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This little book, part of the Collins Gem series, first made its appearance in
1985 under the title The Night Sky. It went through numerous reprints and was retitled Stars in 1999. The following year a revised edition appeared, with updated text and
completely redrawn maps by Wil Tirion. The pages for this revised edition were
produced by me on Quark XPress. This is the edition that is currently in print,
with a new cover design introduced by the publishers in 2004. A US edition
appeared in 2005 under the Smithsonian imprint.
Gem Stars is an Andromeda-to-Vulpecula guide to the constellations. Seasonal charts for
both hemispheres and an all-sky mini atlas are followed by individual charts
and descriptions of each constellation. This book can be thought of as the
junior relation of the Collins Guide to Stars & Planets and is usable worldwide. Only 3¼ inches wide and 4⅝ deep, this book is easily portable. Put the Universe in your
pocket for a fiver!