A Basic Astronomy Library
By Andrew Fraknoi
These may be a bit old – but not necessarily outdated.
This highly selective list of astronomy books for adults from
the 1980s and 90s is designed to provide teachers or visiting
astronomers with resources for their own reading.
Astronomy in General
Bartusiak, M. Thursday’s Universe. 1986, Times
Books. Frontier areas of astronomy, as explained
by a skilled science journalist.
Chaisson, E. Cosmic Dawn. 1981, Berkley
paperback. An eloquent primer on the evolution
of the universe and our place in it.
Dickinson, T. The Universe and Beyond, 2nd ed.
1992, Camden House/Firefly. Lavishly
illustrated introduction to astronomical ideas
and observations.
Goldsmith, D. The Astronomers. 1991, St.
Martin’s Press. Focuses on the work of two
dozen key astronomers.
Hartmann, W. & Miller, R. Cycles of Fire. 1987,
Workman. Over-sized paperback with gorgeous
color illustrations, introducing the realms of the
stars and galaxies.
Jastrow, R. Red Giants and White Dwarfs, 3rd ed.
1990, Warner paperbound. God, basic book on
the evolution of the universe and humankind.
Preiss, B. & Fraknoi, A., eds. The Universe. 1987,
Bantam. Collection of introductory articles by
noted astronomers and science fictions stories
inspired by good science.
Preston, R. First Light. 1987, Atlantic Monthly
Books. Eloquent introduction to modern
astronomy through the life and work of a few of
its finest practitioners.
Sagan, C. Cosmos. 1980, Ballantine paperback. A
superbly-written, highly personal tour of the
universe; based on the PBS TV series.
Trefil, J. Space Time and Infinity. 1985,
Smithsonian press. A beautiful coffee table
book introducing modern astronomy.
Time-Life Books’ Voyage through the Universe,
1988, is a beautifully produced series of
introductory books about all aspects of modern
astronomy, assembled by a team of science
writers and researchers.
The Solar System in General
Chapman, C & Morrison, D. Cosmic Catastrophes.
1989, Plenum. Fascinating introduction to
impacts, collisions, and solar system violence.
Elliot, J. & Kerr, R. Rings. 1984/7, MIT Press.
Introduction to the rings around Jupiter,
Saturn, and Uranus.
Frazier, K. Solar System. 1985, Time-Life.
Illustrated guide to the plants by a science
writer.
Henbest, N. The Planets: A Guided Tour. 1993,
Viking Penguin. A colorful overview.
Kelch, J. Small Worlds: 60 Moons of the Solar
System. 1990, Julian Messner. Survey of the
satellites we have explored.
Miller, R. & Hartmann, W. The Grand Tour. 1981,
Workman paperbound. A guide to the solar
system, illustrated with photos and paintings.
Morrison, D. Exploring Planetary Worlds. 1993,
Scientific American Library/W.H. Freeman. The
best introduction, by a noted planetary
astronomer.
Morrison, D. & Owen, T. The Planetary System.
1988 Addison-Wesley. A fine up-to-date
textbook that can be read for pleasure.
Preiss, B., ed. The Planets. 1985, Bantam. A
collection of authoritative articles about each
planet and some science fiction based on them.
Specific Planets
Burgess, E. Far Encounter: The Neptune System.
1991, Columbia U. Press.
Cattermole, P. & Moore, P. The Story of the Earth.
1985, Cambridge U. Press
Cooper, H. The Evening Star: Venus Observed.
1993, Farrar, Straus, Giroux. On the exploration
of Venus, especially by the Magellan probe.
Davis, J. Flyby. 1987, Antheneum. Mainly about
Uranus, but with sections on Jupiter and Saturn.
Hockey, T. The Book of the Moon. 1986, Prentice
Hall.
Littmann, M. Planets Beyond: The Outer Solar
System, 2nd ed. 1990, Wiley. Good introduction
to Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
Miner, E. Uranus. 1990, Ellis Horwood/Simon &
Schuster.
Moore, P. The Planet Neptune. 1988,
Horwood/Wiley.
Morrison, D. & Sams, J. Voyager to Jupiter. 1980,
NASA Special Publication $451, US Gov’t
Printing Off.
Strom, R. Mercury: The Elusive Planet. 1987,
Smithsonian Inst. Press.
Tombaugh, C & Moore P. Out of the Darkness: The
Planet Pluto. 1980, Stackpole Books. (Out of
print; but worth searching for.)
Washburn, M. Mars at Last. 1977, Putnam’s;
Distant Encounters: Exploration of Jupiter and
Saturn. 1983, Harcourt, Brace
Weiner, J. Planet Earth. 1986, Bantam. From the
PBS TV series.
Wilford, J. Mars Beckons. 1990, Knopf. About
past and possible future exploration.
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteorites
Bone, N. Meteors. 1993, Sky Publishing. Guide
and observing manual.
Brandt, J. & Chapman, R. Rendezvous in Space:
The Science of Comets. 1992, W. H. Freeman.
Introduction to comets by two noted experts in
the field.
Dodd, R. Thunderstones and Shooting Stars: The
Meaning of Meteorites. 1986, Harvard U. Press.
Hall, L. Searching for Comets. 1990, McGraw Hill,
How spacecraft have explored comets.
Kowal, C. Asteroids: Their Nature and Utilization.
1988, Horwood/Wiley. Best introduction.
McSween, H. Meteorites and their Parent Planets.
1987, Cambridge U. press. What meteorites are
and from where they come.
Sagan, C. & Druyan, A. Comet. 1985, Random
House. Beautiful book of comet science and lore,
with good background on the solar system.
Whipple, F. The Mystery of Comets. 1985,
Smithsonian Inst. Press. Personal account by the
scientist who first explained the nature of
comets.
The Sun and Eclipses
Frazier, K. Our Turbulent Sun.
1983, PrenticeHall. A science writer reviews the modern
picture of our local star.
Friedman, H. Sun and Earth. 1986, Scientific
American Library. Very nice primer on the
Sun and its relationship with our own planet.
Littmann, M. & Willcox, K. Totality: Eclipses of
the Sun. 1991, U. of Hawaii Press. The best
book on lore science, and observing of
eclipses.
Wentzel, D. The Restless Sun. 1989,
Smithsonian Institution Press. Excellent and
up-to-date.
Stars and Their Evolution
Cohen, M. In Darkness Born: The Story of Star
Formation. 1988, Cambridge U. Press.
Introduction to stellar infancy and youth.
Greenstein, G. Frozen Star. 1983, Freundlich.
Eloquent book about the death of stars and what
it is like being an astronomer today.
Kaufmann, W. Black Holes and Warped Spacetime.
1979, Freeman paperbound. Best introduction to
black holes and the theories behind them.
Kippenhahn, R. 100 Billion Suns: The Birth, Life
and Death of the Stars. 1983, Basic Books.
Nontechnical review of stellar evolution.
Marschall, L. The Supernova Story. 1988, Plenum.
Excellent introduction to exploding stars and
Supernova 1987A.
Moore, P. Astronomers’ Stars. 1987, Norton.
Profiles of individual stars whose understanding
was crucial to the progress of astronomy.
Our Milky Way Galaxy
Davis, J. Journey to the Center of the Galaxy.
1991, Contemporary Books. Tour of the Galaxy in
history and space.
Verschuur, G. Interstellar Matters. 1989,
Springer-Verlag. A history of how we learned
about the gas and dust between the stars.
Galaxies and Quasars
Hodge, P. Galaxies. 1986, Harvard U. Press. A
thorough introduction to our modern
understanding of galaxies.
Lemonick, M. The Light at the Edge of the
Universe. 1993, Random House. Nice
introduction to large-scale astronomy by a
journalist.
Preston, R. First Light. 1987, Atlantic Monthly
Press. Astronomers who hunt quasars.
Wright, A. & H. At the Edge of the Universe.
1989, Horwood/Wiley. Searching for the most
distant objects, especially quasars.
The Origin and Evolution of the
Universe
Boslaugh, J. Masters of Time: Cosmology at the
End of Innocence. 1992, Addison-Wesley. A
science writer’s review of our current
understanding.
Cornell, J. ed. Bubbles, Voids, and Bumps in Time.
1989, Cambridge U. Press. Excellent articles on
mapping and understanding the universe.
Ferris, T. The Red Limit, 2nd ed. 1983,
Morrow/Quill paperbound. Good history of how
large-scale properties of the universe were
discovered.
Gribbin, J. In Search of the Big Bang. 1986,
Bantam paperbound. Thorough, readable
introduction to our quest for the universe’s
origin.
Lightman, A. Ancient Light. 1991, Harvard U.
Press. A brief primer.
Overbyem D. Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos. 1991,
Harper Collins. A personal, fascinating
examination of the people and ideas in cosmology.
Pagels, H. Perfect Symmetry. 1985, Bantam. A
readable introduction to the science of the
universe beginning, from the perspective of a
physicist.
Trefil, J. The Moment of Creation. 1983,
Macmillan paperbound. Fine introduction to our
modern understanding of the Big Bang.
For those with a little more background, we also
recommend the many books by physicist and
master science explicator Paul Davies, such as
The Cosmic Blueprint, The Edge of Infinity, or
The Matter Myth (with J. Gribbin)
Books about Dark (or Missing) Matter
Bartusiak, M. Through a Universe Darkly. 1993,
Harper Collins.
Krauss, L. The fifth Essence: The Search for Dark
Matter. 1989, Basic Books.
Trefil, J. The Dark Side of the Universe. 1988,
Scribners.
Tucker, W. & K. The Dark Matter. 1988, Morrow.
Invisible Astronomy
Field, G. & Chaisson, E. The Invisible Universe.
1985, Birkhauser. About the many interesting
phenomena revealed by modern instruments but
not visible to the eye.
Friedlander, M. Cosmic Rays: Tracking Particles
from Space. 1989, Harvard U. Press.
Tucker, W & Giacconi, R. The X-Ray Universe.
1985, Harvard U. Press. Fine introduction to
cosmos phenomena that produce X-rays.
Verschuur, G. The Invisible Universe Revealed.
1987, Springer-Verlag. An introduction to the
discoveries and techniques of radio astronomy.
Search for Life Elsewhere
Crowe, M. The Extraterrestrial Life Debate 17501900. 1986, Cambridge U. Press. Sets the
historical context for the modern search;
fascinating.
Drake, F. & Sobel, D. Is Anyone Out There? 1992,
Delacorte Press. Autobiography of the pioneer
scientist in this field, with good background
information.
Goldsmith, D. & Owen, T. The Search for Life in
the Universe, 2nd ed. 1992, Addison-Wesley. A
basic introductory text in this field.
McDonough, T. The Search for Extraterrestrial
Intelligence. 1987, John Wiley. Good-humored,
basic book.
White, F. The SETI Factor. 1990, Walker & Co.
An evaluation of the issues by a consultant.
Telescopes and other Instruments
Cohen, M. In Quest of Telescopes. 1980,
Cambridge U. Press. Nice book on what it is like
to use big telescopes and be an astronomer
today.
Cornell, J. & Gorenstein, P. Astronomy from Space.
1983, MIT Press. Chapters by various
astronomers on the results from and plans for
exploring the universe with instruments in space.
Davies, J. Satellite Astronomy. 1988,
Horwood/Wiley.
Field, G. & Goldsmith, D. Space Telescope: Eyes
above the Atmosphere. 1990, Contemporary
Books.
Krisciunas, k. Astronomical Centers of the World.
1988, Cambridge U. Press. History of major
observatories from ancient days through today.
Tucker, W. & K. The Cosmic Inquirers. 1986,
Harvard U. Press. Well-written stories of some
of the biggest telescopes on Earth and in space.
History of Astronomy
DeVorkin, d. Science with a Vengeance: How the
Military Created U.S. Space Science After
World War II. 1992, Smithsonian Inst. Press.
Evans, d. Under Capricorn: A History of Southern
Hemisphere Astronomy. 1988, Adam Hilger.
Astronomical developments in Australia &
elsewhere.
Ferris, T. Coming of Age in the Milky Way. 1988,
Morrow. Eloquent poetic book on the
development of our ideas about the universe.
Gingerich, O., ed. Astrophysics and 20th Century
Astronomy to 1950. 1984, Cambridge U. Press.
Excellent collection of scholarly articles.
Hufbauer, K. Exploring the Sun: Solar Science
since Galileo. 1991, Johns Hopkins Univ. Press. A
scholarly survey.
Lewis, R. From Vinland to Mars: 1000 Years of
Exploration. 1976, Quadrangle Books.
Krupp, E. Echoes of the Ancient Skies. 1983, NAL
paperbound. Introduction to the astronomy of
earlier civilizations around the world.
Osterbrock, D, et al. Eye on the Sky. 1988m U of
California Press. The Pauper and the Prince.
1993, U. of Arizona Press. Histories of some of
the major astronomical observing centers in the
U.S.
Sheehan W. Planets and Perception. 1988, U. of
Arizona Press. Worlds in the Sky. 1992, U. of
Arizona Press. History of progress and
reversals in understanding the planets.
Stephens, S. & Fraknoi, A., eds., Women in
Astronomy. 1992, Astronomical Society of the
Pacific. Reprint of a special issue of Mercury
magazine on the history, achievements, and
obstacles faced by women in the field.
Tauber, G. Man’s View of the Universe: A Pictorial
History. 1979, Crown. Well illustrated general
history of astronomy.
Sky Observing
Berry, R. Discover the Stars. 1987,
Harmony/Crown. A fine introduction for
beginners, with clear maps.
Beyers, S. The Star Guide. 1986, Little Brown
paperbound. A guide to the 100 brightest stars;
good charts.
Chartrand, M. Skyguide. 1982, Golden Press
paperback. Good compact handbook for
beginners, with good illustrations.
Cherrington, E. Exploring the Moon through
Binoculars and Small Telescopes. 1984, Dove
paperbound. Good guide to a variety of lunar
observations.
Consolmagno, G. & Davis, D. Turn Left at Orion.
1989, Cambridge U. Press. A friendly guide to
100 objects for small telescopes.
Dickinson, T. & Dyer, A. The Backyard
Astronomer’s Guide. 1991, Camden House.
Comprehensive guide for amateur astronomers.
Harrington, P. Touring the Universe through
Binoculars. 1990, John Wiley. How to find your
way around and what to see
Kitt, M. The Moon: An Observing Guide for
Backyard Telescopes. 1992, Kalmback. An
illustrated manual for observing and
understanding our Moon.
Matloff, G. The Urban Astronomer. 1991, John
Wiley. A guide for city-dwellers.
Menzel, D. & Paraschoff, J. A Field Guide to the
Stars and Planets, 2nd ed. 1983, HoughtonMifflin paperback. Updated edition of a classic
guide, full of information and with good new
maps.
Moore, P. Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars.
1986, Cambridge U. press. A friendly
introduction with clear instructions.
Reddy, F. & Walz-Chojnacki, G. Celestial Delights.
1992, Celestial Arts. Forecasts of interesting
events in the sky from 1993 to 2001, with good
background information.
Rey, H. The Stars: A New Way to See Them,
revised ed. 1988, Houghton-Mifflin. Simple,
clear, delightful book from which generations of
youngsters have become oriented in the sky.
Ridpath, I. & Tirion, W. Universe Guide to Stars
and Planets. 1984, Universe paperback. Compact
guide to sky with constellation maps.
Schatz, D. Astronomy Activity Book. 1991, Simon
& Schuster. Excellent basic observing activities
for the whole family.
Whitney, C. Whitney’s Star Finder 5th ed. 1990,
Random House paperbound. Clear, basic primer
on sky phenomena & constellations. (Updated
regularly.)
Some Astronomy Reference Books
Beatty, J. & Chaikin, A. The New Solar System,
3rd ed. 1990, Sky Publishing. Articles on all
aspects of planetary astronomy, by noted
experts; occasionally a bit technical.
Bishop, R., ed. Royal Astronomical Society of
Canada Observer’s Handbook. An annual guide to
celestial events and cycles; a standard reference
for those who watch the sky.
Burnham, R. Burnham’s Celestial Handbook. 3
volumes, 1978 Dover. A detailed 2,138-page
guide to objects & constellation in sky.
Gibson, B. The Astronomer’s Sourcebook. 1992,
Woodbine House. Where to find information,
materials, and groups.
Lewis, R., et al. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of
the Universe. 1983, Harmony/crown. Many
astronomers contributed to this illustrated
collection of longer articles; emphasis on the
solar system.
Mitton, J. A Concise Dictionary of Astronomy.
1991, oxford U. press. Clear, non-technical
definitions the main terms astronomers use.
Tirion, W. Sky Atlas 2000.0. 1982, Sky Publ. &
Cambridge U. Press. An excellent modern atlas
of the sky for serious observers.
Miscellaneous but Noteworthy
Berry, R. Build Your Own Telescope. 1985,
Scribner’s. A hands-on guide for hobbyist.
Culver, R. & Ianna, P. Astrology: True or False.
1988, Prometheus Press. An excellent skeptical
guide examining the ancient superstition.
Klass, P. UFO Abductions: A Dangerous Game.
1989, Prometheus. UFOs: The Public Deceived.
1983, Prometheus. UFOs Explained. 1974,
Vintage. Best books debunking UFOs.
Lightman, A. & Brawer, R. Origins: The Lives and
Worlds of Modern Cosmologists. 1990, Harvard
U. Press. Swift, D. SETI Pioneers. 1990, U. of
Arizona Press. Two books of in-depth interviews
with working astronomers, exploring how they
got involved in science and how they feel about
their work.
Mallove, E. & Matloff, G. The Starflight
Handbook. 1989, Wiley. Clear, sober
introduction to space travel and the problems
and prospects for reaching the stars.
This resource is part of Project ASTRO, a program to
enhance science education through partnerships
between teachers and astronomers. Sponsored by the
Astronomic Society of the Pacific (ASP), the project is
funded by a grant from the National Science
Foundation.
For more information or the right to reproduce this
material, write: Project ASTRO, ASP, 390 Ashton Ave.,
San Francisco, CA 94112 or call 415.337.1100;
https://www.astrosociety.org/education/k12educators/project-astro/