Observing the Nearest Stars

Book excerpt: Looking up into the Heavens on a clear night under a dark sky, we can easily fool ourselves into thinking that the brightest stars we see are those closest to us. The reality could not be more different! In fact, 19 of the 25 closest stars to the Sun are invisible to our naked eye, and many are actually fo faint that even with the modest equipment owned by most amateur astronomers, they can be supremely difficult to find. Observing the Nearest Stars takes the reader on a one-year guided tour through the region of the Milky Way galaxy closest to our own solar system, concentrating on practical hints at observing this region for one's self. 63 color illustrations and detailed star charts guide the viewer to find for themselves every star within 12 light years of the sun and visible from the Continental United States.