Peter Grego – författare

Venus and Mercury have always been regarded as difficult targets for amateurs, but advances in commercially-made instruments have brought them within range of only moderately experienced observers. The concept of this book is to present an up-to-date detailed description of the history and geology of the inferior planets, and also to provide the best information about observing and recording them with commercially-available telescopes and cameras.

See the night sky like you have never seen it before with this all-encompassing guide to astronomy. Learn all there is to know about the layout of the skies, the positions of the main constellations and the names of the brightest stars, so you can become a backyard astronomer in no time at all. With easy-to-use star charts, photographs and observational drawings of objects visible from both hemispheres, The Star Book will take your understanding and enjoyment of stargazing to the next level. Whether you use binoculars or a telescope, or even if you have no optical aid at all, there are enough celestial sights to keep anyone enthralled for a lifetime. The Star Book provides a quick and simple reference to the major stars and constellations, with easy-to-use star charts, finder charts, high-quality images and observational drawings covering the key stars viewable from all over the world. Author Peter Grego, also includes a brief introduction to the history of astronomy, an easy-to-follow explanation of the life-cycle of stars, from ignition to collapse, and information about deep sky objects such as nebulae and globular clusters. This fascinating, attractive and accessible book will become a trusted resource to make sense of the night skies, and is a wonderful gift for anyone with even a passing interest in astronomy.

Stargazing Throughout the Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere is an excerpt from The Star Book that guides you through the night skies in the Southern Hemisphere, through wide-angle star charts. Looking at the main constellations, stars and celestial showpieces of the southern celestial sphere, beginning with constellations around the south celestial pole and then taking a season by season view. Far southern stars had to wait until the early 17th century to be mapped by European explorers.Everyone is interested in the stars and on a clear night astonished by them. Stargazing Throughout the Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere will answer any questions you may have when you look up into the night sky.

Mars, popularly known as the Red Planet because of its distinct color, is visible with the naked eye and is one of very few planets in the Solar System in which it is possible to see weather phenomena and surface features and thus is a favorite for amateur and practical astronomers. Commercially made telescopes can reveal its dusty surface markings, brilliant polar ice caps, and atmospheric phenomena. Many of Mars''s features appear to change shape and intensity with the seasons: its polar caps grow and shrink cyclically, clouds billow above the Martian surface, and sometimes great dust storms obscure vast sections of the planet.

 The first part of Mars and How to Observe It sets out our current knowledge of Mars as a planet - its orbit, physical characteristics, evolution over time, and current geology. A planet-wide tour of Mars''s topography is featured, along with clearly labeled maps and close-up images of a variety of features. The second part of the book explains how amateur and practical astronomers can observe Mars successfully. Many aspects are considered in depth, including preparing to observe, calculating phase and tilt, and making observational sketches and drawings. There are also plenty of details about how best to make high-resolution CCD images. Since Mars changes in its apparent size in the sky according to its position in relation to Earth, it is best observed during its closest approaches. Future apparitions (appearances of the Red Planet) are therefore featured. 

This revolutionary new book is written for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know the details of exactly what they are looking at. The Moon is the most commonly observed of all astronomical objects. This is the first book to deal equally with the Moon itself - its formation, geology, and history - as well as the practical aspects of observation.

The concept of the book - and of the series - is to present an up-to-date detailed description of the Moon, including its origins, history, and geology (part one); and then (part two) to consider how best to observe and record it successfully using commercially-available equipment.

The Moon and How to Observe It is a mine of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced