I have always loved Astronomy and space, so requesting this particular book was really a no brainer for me. I'd never had any knowledge of the Astronomy Yearbooks prior to finding <em>Yearbook of Astronomy</em> 2020, edited by Brian Jones. It was honestly an incredibly exciting moment for me to find out that there were comprehensive collections that detailed each and every expected movement of the stars and planets above for those interested in stargazing.

This is a truly dense read, of course, and for amateurs may be somewhat difficult to read and comprehend. That said, the denseness of the yearbook is necessary and impressive. You get an immense amount of information regarding the movements of the skies from this book, offering numerous opportunities to take advantage of some pretty amazing sights.

That said, I don't think it's quite the kind of book just anyone could pick up and deeply enjoy. There's so much involved in the yearbook that it can definitely feel like a difficult read at times, both in terms of density and comprehension. The book is incredibly comprehensive and, at times, can feel a little overwhelming as a result.

All in all, though, it offers a wonderful abundance of information that anyone reading it can take advantage of should they ever become interested in stargazing.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will go live on the Reader Fox blog on June 24, 2020.

A fun and interesting book that acts almost like an old fashioned almanac of the stars.

I'm very much an armchair astronomer and I think this book did a good job of straddling the expert and the amateur.

Get this book even if you are only mildly interested in Astronomy. It is informative without being overly detailed or over your head. I'm going to be using this in my Home School program.

This comprehensive guide to what to expect from the stars in 2020 belongs on every stargazer's bookshelf. It's packed full of facts, dates, and sky charts that will make it easy to see the most impressive celestial events of the year. There are also a few stunning photographs and some intriguing essays by experts.

Yearbook of Astronomy 2020 was prepared to provide something useful to everyone from professional astronomers to novice stargazers. Because of this, though, it gets really wordy in some sections and turns into a bit of slog. At the same time, there are some phrases that are made almost insultingly simple (from memory, so probably slightly paraphrased - "The maximum number of eclipses per year is seven. There will be six in 2020, which is near the maximum." - No, really? Six is near the maximum of seven? Who would have ever guessed?).

All in all, this guidebook to the stars is very worthwhile. You may not read every section or essay, but the breakdown of important events, monthly highlights, and sky charts alone are worth the cover price.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.