Naked-Eye Astronomy: Stars, the Sun, the Moon, Planets, and the Deep Sky

Thomas Hockey

Book

Naked-Eye Astronomy

Stars, the Sun, the Moon, Planets, and the Deep Sky

Thomas Hockey

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2025

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De Gruyter Textbook

About this book

In this textbook the author brings back some of the ‘old’ astronomy, but viewed through the imaginary lens of huge telescopes and orbiting observatories. He teaches us what we can see in the sky without any instrument at all - with the only pre-requisite of access to a dark sky. We learn about lunar / solar eclipses and how contemporary cultures and ancient ancestors around the world discovered the sky.

In the past the celestial realm provided us with navigational and timekeeping tools vital to agriculture and trade.

Using telescopes, however, we almost unlearned to interpret the naked-eye sky.

This work brings all its secrets back to us.

Author / Editor information

Thomas Hockey, University of Northern Iowa, USA.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	V
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	IX
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed
1 Introduction to your book Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
2 Your eyes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	12
3 The atmosphere Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	24
4 The dome of your sky Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	40
5 Stars Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	55
6 Navigating your sky Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	73
7 The celestial sphere Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	89
8 Celestial coordinates and the precession of the Equinoxes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	107
9 The Sun Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	122
10 Your year through the seasons Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	139
11 Seasonal insolation and daytime/nighttime Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	158
12 The Moon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	176
13 From New Moon to Full Moon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	195
14 Full Moon to New Moon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	216
15 Further lunar cycles Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	239
16 Eclipses Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	252
17 Predicting eclipses Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	279
18 Planets Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	295
19 Your Solar System Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	319
20 Your naked-eye universe Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	348
Afterword Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	369
Appendices
I The most dependable of clocks Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	371
II Selected heliacal star sets and rises Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	375
III The constellations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	377
IV The Greek alphabets Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	379
V Stars that rise and set at mid-northern latitudes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	381
VI Northern circumpolar stars Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	383
VII Southern circumpolar stars Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	385
VIII Zodiac constellations used in astrology Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	387
IX Northern evening constellations by season Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	389
X Year, month, and day lengths Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	391
XI Properties of naked-eye planets, satellites, and asteroids Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	393
XII Apparent magnitudes of the planets¹ Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	395
XIII Selected annual meteor showers Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	397
XIV Selected naked-eye optical double stars Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	399
XV Naked-eye recurring novae Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	401
XVI Selected naked-eye variable stars Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	403
XVII Selected naked-eye open clusters Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	405
XVIII Selected naked-eye globular clusters Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	407
XIX Selected naked-eye nebulae Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	409
XX Naked-eye galaxies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	411
Further reading Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed
Glossary Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	433

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

November 17, 2025

eBook ISBN:

9783111441245

Paperback published on:

November 17, 2025

Paperback ISBN:

9783111441184

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Front matter:

12

Main content:

330

Illustrations:

8

Coloured Illustrations:

223

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111441245

eBook ISBN: 9783111441245

Paperback ISBN: 9783111441184

Keywords for this book

Night Sky; Stars; Sun; Moon; Eclipses; Comets

Audience(s) for this book

Students and teachers of Astronomy.

Safety & product resources

Manufacturer information:
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Genthiner Straße 13
10785 Berlin
productsafety@degruyterbrill.com

Naked-Eye Astronomy

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Bibliographic data