Since the very beginning of astronomy, people have looked up sky and constructed patterns the constellations out of the almost random scattering of stars in the night sky. The fact that the constellations are still used to day reflects not their historical origins, but their usefulness in identifying bright stars in the rotating dome of the sky. Most people (and all astronomers) are familiar with, for example, the constellation of Orion and can thus easily point to Betelguese and Bellatrix as being Orion s "shoulders." It is the pattern made by the constellation that makes them easy to...
Since the very beginning of astronomy, people have looked up sky and constructed patterns the constellations out of the almost random scattering of...
Thesmallrefractingtelescopewithitssimpledirectdesignandconstructionand permanently aligned optics is the time tested standard for personal use. Easily portable, it can be taken out of the house and set up at a moment s notice. Or, it can be packed conveniently into a small car for traveling to a dark observing site. With moderate care and minimal maintenance, the telescope and mount canlastforgenerations. These instruments provide sharp, crisp high-contrast images of the Moon and planets. They are less susceptible to the effects of unstable air than larger ones, and because of their low...
Thesmallrefractingtelescopewithitssimpledirectdesignandconstructionand permanently aligned optics is the time tested standard for personal use. Easily...
Many lights and other objects in the sky go unrecognised, or at least are little understood by those observing them. Such things range from the commonplace like rainbows and meteors, to the distinctly unusual like the green flash and ball lightning. And there is still a residuum of objects that remain unidentified by the watcher classed generally as UFOs, a description which today has connotations of the mysterious, even of extraterrestrial visitors.
The first part of this book is an identification guide, very much like the "plant identifier" sections found in a good gardening or...
Many lights and other objects in the sky go unrecognised, or at least are little understood by those observing them. Such things range from the com...
The book will, in jargon-free blow-by-blow terms, describe how to create the best astronomical images you can with the digital camera equipment at your disposal. It will explain the steps we go through to extract results from the raw-and-dirty original imagery, and then transform them into high quality pictures that you could hang on your wall.
The advent of CCDs, and more recently inexpensive webcams, has led to a much greater proportion of amateur astronomers becoming involved in digital imaging. The low price of the new Meade Deep Sky Imager - $299 (2005) suggests that...
The book will, in jargon-free blow-by-blow terms, describe how to create the best astronomical images you can with the digital camera equipment at ...
The purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the numerous safe methods of observing the Sun and solar eclipses, and to suggest objects and features to observe and observing programmes to follow. So much energy comes from the Sun that by failing to observe safe working practices it is possible to damage your eyes or equipment. The care that is needed is emphasised throughout the book. Always make sure that you have read the whole of a section or chapter before starting any observational work. However in warning when care is needed in observing, there is a danger of scaring people off...
The purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the numerous safe methods of observing the Sun and solar eclipses, and to suggest objects and f...
Stellar evolution - the birth, development and death of stars - is central to our current understanding of astronomy. This area of astrophysics is often portrayed as being difficult and mathematical, but Mike Inglis brings it to life in a unique way, combining a step-by-step introduction with suggestions for making practical observations of stars at different stages in their evolution. Every amateur astronomer - regardless of their current level of knowledge - will find this book fascinating and informative.
Stellar evolution - the birth, development and death of stars - is central to our current understanding of astronomy. This area of astrophysics is oft...
As an amateur astronomer with years of experience, I marvel at the joy experienced by a beginner who successfully hunts down their first deep-space object in a telescope. No matter what age or skill level, "nailing" a previously unobserved object through the eye piece, both instantly defines their love of the hobby and gives a feeling of scientific accomplishment no matter how well known to others the object may be. With the advancement in computer-guided telescopes and automatic object center ing, the amateur astronomy hobby has experienced tremendous and unprecedented growth. First timers...
As an amateur astronomer with years of experience, I marvel at the joy experienced by a beginner who successfully hunts down their first deep-space ob...
Observing variable stars is one of the major contributions amateur astronomers make to science. There are 36,000 variable stars listed in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars, so it is clearly impossible for the limited number of professional observatories to target even the majority of them. That's where amateur astronomers come in - thousands of them turning their telescopes to the sky every night. Variable star observing is the most popular of "real science" activities for amateurs, and Gerry Good's book provides everything needed. The first part of the book provides a highly detailed...
Observing variable stars is one of the major contributions amateur astronomers make to science. There are 36,000 variable stars listed in the General ...
Since comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with the planet Jupiter with stupendous force in 1994 there has been an upsurge of amateur interest in comets. Most comets are first discovered by amateur astronomers because there are so many amateurs looking for them, and techniques and instruments have improved dramatically in the past few years. After a short but detailed introduction to the comets themselves Nick James and Gerald North describe comet hunting, photographing and imaging comets, and digital image processing. The use of computers for orbital calculations and even helping to discover...
Since comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with the planet Jupiter with stupendous force in 1994 there has been an upsurge of amateur interest in comets. Mos...
Amateur astronomy has changed beyond recognition in less than two decades. The reason is, of course, technology. Affordable high-quality telescopes, computer-controlled 'go to' mountings, autoguiders, CCD cameras, video, and (as always) computers and the Internet, are just a few of the advances that have revolutionized astronomy for the twenty-first century. Martin Mobberley first looks at the basics before going into an in-depth study of what s available commercially. He then moves on to the revolutionary possibilities that are open to amateurs, from imaging, through spectroscopy and...
Amateur astronomy has changed beyond recognition in less than two decades. The reason is, of course, technology. Affordable high-quality telescopes...
