The book presents a practical guide to using a small astronomical telescope of a size that corresponds to most "first" telescopes - around 75 to 150 mm, i.e. 3 to 6 inches, in diameter.

Sean Ryan is a professional astronomer with almost fifty years' experience as an amateur observer. He was appointed Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Hertfordshire in 2006, where he was Head and Dean of the School of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics for ten years. He has published over 100 research papers on observational astronomy, and has co-authored several textbooks.

Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Understanding Your Telescope. Chapter 3: Planning Your Observations. Chapter 4: Observing and Locating Targets Visually with a Small Telescope. Chapter 5: Charts of Targets for Visual Astronomy with a Small Telescope. Bibliography and Index.