Book excerpt: With the down-to-earth style and far-ranging knowledge that have made him America's favorite stargazing instructor, Mike Lynch guides amateur and expert alike through the wonders of southern California's night sky. Whether watching the sky from a backyard lawn chair or manning a high-powered telescope, southern Californian stargazers of all levels will learn how and when to identify the major constellations at their region's latitude. With chapters on the origins and movements of stars, the mythology of constellations, the phases of the moon, the planets, and even buying a telescope, this book also serves as an accessible and in-depth beginner's guide to the night sky. It includes 12 monthly star maps for southern California skies, 21 constellation diagrams, a local resources guide, a list of the brightest stars in the region, and more than 80 beautiful color photographs of the heavens.