How can you identify constellations and star formations in the night sky? How can you use star patterns to establish direction and time? What are the legends behind the constellations? How do you know if you are looking at a comet or a UFO? This concise, illustrated guide applies simple science, history, and myth to observing and understanding the sky at night, offering entertaining answers to the mysteries of the nighttime sky for hikers, campers, paddlers, or any other outdoor enthusiast.

Tom Van Holt teaches stargazing courses at the University of Kansas and educational camps and is a regular contributor to Appalachian Trailway News. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas.