Legendary Observers Honored in Print

Two new books from Sky Publishing celebrate the work of distinguished AAVSO members Walter Scott Houston (1912-1993) and Leslie C. Peltier (1900-1980), two of the 20th century's most accomplished observers.

Deep-Sky Wonders is adapted from Houston's long-running column in Sky & Telescope. S&T contributing editor Stephen James O'Meara compiled the columns and penned an introduction to each one. The book also includes reminiscences of Scotty from Lowell Observatory astronomer Brian A. Skiff and S&T associate editor Dennis di Cicco. Each monthly chapter is illustrated with black-and-white photographs and concludes with a table of data for all the objects mentioned.

Starlight Nights: The Adventures of a Star-Gazer is a reissue of Peltier's 1965 autobiography, which has been out of print for many years. This new edition features a foreword by variable-star aficionado and comet hunter David H. Levy, plus photographs from the Peltier family archives. Both books conclude with comprehensive indexes.

For more information, contact Sky Publishing, 49 Bay State Rd., Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.; telephone: 800-253-0245 (617-864-7360 outside the U.S. and Canada); fax 617-864-6117); e-mail orders@skypub.com; Web: http://store.skypub.com/.