Books
Here’s where you’ll find information about the astronomy books Will has written. Follow Will’s Twitter feed for the latest news.
You can also visit Will’s profile on Amazon Author Central here.
JUMP TO A BOOK: THE COSMIC KEYHOLE | THE PRACTICAL ASTRONOMER | THE NIGHT SKY MONTH BY MONTH | SPACE 3D
The Night Sky Month by Month
By Will Gater
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Published: January 2011
ISBN: 9781405361743
Available to order from The Book Depository, Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith & Blackwell’s
Information about ‘The Night Sky Month by Month‘ from the publisher:
“An invaluable, user-friendly guide to discovering and navigating the night sky, The Night Sky Month by Month shows the night sky as it is seen around the world in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Suitable for newcomers to stargazing and amateur astronomers alike, The Night Sky Month by Month explains our place within the universe, examines sky watching equipment, introduces each month’s main attractions — deep sky objects, prominent constellations, and meteor showers — and charts the positions of the planets up to 2019.”
The Practical Astronomer
By Will Gater & Anton Vamplew
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Published: June 2010
ISBN: 9781405356206
Available from The Book Depository, Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith & Blackwell’s
There is also a German translation of this book available.
Information about ‘The Practical Astronomer‘ from the publisher:
“The Practical Astronomer is a complete beginner’s guide to observing the night sky. Understand and enjoy the Solar System and beyond with this practical guide to astronomy. Pick up all the basics of sky-watching. Start off by taking a tour around the night sky in simple stages, discovering how it fits together and how it works. Then take a closer look at the objects you can see and learn to train your eye to recognize basic patterns of constellations and how to tell planets apart from other celestial bodies. Plus, there’s advice on buying and using kit, from binoculars to telescopes. Packed with detailed maps of the night sky and star charts to help any budding astronomer in their quest to find out more about this fascinating subject.”
“[The Practical Astronomer] takes you by the hand and guides you through the basics of the Universe before providing easy-to-follow essentials about observing the night sky. Throughout, the tone is reassuring and lively, with neat graphics, huge pictures and clear text broken up into easily digestible chunks.” – Sky at Night Magazine
The Cosmic Keyhole
By Will Gater
Publisher: Springer
Published: October 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4419-0512-3
Available from The Book Depository, Amazon, Waterstones, WHSmith & Blackwell’s
“It’s not often I come across a book that puts the ‘wow!’ factor into astronomy…this is a genuine page-turner, leaving you almost breathless by the end of most chapters…For those that have a curiosity about the Universe and would like to catch-up with all that has been happening in the past few years, then this book really is a must-buy…this really is the most outstanding writing I’ve read in a very long time.” – Astronomy Now magazine
“From the hardiest microbes surviving at -39°C to gamma-ray bursters at the edge of the Universe, Gater describes them all with thoroughness and enthusiasm.” – Sky at Night Magazine
“The Cosmic Keyhole is an absorbing volume…Gater has managed to make difficult scientific results understandable to the layperson while not misrepresenting or trivializing the science…Highly recommended.” – Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries magazine
“This experience manifests itself in the ability to take cutting-edge research topics and present them at a level which is both clearly explained and informative without being too simplistic, which is quite a task but one the author manages with skill.” – The Observatory magazine
Information about ‘The Cosmic Keyhole – how astronomy is unlocking the secrets of the Universe‘ from the publisher’s website:
“It is 400 years since Galileo first turned the newly invented telescope towards the heavens and saw things that few had ever seen before. His discoveries, along with those of his contemporaries, completely changed our view of the world.
Since that time, there have been many revolutions in our understanding of the universe, some perhaps even more revolutionary than the ones from Galileo’s time. In this book, Will Gater leads us through various recent advances in modern astronomy that have increased our understanding of the universe and seen it grow from a single Solar System full of intriguing worlds to a galaxy filled with other star systems and their own planets — maybe even Earthlike worlds.
This is a journey like no other. What you glimpse through Gater’s keyhole is vast, breathtakingly beautiful, and sometimes utterly bizarre, certainly unfamiliar to those of us on Terra Firma. From the desolate plains of Mars and the frozen moons of the outer Solar System, from the Milky Way to the ends of the universe, you will learn of wonders often hard to describe and sometimes even harder to fathom. And you, too, will come to know some of the enthralling secrets of the universe.”
Space 3D
Written by Will Gater
Publisher: BBC Magazines
Published: September 2009
Space 3D is a collection of some of the most stunning 3D images of space you’ll ever see. With the supplied 3D glasses you’ll be able to peer into huge canyons on Mars, float with Space Shuttle astronauts and marvel at vast pillars of dust and gas hanging in space.
This special publication from Sky At Night Magazine can be ordered through the BBC Magazines website.
