Fabulous reads – Journey into Botswana’s night sky

Night Skies of Botswana, Stephen James O’Meara, Penguin Random House, ISBN: 9781 7758 46932

­THIS easy-to-use, accessible guide to star-watching in Botswana is ideal for beginner and amateur stargazers.

All stars described can be seen with the naked eye and binoculars and telescopes are not necessary.

The book opens with stargazing tips, it introduces important astronomical concepts, describes the galaxy and the Earth’s place in it.

It features four star charts per month, from north, south, east and west, with supporting descriptions of the stars, constellations and deep-sky objects. Readers can dip in during any month.

The final chapter surveys the solar system, including the sun, moon, planets and minor objects. Its star charts can also be used anywhere in southern Africa, with just slight variations in a star’s height above the horizon (in some instances).

ALSO READ: Fabulous reads: Allow your Cape knowledge to bloom

Botswana’s ancestral stories about the stars are scattered throughout the book, honouring indigenous interpretations of the night sky that gives the book a unique African flavour.

Stephen James O’Meara is well known in the astronomy community for his remarkable skills as a visual observer.

He was the first to sight Halley’s Comet on its 1985 return and first to determine the rotation period of the distant planet, Uranus.

He is a regular contributor to highly regarded astronomy journals and magazines.

When not writing, he is also a photographer/videographer for National Geographic Image Collection, and was a National Geographic-funded explorer. ­

The International Astronomical Union named Asteroid 3637 O’Meara in his honour.

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