Terence Dickinson

Terence Dickinson is a prolific science writer specializing in astronomy. More than one million copies of his 15 books are in print in five languages. His best-known book, NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe, is widely regarded as the essential guidebook for beginning stargazers.

NightWatch, first published in 1983, has over 800,000 copies in print, making it the top-selling stargazing guide in the world during the past 20 years. NightWatch is now in its Fourth Edition, Revised and Expanded. Each new edition has outsold the previous one because of extensive revisions and the addition of new material.

Terence Dickinson's ability to simplify astronomical concepts and explain the universe in easily understood terms has earned him a vast readership not only in North America, but internationally. Through his books and magazine articles, and as an invited speaker at more than 100 professional societies, universities, colleges, and astronomy conventions throughout North America, hundreds of thousands of would-be stargazers and naturalists have found a new appreciation for the wonders of the universe.

Mr. Dickinson is also editor of SkyNews, Canada's national astronomy magazine, and a regular astronomy commentator on radio and television. As an accomplished astro-photographer, his photographs have appeared in publications as wide-ranging as Australian Geographic and Reader's Digest and, in 2000, the US Postal Service featured one of his photographs of the moon on a stamp. The International Astronomical Union officially designated asteroid 5272 Dickinson in honor of his contributions to astronomy. He is the recipient of more than a dozen national and international science-writing awards, including the New York Academy of Science Book of the Year Award. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his achievements in popularizing science.

Terence Dickinson and his wife Susan live under dark night skies in rural eastern Ontario. He designed his own fully-equipped observatory which is just steps outside the house.