NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 •SKYNEWS 17WHAT
ABOUT
THE KIDS?
THE HUBBLE
SPACE TELESCOPE:
OUR EYE ON THE UNIVERSE
(CDN$13);
http://www.fireflybooks.com
If you’re hoping to kindle astronomical
interest in a young person this holiday
season, nothing succeeds like a collection
of impressive images. Few can resist the
visual splendour of the universe, but to
sustain that spark, the photos need to be
matched with lively, engaging and factual
descriptions. One new book com bining
great pictures and superb text is a volume
of Hubble Space Telescope images from
Firefly Books, authored by our own editor
emeritus, Terence Dickinson, and Tracy C.
Read. Page after page is packed with stun-
ning Hubble shots and accessible writing.
Considering the book’s modest price, it
can serve as a nifty stocking stuffer for the
curious youngster in your life.
APOLLO 11 (2019) ON BLU-RAY
(CDN$38); various retail outlets
This past summer, I wallowed in space nostalgia
thanks to all the media coverage of the 50th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. I was
fortunate to see the full 93-minute version of the
film Apollo 11in an IMAX theatre. Some of the
newly discovered, behind-the-scenes footage
provides a stunning “you are there” feel. There’s
no narration, only the communications between
the astronauts and ground control, along with
occasional clips of Walter Cronkite. I realize that
watchingApollo 11at home on Blu-ray won’t have
the same impact as the IMAX experience, but I’d be
happy to add this film to my small collection of
Apollo memorabilia.GARY SERONIK’S PICKS
APOLLO: ATMOSPHERES & SOUNDTRACKS —
EXTENDED EDITION (CDN$18); http://www.enoshop.co.uk
If you’ve set foot in a planetarium in the past 35 years, I can almost guarantee you’ve heard at least
a few moments from Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracksby Brian Eno (with Roger Eno, plus famed
Canadian musician and producer Daniel Lanois). I’ve long been a fan of this album, so naturally, when
I heard that a greatly expanded, remastered edition of this classic ambient work was being prepared
to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, I was (forgive me) over the Moon. If you
generally avoid ambient music (and I don’t blame you—most of it is dreadful), I urge you to give this
recording a try. It’s the ideal soundtrack for gazing at the lunar surface through your scope or passing
the time on a cloudy night indoors.
TELE VUE 13MM ETHOS EYEPIECE (CDN$830); http://www.televue.com
I tend to stick with the same gear year after year. Hey, if an eyepiece worked well in 1989, it’ll work
just as well in 2019—sort of. I was content with my motley collection of oculars until a friend loaned
me his 13mm Tele Vue Ethos. Stunning! Thanks to its 100-degree apparent field, the Ethos combines
substantial true field and medium-high magnification. That’s a winning combination, especially for
ferreting out deep-sky treasures. Normally, I use a wide-field, low-power eyepiece to locate my target,
then switch to medium power for a closer look. The Ethos accomplishes both goals—two-in-one
performance. Indeed, I’m confident I could accomplish 90 percent of the
observing I do, using my 12.75-inch Dobsonian tele-
scope, with this one eyepiece.
Gary Seronik