Brian Jones hails from Bradford in the West Riding of Yorkshire and was a founder member of the Bradford Astronomical Society. He developed a fascination for astronomy at the age of five when he first saw the stars through a pair of binoculars, and his interest took him into the realms of writing sky guides for local newspapers, appearing on local radio and television, teaching astronomy and space in schools and, in 1985, becoming a full time astronomy and space writer. He has penned 18 books to date which have covered a range of astronomy and space-related topics for both children and adults. His passion for bringing an appreciation of the universe to his readers is reflected in his writing.
As founder of the Zanesville Astronomy Club, a NASA Night Sky Affiliate, I would like to thank editor Brian Jones for putting together the perfect book for me and other NSN international coordinators to use in providing information to members during events. The astronomy resources and data compiled within the book will save me countless hours trying to obtain the data through numerous other sources when writing the monthly newsletter. I especially appreciate the information entered for each month in addition to the sections of Lunar & Solar Eclipses, Moon phases, Meteor Showers and Comets. The excellent Monthly Star Charts will make it easy for every event participant to know what's in their night sky. Lines connecting stars within the constellations on the Star Charts are quite fine and may be difficult to see at night. Having sections with Right Ascension and Declination of Double Stars, Clusters, Nebulae and Galaxies will make them easy to find. I will recommend this resource book to the 300+ members of our local organization. It will be with me every meeting and used often during 2021. East to read and well organized, I highly recommended this book for anyone interested in learning more about the night sky. --Irene Baron