Australian Backyard Astronomy

Discover the stories of the heavens and our understanding of them in this beautiful book. Generously illustrated with star charts and pictures from the National Library of Australia and photographs from Australian and overseas astronomers, Australian Backyard Astronomy will captivate younger and older readers alike.

Australian Backyard Astronomy is an engaging resource for homes and classrooms alike. Its thematic approach guides young readers through our discovery and exploration of the skies, from early celestial charts to the big bang, planets in our solar system and the universe beyond. This revised edition contains recent developments in astronomy, including information revealed by NASA's Juno spacecraft in 2016; the discovery of the oldest star by researchers at the Australian National University; and the privatisation of space exploration.

Fun and simple projects throughout show children how to replicate a rainbow, the Milky Way, an expanding universe and much more.

Teachers' notes available here