Patrick Moore aims to give the reader a thorough working knowledge of astronomy, one of the few sciences in which the amateur can play a useful role, and may even make important discoveries. He begins by explaining the basic facts, describing what can be seen with the naked eye and with simple equipment, and telescopes within easy reach of the amateur. The text contains sections on the sun, moon and planets, and how to observe them. It also gives details of the minor bodies of the solar system such as comets, meteors and asteroids, and demonstrates simple astronomical photography and investigates stellar astronomy - constellations, the evolution of the stars, variable stars, star clusters and galaxies.