David Levy's Guide to Variable Stars

Execpt for mention of the isbn, there is little indication that this is the second editon of the previously published book under a different title.  Observing Variable Stars: A Guide for the Beginner  See the reviews for more on this book.What has changed with this edition is an updating of the earlier with a new chapter on CCD photometry. Also added is a section on Clyde Tombaugh and TV Corvi (a cataclysmic variable star). Missing from this new edition is an anectdote about a bet Levy made over SS Cygni (another cataclysmic variable). Otherwise, execept for a slight change in layout and smaller text size this is essentially the same book as the aforementioned "Observing Variable Stars".Those like myself who would (in my case did) purchase this believing it to be more or less different in content than Levy's earlier book might want to take note.But make no mistake, whichever edition you get, this is an excellent and inspiring guide to the newbie variable star observer.One last piece of advice. Whatever book on variable star observing you get, you should go to the official AAVSO website to obtain the latest, most accurate comparison star charts to use. [...]Some, such a the charts for the star R Leonis (which I was trying out from his book) have had the magnitudes of the comparison stars revised since the publication of even this updated edition of the book.

A nice intro to variable star observing. Levy writes in an accessible, easy to read style and his "targets" are easy to find. I've always been curious about what some people called the "cosmic antics" of variable stars so I bought the book, read a few chapters and went hunting. I've observed a few stars for a few nights and though not sure if this is for me, am glad I have the book and a little more understanding about variable stars. Exactly what I was looking for and I can rely on Levy to guide me deeper into the realm of variable star observing should I wish to pursue the practice.

I bought this book used and for a used book price its good - not great but good. Levy introduces you to the basics of estimating stellar magnitudes and a broad and light introduction into variable star physics. He points out the really interesting variable stars and identifies those stars you should use to estimate the variable star's magnitude. I recommend this book.

This is a nice easy to read book to give to a newcomer to variable stars. The book focuses on a few stars of each type that are easy to observe with binoculars or a small telescope. The finder charts are old ones from the AAVSO and are, as one reviewer noted, a bit out of date now. The reader should go to the AAVSO web site at and use their online chart generator and other tools to get more up to date data. The AAVSO site has vastly improved in recent years. The Variable Stars of the Season articles should be explored by every novice observer. The pleasure of observing (and the occasional hardships) is communicated well in Levy's book and make this a good cloudy night read as well as an observing guide.As a note, occasionally the AAVSO chart generator gets the data wrong for a star since it relies on the current version of the General Catalog of Variable Stars (GCVS) for its data and any error there gets propagated to the chart generator. I actually used an old chart from Levy's book which had the correct magnitude range from visual observations to correct my computer generated chart. One of the joys of the computer age is how bad data and a search engine can make a single error prevalent worldwide at the speed of light. Having an independent reference is a good thing.

If you become interested in variable stars and observing them, this is definitely the book to start with. Clear, friendly text with good examples. It looks a little too simple when you "look inside" but there is enough to orientate you, help you to start and then to keep you going for a long while.

The book arrived on time and was as expected.