Q&A: General Astronomy and Space Science

Q:
I am interested in selecting a telescope. Where does a novice begin? Any books that you could recommend? My interest has been sparked by the pictures from Chandra and Hubble.

A:
We suggest you look at Sky and Telescope http://www.skypub.com/ for information on telescopes. They are the experts on this sort of thing. This best book we know of on the subject is Terence Dickinson & Alan Dyer, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide (Camden House Publishing. It is listed on amazon.com).