Stars: A Month-By-Month Tour of the Constellations

Take a month-by-month approach to stargazing with this fun and informative beginner's guide to constellations.

Stargazing is a perfect hobby. It can be done any time of year from anywhere, and it's easy to share with friends and family of all ages. For decades, Mike Lynch has been building telescopes, teaching classes on astronomy, and guiding tours of the stars. Let the beloved WCCO Radio meteorologist help you begin stargazing with the new edition of Stars: A Month-by-Month Tour of the Constellations. Written in Mike's casual, friendly tone, the guide provides a monthly look at the night sky--complete with sky charts and detailed descriptions of what you can expect to see. Plus, you'll learn all about two or three specific constellations each month.

Inside you'll find:

• Highlights of 27 constellations that you'll see throughout the year


• Tips for locating objects in the night sky


• The stories and myths behind the constellations


• Monthly star maps showing galaxies, nebulae, and more


• BONUS: Mike's supplemental audio files that allow you to listen while you look

Grab your lawn chair, a pair of binoculars, and head outside. With his friendly tips, warm anecdotes, and step-by-step instructions, Mike will help you "make the stars your old friends."

Mike Lynch is a native Minnesotan who grew up in Richfield, Minnesota, in the 1960s. He attended Saint Peter's Catholic School and Holy Angels High School. After two years at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin- Madison and earned his B.S. degree in Meteorology in 1979. Shortly afterward, he was hired as a broadcast meteorologist at WCCO Radio in Minneapolis and has been there for over 40 years. Mike has covered all kinds of weather, from deadly tornadoes to record cold snaps. In fact, on February 2, 1996, he broadcast from Tower, Minnesota, when the temperature dropped down to 60 degrees below zero, an all-time record low for the state of Minnesota.

Since he was a teenager, Mike's other passion has been astronomy. He built his first telescope when he was 15 years old. For over 50 years, Mike has been teaching classes and hosting star parties with community education groups, nature centers, and other entities throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. His goal is to help people make the stars their old friends.

From 2004 to 2007, Mike wrote astronomy/stargazing books for Voyageur Press. He wrote state-specific books for more than 20 states, as well as southern Canada. In 2007, he also wrote Mike Lynch's Minnesota WeatherWatch, which was a finalist for a Minnesota Book Award.

On top of that, Mike writes a weekly Starwatch column for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. His column is syndicated in more than two dozen other newspapers across the United States.

Mike lives near the Twin Cities with his family.