The Yearbook of Astronomy has been an indispensable publication for amateur astronomers for over half a century so when it emerged that the 2016 edition was to be the last one, immediate action was needed to save the book. However, at around this same time, Pen and Sword Books approached Brian Jones about any astronomy book projects he could put their way. They quickly agreed to Brian’s suggestion that they take on the Yearbook of Astronomy, starting with the 2018 edition.
Although the announcement of a new publisher for the Yearbook of Astronomy was welcome news, this left a one-year gap in the ongoing series of books. In late November 2016, Richard Pearson and Brian decided to self-publish the Yearbook of Astronomy 2017. During the following three months a series of monthly sky notes and star charts was drawn up, information relating to lunar phases, eclipses, comets and minor planets in 2017 was collated, and a number of excellent articles were sourced from contributors who were eager to play their part in saving the Yearbook of Astronomy. The hard work paid off and by late March 2017, the book was on sale.
Articles in the 2017 edition include
- Solar System Exploration in 2016 by Peter Rea
- Astronomy in 2016 by Rod Hine
- Anniversaries in 2017 by Neil Haggath
- High Resolution Planetary Imaging by Damian Peach
- Minor Planets in 2017 by Neil Norman
- Comets in 2017 by Neil Norman
- Why Variable Stars? by Roger Pickard
- Nicolas Louis De La Caille: Bringing Order to the Southern Skies by Brian Jones
Copies of the 2017 edition are still available at Starlight Nights.