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Review - Night Sky Atlas - Robin Scagell

There are few of us of any age who don't look up and wonder when faced with a glittering night sky against a velvety black backdrop. (All too often skyglow ruins the whole thing, but that's a different matter).

Robin Scagell's Night Sky Atlas is packed with information and, in good Dorling Kindersley fashion, stunningly illustrated. The hardback is ringbound for easy flat opening. After a few introductory pages we get a literal atlas of the sky - north polar, south polar and four equatorial views. Then there is a month by month study of the skies, split south and north. Each features a constellation and an information double page spread on topics like "the lives of stars" or "the milky way." Very usefully, the constellation image is drawn on a clear plastic sheet so you can remove it to see the sky without the lines.

It's a book you can spend hours with at any age (perhaps why they dropped the "children's" from the title), whether tucked up inside or outdoors with a torch, peering up at the real thing.

The only reason it doesn't make our maximum five stars is it's inevitably more a reference book than a tre popular science title. If we were to be picky, there is sometimes just too much information on the page - a little more white space (or in this case black space) would be appreciated.

If you are wondering what to buy for that son/daughter/nephew/niece etc. with an interest in the stars, look no further - this is a great choice. It looks good, it reads well and it does what it says on the tin - what more you can ask?

Only in hardback. Note US edition is slightly older version with title "Children's Night Sky Atlas".

Reviewed by Martin O'Brien

* Our age range recommendation is an estimated guide, but individual readers outside the range could still enjoy the book!

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