This one-stop reference, up-to-date as of May 2000, packs in more facts and figures than any comparable astronomy reference. Information includes:

• An in-depth review of the Sun, from sunspots to solar eclipses
• Tabulated dates for solar and lunar eclipses, cometary returns, close-approach asteroids, and significant meteor showers
• Over 100 tables and 35 maps showing features of the Moon, the planets, and their moons
• 48 star charts covering both northern and southern hemispheres
• Detailed tables of names, positions, magnitudes, and spectra of stars, and key data on nebulae and clusters
• The latest discoveries about black holes, quasars, and the origins of the Universe
• A catalogue of the world's greatest telescopes and observatories
• A history of astronomy and space research
• Biographies of the 250 most influential astronomers

Lunar and planetary specialist Patrick Moore has presented BBC TV's "Sky at Night" for 43 years.