Splendors of the Universe: A Practical Guide to Photographing the Night Sky

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is also the
author of The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese Women’s Lives, Kurlek, and
Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Hom

The 1990s have spawned a new term: astrophotography. New technology such
as film emulsions and electronic image detectors called CCDs make it
possible. An ordinary 35-millimetre camera on a tripod with a standard
50-millimetre lens and common 1000-speed color film can capture ten
times the number of stars visible to the naked eye. Many of the
photographs featured in this book show how successful a relatively
simple setup can be.

Terence Dickinson, the author of 14 books on astronomy, edits Skynews,
a Canadian magazine devoted to this growing hobby. Jack Newton, one of
the world’s foremost astrophotographers, bases his numerous
publications on work done in his well-equipped home observatory. It
would be difficult to find two astrophotographers better qualified to
cover this topic.

Splendors of the Universe features more than 200 captioned color photos
of the night sky. A clear and fairly technical text with commentary and
practical advice is fitted in between the photos. Chapters are titled
“Getting Started: Camera and Tripod,” “Tracking the Target: Milky
Way Odyssey.” “Probing Deeper: Through the Telescope,” and “CCD
Imaging: More Power to You.” There are lists of resources, suppliers,
and reference books. Splendors is a superior how-to guide.