schaaf as a guide, this is the perfect book for the amateur astronomer or anyone curious about our place in the universe.