Star Mentor: Hands-On Projects and Lessons in Observational Astronomy for Beginners - Paperback

Star Mentor is a paperback guide by Dr. Daniel E. Barth, built from his decades of teaching observational astronomy at the high school and college level, aimed at both first-time stargazers and experienced amateurs who want to teach others. Its chapters are structured as hands-on projects rather than straight reference material, tailored to different skill levels and doable outdoors with a telescope or indoors with simple materials depending on conditions. It's written for beginners with their first telescope, binocular owners, and even readers who don't yet own any equipment.

• Written by a veteran astronomy educator: Draws on Dr. Daniel E. Barth's decades of teaching observational astronomy at the high school and college level.
• Hands-on project format: Step-by-step instructions cover modeling, sketching, observing, and recording night-sky activities.
• Scaled to different skill levels: Activities start from basics and progress to more challenging tasks.
• Usable indoors or outdoors: Projects work with a telescope under the stars or indoors with simple materials depending on conditions.
• Written for teaching, not just learning: Aimed at amateurs who want to mentor beginners, not solely at first-time observers.