Urban Astronomy by Denis Berthier, Cambridge, 拢11.99, ISBN 052153190X Reviewed by Mick O鈥橦are
THE bane of any budding astronomer in London or Los Angeles 鈥� or any big city 鈥� is light pollution from roads, houses, offices and their ilk illuminating the night sky. But Denis Berthier encourages us to put exasperation aside, especially in his chapter on 鈥淓quipment for city observing鈥�. Assuming you will be viewing from a backyard or balcony, he outlines what you need to make a decent attempt at seeing such unlikely city sky dwellers as Saturn, the Dumb-bell nebula and 鈥� on a lucky day 鈥� the Crab nebula, one of the most difficult objects to see in urban skies. Essentially Berthier is telling us not to give up looking, at least not yet.