Ian Ridpath is an English writer and editor on astronomy and space. He is author of a standard series of observing guides for amateur astronomers: the Collins Stars & Planets Guide (known in the US as the Princeton Stars & Planets Field Guide); Collins Gem Stars; and The Monthly Sky Guide, all illustrated by Wil Tirion, the world's foremost celestial cartographer. He is editor of the authoritative Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and of the last three editions of Norton's Star Atlas, the longest-established and best-known star atlas in the world. Ian is a recipient of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Klumpke-Roberts Award for 'outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy', the most prestigious award of its kind. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the International Astronomical Union, where he serves on its Working Group on Star Names. His interests include collecting antique astronomy books, particularly star atlases.