Personally I get both "The Sky at Night" and "Astronomy Now" and find them both excellent nothing too heavy but easy to pick up and scan through during lunch.
I've tried "Sky and Telescope" a few times and although their good articles I just don't like the way it's laid out (I used to do that for a living). I would agree that "Scientific American" is good for all round science but you can normally get those good articles on their website.
Ask yourself do you want a quick read, a magazine you can pick up and put down or do you want a serious scientific magazine which will get quite technical. Personally I'm quit happy with the first option.
Equipment: Mark 1 Eyeball; Soligor 4.5" Newtonian Reflector; GSO 10" f/5 Dobsonian; Skymaster 15 x 70 Bino's and Canon 400D
Of the US ones, I prefer Astronomy to Sky and Telescope. But the observing guides aren't as useful in either of them since they cover a different range of latitude and longitude.
For local content I used to prefer Astronomy Now, even though I find the layout and presentation of the magazine quite amateurish. Lately I've been buying Sky at Night more often....
-- Jeff.
Nikon 18x70s / UA Millennium Colorado:
Solarscope SF70 / TV Pronto / AP400QMD Coronado SolarMax40 DS / Bogen 055+3130
APM MC1610 / Tak FC-125 / AP1200GTO Tak Mewlon 250 / AP600EGTO
Have to agree with Petermark for once! S&T is really the only one worth getting. And SciAm, when it does astronomy stuff, is great. Nature is imo better than Sci am if you can find it. Most of the really cool stuff will be in SciAm & Nature a month before the Astro mags print it.
So if I was subscribing again I'd go for S&T & Nature.
Albert White MSc FRAS
Chairperson, International Dark Sky Association - Irish Section
www.darksky.ie/
Well PJ, my view is that it all depends.
I reckon you can't beat the Sky at Night Mag.
Its great for beginners and intermediate level interest.
It comes with a cd with the last SAN tv show and also a
monthly whats up segment voiced over by moore & lintot.
It covers all areas broadly and it's great that it's local.
Hi, For me its sky and telescope, followed by Astronomy Now.
I like sky&night mag but its a little expensive and seems to me to be aimed more at beginners.
You can buy one issue at a time if you just want to see what it is like. I bought the first few and then subscribed to it. My S&T will expire next January but I don't plan to renew it as this magazine is alot better IMHO.
Michael,
I checked the Practical Astronomer site and it certainly looks good. If subscribing do Irish purchasers identify themselves as U.K. or Europe?
Meade LX90 12" LNT
Orion Optics 12" f4 Dobsonian
EPs: currently in transition state
Health: CAF (Chronic Aperture Fever). No known cure. Known to cause Dobs to expand into Obsession.
I subscribe to Sky at Night, it was suggested to me a few years back as a beginners mag and whilst I like to think I've moved on a bit since then, I still enjoy it, the cover disc as mentioned before, is excellent, and I love checking the images to see if I know any of the people who took them. :wink:
There is also Sky & Telescope on line where I've lost a few hours perusing it on a cloudy night.
Sky and Telescope and Astronomy Now for me. Sue French writes for Sky and Telescope. What else do you need to know? Although I do like Sky at Night's comparison test pages every month. I always read that article before buying the other two magazines.
Glad you put the link up again Michael. I remember you telling me about the mag but forgot what it was called. I stopped buying S@N due to price, I occassionally buy Astronomy Now and I am half way through a 2 year subscription to S&T. I hate the new toilet paper S&T mag plus its mainly full of ads. Think I may place a subscription to Practical Astronomer.
Kieran
16" ODK (incoming), Mesu Mount 200, APM TMB 80mm, SXV H16, SXV H9
J16 An Carraig Observatory
ancarraigobservatory.co.uk/
It's funny, no one mentioned NOT getting astronomy magazines. I guess I'm the first then! I get all my news online. But, if I am inclined to look for an astronomy magazine, it is Astronomy Now (and Réalta, when that was in print... ).
Seanie.
Midlands Astronomy Club.
Radio Presenter (Midlands 103), Space Enthusiast, Astronomy Outreach Co-ordinator.
Former IFAS Chairperson and Secretary.
).
Mr Morris you and I will be having words
Poor John!