Read the entire review by Alan Dyer from AstroGearToday
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Read the entire review by Jim Barnett from CloudyNights
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Read the entire review by Robert Prokop from The Observer's Chair
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Read the entire review by John Kramer from At the Eyepiece
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Read the entire review by Thomas Epps at Of Reflected Starlight
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Wow, this book is amazing! I've been in amateur astronomy for 23 years, and have used many field guides (Peterson's Stars and Planets, National Audubon Field Guide, David Dickinson's Back Yard Astronmers Field Guide, etc), but I have never been satified with any of these when it comes to observing aides. They are fine books with lots of information, but not useful in the field while actually observing.
I am most impressed with your attention to the detailed information that is actually useful and usable in the field. The information needed to find objects is very well presented in a form that is easy to read. The book is small and lays flat! I might appreciate this feasture most of all!
Well done!
Jeff Tucker
Danville, IN
Sept.23, 2023
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I find your book “Objects in the Heavens” great!! It is absolutely everything that one needs to prepare for an observation evening. It is outstanding! You have my greatest appreciation!
Many kind regards and thank you so much for having brought your book to the Astro market.
Josephus (Sjef) Coolegem
Tervuren, Belgium
June 13, 2023
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To say I'm impressed with your guide would be an understatement of the 10th magnitude!
This needs to get out there - Turn Left at Orion my big fat butt! Turn right at OITH!!
Very, very well put together document - An immense asset to observing.
Thanks Peter - What a FABULOUS asset!
Bruce J.
Rockville, VA
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I spoke to the NAA board last week, and we thought maybe we would order a batch of OITH for our members to buy. Can you maybe give us a bulk discount, if we order, say, 25? I know the board thinks this is a great in-the-field guide, and in fact it would be more useful to more people than the RASC Handbook which we order annually for members.
Mark Kipperman
Member, Naperville Astronomical Association
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I always thought that the Pocket Sky Atlas was a great book, but it is an atlas, not an observing guide. If I want to know what the heck NGC1023 is, for example, I’d need to look it up in another reference. You solved that problem.
Alvin Huey
author of: Observing the Arp Peculiar Galaxies,
Hickson Observer's Guide and
Abell Planetary Observer's Guide
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Discussion on Cloudynights from 2008-2013
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• Adler Planetarium – uses OITH as a summer course book.
• Lowell Observatory bookstore ordered 30 copies to stock their shelves.
• Naperville Astronomical Ass'n – uses OITH for their Astronomy Orientation course. 34 books recently purchased by the clubwith an additional 17 ordered later.
• San Jose Astronomical Ass'n – club purchase of 30 copies.
• Fort Worth Astronomical Society – club purchase of 30 copies.
• Fiske Planetarium – 5 copies for their bookstore
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OITH is better than the reviews & better than I thought it would be!
Jerry Kaelin
Chicago
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I have been observing for almost 40 years and this is the book that I have been waiting for. My observing style is view deep space objects by constellation. Your book will help me to observe completely before moving on to a the next constellation.
Mike Baldassaro
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I got your book on the recommendation of one of my fellow Minnesota Astronomical Society members. He said it was the best field guide he had ever seen and I agree. I wish I had this volume when I was a beginner. It contains a lot of must know information that no one knows when they start out. It also seems to largely solve the major problem everyone runs into “what can I see”. Once you realize that no catalog is inclusive, some are very obscure and many are full of very interesting objects you will never see with a modest scope, you are sort of on your own to piece together a viewing list. You have distilled the catalogs down into a real list of winners. I tried it out on Cygnus last weekend. You listed many objects that had not made my personal hit list but they were all well worth viewing and I could see them all even with a full moon prowling the sky.
You have really put in the time on this guide. Thanks for publishing it!
Marty G
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I have just used your fantastic observer’s tool. Seeing was poor because of humidity and light pollution, so my Virgo galaxy hunt was not really possible tonight. But thanks to your stunningly ergonomic atlas, I found some interesting targets like open clusters or stars.
Thanks for your excellent fieldbook.
Olivier from France
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As an amateur astronomer and telescopic observer for fifty years, I can say that I’m familiar with most of the common publications, both books and periodicals, used within the North American avocation. This one, however, I didn’t know about until it was suggested by a Michiana Astronomical Society presenter during one of our virtual meetings. I find it to be the best quick field summary I’ve ever used, and I intend to employ the blank spaces, generously included, to record my observations – not as thoroughly as a dedicated observer should, but more than I habitually have done.
The lunar section will be a learning area for me. I know less about lunar geography than about that of Australia – almost nothing.
I’ll be recommending OITH at the telescope during star parties, and when I take guests to the Camp Crosley observatory of the Warsaw Astronomical Society.
With my best regards,
Sherwood Waggy
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Amazingly well done little guide! Kind of feels like a modern update to
Olcott’s Field Book of the Skies with a bit of Lorenzin’s 1000+ mixed in.
I love it!
David McGough
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I want to let you know how much I enjoy Objects in the Heavens. I’ve used it for a few months now,
and it has become my go-to reference in the field, and makes a great supplement to the S&T Pocket Sky Atlas.
Thanks for making the night sky a little friendlier.
Chuck Oravec
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I've been using this excellent handbook since its 1st edition
in 2002 and now have the current one (6th edition).
I can't recommend it enough.
Handy, easy to use, and more than enough information
to help all, from beginners to advanced amateur astronomers.
doorgunnerjgs
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I consider (OITH) an indispensable part of my field gear.
Robert Gill
Bellaire TX
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Of all the atlases and field books I own,
OITH is always my go-to for casual observing sessions
and for my bedtime reading and dreaming!
Mark Friedman
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OITH, what a great little book! It includes just about everything you can ask for. One of my best guides. I appreciate that the spiral binding works without catching the pages; on others, the pages get stuck and eventually tear at the binding. It is nicely laid out and makes sense even to someone like me that doesn’t have years of experience.
Don Pasqualini
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The most used astronomy book I have.
Jay Strange
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I want to congratulate you on an excellent product. It is thorough and
an excellent reference for an observer of any level.
Harry Lischer
Late Award-winning astronomy writer
and overall nice guy
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After using it I can say that I like working with this book. At first glance it might seem a bit pricey, but if you ever tried to make an observing list with all this data, you will know better. I can recommend this pocket size, easy to use book, to both the beginning and the casual observer.
Math Heijen
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I carry your book in my eyepiece case. It is a great resource to have. I use digital setting circles and your handbook is extremely handy for cruising through the constellations.
Gordon Garcia
Northwest Suburban Astronomers
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Just writing to thank you so much for sending your wonderful book, "Objects in the Heavens."
What really attracted me to buying it was idea that all the readily visible DSO – for someone with a modest aperture scope – can be found in one book. Your book really fills a valuable niche. Previously I accumulated anything <11 mag from various lists into an MS Excel file, printed and slowly found what could be identified or not.
I also tried various binocular DSO books and tried sticking to Luginbuhl and Skiff's book on DSO with descriptions that start "with a 150mm…" But for someone with smallish scope in an urban setting, the former covers too few DSO and Luginbuhl and Skiffs included too many beyond this viewers reach. Your book is perfect!
Your book has so much information that is useful in the field.
You've produced a really special book that brings new enthusiasm to a Dob owner, by saying, "Look, there's all of these that you can find, too!"
Karl M.
Yorkshire, UK
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This is the best “at the scope” guide in existence.
Made all the better with the addition of the great moon capabilities.
Peter Kurtz
Cape Cod Astronomical Society
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Two weeks ago I received my first copy of Objects in the Heavens. I had heard about it earlier, as I am a frequent reader and poster on Astronomy Forums and Joe Lalumia there mentions OITH quite often, but at the time it seemed too much for me. But then I saw an add for it in the latest issue of The Reflector and checked it out again. I have only been "looking up" for a little over two years. Now I felt I was ready for this guide. All I can say is that it exceeded my expectations and has quickly become my constant companion as I plan sessions. In order to keep my interest going in astronomy, and to add some structure to my viewing, I joined a couple of the Astronomical League's clubs. I tried to find some DSOs using my limited sources at that time and had no success.
But with OITH, I found objects immediately! The notes as to which page in the S&T PSA are very helpful, as between your book and the PSA, I am ready to successfully hunt down these elusive targets.
I really enjoy the format of the book and the layout. Now I can look up a constellation and learn what objects and wonders are there. So Thank You for putting this fieldbook together and making it available to us.
Eric Johnson
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(1) The more I use this book, the better I like it. Some of the pocket guides you tend to out grow. This one will always lead you to something interesting.
It's a "must have"!
(2) So what's better, OITH or Pocket Sky Atlas? For a pocket guide, I greatly prefer Objects in the Heavens. This pocket guide is far more logically designed and contains much, much more information. I personally have purchased many of Peter's guides and given them as gifts to budding astronomers and each time they just seemed to know what to do with his book.
Chris Reich
The Etna Astros
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I've upgraded your rating on Amazon from four stars to five. I really do use it all the time. I pull it out every time I am searching for my "Urban List" objects and I have used it to have fun finding other celestial sights I might otherwise miss.
George Reynolds
Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers;
Solar System Ambassador for South Hampton Roads, Virginia;
Member, Back Bay Amateur
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I have the S&T Sky Atlas (and 4 other atlases as well), Webb's Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, the Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep Sky Objects, Turn Left at Orion, Night Watch, Deep Sky Companion: The Messier Objects, S&T's Double Stars for Small Telescopes, S&T's Celestial Sampler, the three-volume Burnham's set, and a hand full of older observing books from the 1960's when I was a kid.
However, I can say in all honesty that the book I enjoy using the most (and the most useful one to have available at the telescope) is your little observers guide. It has everything I want in an easy to use format and a compact package. It is just a well thought out piece of work and I thank you for having taken the time to put it together in the form that you did. It is nearly perfect in size, variety, and comprehensiveness, and it is easy to use. What more could one ask for?
Ronald Brandolini
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This is my second copy of your book; the other is the 4th edition. This new edition is so much better. I especially like the section on features of The Moon to observe on the various days of the Lunar Cycle.
Your guide is the best observing guides available for amateur astronomers.
Bob Patrick
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I always recommend this book. it stays PERMANENTLY with me in my eyepiece bag! I like it for:
– Arrangement by Constellation
– Small size and lays flat on table- heavy duty cover pages
– Black & white printing
– Brighter objects shown across the page from the Constellation map, with descriptions.
Personally I think this is the best field manual for a suburban observation site, and the best one for someone new to the Astronomy hobby.
GREAT FIELD MANUAL! Thank you! In my opinion,
it is THE best book to use with a GOTO scope!
Joe Lalumia
Rockwall, Texas (on Cloudy Nights.com)
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I have 10,000 observing guides,
but few list the information
in such a handy form as yours.
Mark Cornell
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Well Peter... the mail man deposited your book in my mailbox a few hours ago.
First impression before even getting back to the house was that it definitely was not a book, more like a pamphlet.
Once I opened the package in the house I was delighted to see my initial impression go up like the proverbial puff of smoke... this "Pamphlet" just may very well be useful.
I just finished leafing thru your "work" (not a pamphlet) for a little over an hour and I gotta tell you: I'm Impressed.
This baby is a keeper... and it did not take me long to discover that it's is going to end up in my eyepiece case (under the foam in the top of the case) so I will always have it at hands' length, never out of reach... no matter if I am viewing from inside my observatory or from the lawn or attending a Star Party.
Just wanted to let you know how first impressions can and sometimes are very misleading.
FIELDBOOK.... yep, it's a FIELDBOOK.
My money was WELL SPENT... and I sincerely THANK YOU.
Bob Griffiths
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Went out last weekend to the darksite
and started finding galaxies for the first time
using your book and Sky Atlas 2000.
Thanks again for a great book
that still surprises and impresses me,
Eric Abbott
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Last week I received a copy of Objects in the Heavens. It’s the most exciting and useful field guide/atlas I have ever used. Hard to believe so much information could be packed into a little book. I have The Pocket Sky Atlas and now teamed up with “OITH” is magical. I feel like I have an astronomer friend standing at my side guiding me to the beauty of the heavens.
Thank you for your hard work and bring this WONDERFUL book to the public!
THANK YOOOOU,
Jim Abenante
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Thank you so much for your most excellent guide. I took it out for a spin on Saturday to get myself prepped for a 3-day star party next weekend. Using your guide, I had the most rewarding viewing experience I've had since I purchased my telescope.
This guide was a joy to use, and I am really looking forward to my upcoming star party now.
Heather S.
San Jose CA
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This book is not a replacement for your favorite star atlas. It’s not a replacement for your favorite reference material. It’s your “quick and dirty” way to sit at the telescope, not have a lot of other reference material around, and have a list of objects to view, brief information about those objects, and have it presented to you in a format where you can easily move from one to the next. There are many nights where this is the only reference I bring to the telescope. Add a better sketch book, a moon map, and you’re in business!
(author note: the Moon part of your comment has been addressed with OITHv5)
Chris Ragaisis
(Average Joe Chris, amateur astronomer)
Milwaukee, WI
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I want to let you know how satisfied I am with the purchase. This is by far the
best organized quick reference guide I have ever used.
It has become a permanent part of our observing gear.
Thanks for what I can only imagine was an enormous amount of work
putting such a great reference together!
Dave Wayne
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Most astro books sit on the shelves gathering dust,
but yours is a true hobbiest book.
Sergio Zoruba
astrophotographer
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I really like the book!! I've been using it as a tool to decide what objects I may want to image with my modified Vesta. I've used a few "observing lists" in the past, but this book has a much larger selection of objects beyond the Messier Catalog.
Features that I really like: the indexes of Messier, NGC, Major Stars and Named Objects (indispensable)... having the sizes of objects listed really helps in determining what I might image and what configuration of reducer/barlow to use... the spiral binding that allows the book to lay flat.
I intend to show my Beginning Astronomy students the book and let them know that
I think it is a great value for the $$.
Steve Barkes
College Astronomy Professor
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It has made all my previous pocket guides
and tedious lists pretty much obsolete.
I offer my congratulations for compiling it
and thanks for getting it published.
Dave Howes
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I love your book. Absolutely wonderful thing to add to the astronomy toolkit.
Gary Brown
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Very much impressed. This little book has it all and is of use and benefit to any level star gazer. Great job in the format and layout. I like the binocular symbol usage and the brief description or notable of each listed object with space for notes. In the back of book: Messier catalog along with listing by type, NGC list, info on stars and dates of meteor showers, plus charts!!! Simple to use, well organized, easy to understand, everything needed right at your fingertips in portable size. You have definitely filled a void and this book will be greatly appreciated in the hands of anyone wanting to expand their search of the heavens. This book is a "Must" for any interested astronomer of any degree.
Rockne Berge
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Some people can be *very* wordy, so I really do appreciate the terseness in your efforts. I can always search for more details (books, internet), yet I often want *just* enough to help find things without the trouble of creating special viewing lists for each evening - it's less work and unexpected partial cloud banks are more easily accommodated using OITH.
Jim Kaminski
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Having read your book, I'm feeling motivated to get outside with my telescope and do some observing, weather permitting! I loved the page which shows declination and right ascension. It's an excellent explanation, especially with the images. You've done great with the star charts too. Very impressive.
Alistair Thomson
Nottingham, England
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OITH gets better each time I use it.
Bernie Rusnock
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OITH is a great viewing companion.
I find it hard to use the large field atlases
at the telescope so this will fill a much needed void...
something you can hold in one hand.
Ray Fobes
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Several months ago, when you made a presentation about your book at a meeting, I was impressed. Later that evening at pizza, I asked if any of the fellows at one table had the book, and several of them said they did. Unanimously, they spoke highly of its usefulness. Thereafter, I have been pursuing its availability at a meeting we would both attend.
It's a terrific resource. You have blended so many essential elements for planning a night of observing in any season with your obvious hands-on experience as a dedicated observer, that the value is manifold. The way it's organized, and the information imparted in a manageable space is insightful.
Congratulations on making it happen. Cheery skies,
Jerry Chern
Northwest Suburban Astronomers
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I'm sorry, but my copy of Objects In the Heavens is going to be destroyed. I will wear this thing out by taking it with me on all of my observing sessions and using it until it falls apart.
Mike Lynch
Frankfort KY
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The mag 10 approach adds many objects to my viewing lists even though I use an 18" Dob as my primary viewing scope. Thanks for the effort which went into developing it.
Bob Polcyn
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I was preparing to research quite a few thicker books and compile such a collection of handy info for myself, now it looks like I can spend more time doing real observing.
Yi-Cheng Liu
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