Astronomers' Observing Guides – serie

In this era of high-tech instruments, meteor observing is the one facet of astr- omy that needs nothing more than your naked eye. Today, a serious meteor observing session entails organizing an outing to a country site where the stars can be seen in all their glory and meteors of all magnitudes can be viewed.

This is a completely up-to-date solar observing book, which, while providing the science background necessary for an understanding of the observations with the latest equipment, also features the most complete solar observing and imaging guide available.

In addition, with the increasing availability of robotic telescopes and CCD techn- ogy, more and more amateurs are discovering supernovae from their backyards. Worldwide, there have been more than 400 supernovae discovered by amateur astronomers using amateur telescopes.

Amateur astronomers – particularly deep-sky observers – are always on the lookout for new observing challenges. The Herschel Objects, and How to Observe Them covers more than 600 of the brightest of the objects that Herschel saw, with detailed descriptions and images of 150 to 200 of the very best for viewing with amateur telescopes.

To children the world is full of magical events, and the line between make-believe and reality is (happily) distinctly blurred. However, as we all age and have to be realistic, earn money, become serious and responsible adults (yawn!) and accept that life is short and no one is immortal, those magical events fade and die. We accept that the worlds of make-believe are simply a product of the vivid imagi- tions of great story tellers, and that we are all very similar human beings; just sl- ging away at the tedious day job, and hoping for a win on the lottery. However, there are still a few events which are truly magical and, for me, total solar eclipses (TSEs) are about as magical an event as you can ever experience. Our Earth and Sun are, by a ludicrously lucky coincidence (or, some would argue, by a cosmic architect) almost the same apparent size in the sky. Thus, seventy times a century, the Moon’s shadow passes over a narrow band on the Earth’s surface and, for those on the track, with clear skies, a truly awe-inspiring sight can be seen. But be warned, eclipse chasing is an addictive drug. Once you have seen tot- ity, you will crave more of the same. The sight of an eclipsed Sun is the stuff of science ?ction, but, for the cost of a plane ?ight or an organized holiday, it can be yours, albeit for a few ?eeting minutes.

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.

This fascinating volume is unique in that it gives a completely up-to-date summary of our current knowledge of the remote planets, and also explains how amateur astronomers can contribute to our knowledge of the remote planets.

In the Victorian era – or for non-British readers, the mid-to-late nineteenth century – amateur astronomy tended to center on Solar System objects. The Moon and planets, as well as bright comets, were the key objects of interest. The brighter variable stars were monitored, but photography was in its infancy and digital imaging lay a century in the future. Today, at the start of the twenty-first century, amateurs are better equipped than any professionals of the mid-twentieth century, let alone the nineteenth. An amateur equipped with a 30-cm telescope and a CCD camera can easily image objects below magnitude 20 and, from very dark sites, 22 or 23. Such limits would have been within the realm of the 100- and 200-inch reflectors on Mount Wilson and Mount Palomar in the 1950s, but no other observatories. However, even those telescopes took hours to reach such limits, and then the photographic plates had to be developed, fixed, and examined by eye. In the modern era digital images can be obtained in minutes and analyzed ‘on the fly’ while more images are being downloaded. Developments can be e-mailed to other interested amateurs in real time, during an observing session, so that when a cataclysmic event takes place amateurs worldwide know about it. As recently as the 1980s, even professional astronomers could only dream of such instantaneous communication and proc- sing ability.

The genesis of modern searches for observable meteoritic phenomena on the Moon is the paper by Lincoln La Paz in Popular Astronomy magazine in 1938. In it he argued that the absence of observed fashes of meteoritic impacts on the Moon might be interpreted to mean that these bodies are destroyed as luminous meteors in an extremely rarefed lunar atmosphere. The paper suggested the possibility of systematic searches for such possible lunar meteors. With these concepts in mind, I was surprised to note a transient moving bright speck on the Moon on July 10, 1941. It appeared to behave very much as a lunar meteor would – except that the poorly estimated duration would lead to a strongly hyperbolic heliocentric velocity. Thus, the idea of systematic searches for both p- sible lunar meteors and meteoritic impact fashes was born. It was appreciated that much time might need to be expended to achieve any positive results. Systematic searches were carried out by others and myself chiefy in the years 1945–1965 and became a regular program at the newly founded Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, or ALPO.

When Mike Inglis, who consults for Springer, ? rst asked me to write a Caldwell book in their “and How to Observe Them” series I admit I did need some time to think the suggestion over. I am a fan of Patrick’s Caldwell catalog as are most of the amateur astronomers I know, but could a new book be justi? ed when the massive, compreh- sive, and wrist-spraining Caldwell tome by Stephen O’Meara covers the subject fully anyway? That other book was researched and written over a 5-year period in the pre-9/11 world from 1996 to 2001, and its 484 pages of descriptive text and background data are a joy to peruse, as are Stephen’s impressive sketches. OK, the book is far too heavy for the binding and after a few trips outside half the pages in my copy fell out, but apart from that it is an excellent book and surely impossible to improve upon, or even equal, especially in a smaller format book with only half the pages available; at least, that was my initial impression when I mulled over writing another Caldwell book. However, I changed my mind, because a number of events of astronomical signi? cance have occurred in the last 10 years. First and foremost backyard imaging of deep sky objects, especially color im- ing, has come on in leaps and bounds in the twenty-? rst century.

Radio astronomy is far from being beyond the scope of amateurs astronomers, and this practical, self-contained guide for the newcomer to practical radio astronomey is an ideal introduction.

Comets, and How to Observe Them gives a summary of our current knowledge and describes how amateur astronomers can contribute to the body of scientific knowledge of comets.

Dwarf planets (which were formerly called asteroids except for the planet Pluto), and the smaller Solar System bodies still called asteroids today, are making front page news, particularly those that are newly discovered and those that might present a hazard to life on Earth by impacting our planet. In this age of giant telescopes and space probes, these small Solar System bodies have advanced from being tiny points of light to bodies worthy of widespread study. This book describes the dwarf planets and asteroids themselves, their origins, orbits, and composition, and at how amateur astronomers can play a part in their detection, tracking, and imaging. The book is divided into two parts. Part I describes physical properties (including taxonomic types) of dwarf planets and asteroids, how they formed in the early life of the Solar System, and how they evolved to their present positions, groups, and families. It also covers the properties used to define these small Solar System bodies: magnitude, rotation rates (described by their light-curves), and orbital characteristics. Part II opens with a description of the hardware and software an amateur or practical astronomer needs to observe and also to image asteroids. Then numerous observing techniques are covered in depth. Finally, there are lists of relevant amateur and professional organizations and how to submit your own observations to them.

Faint Objects and How to Observe Them is for visual observers who are equipped with a 10-inch or larger astronomical telescope and who want to "go deep" with their observing. It provides a guide to some of the most distant, dim, and rarely observed objects in the sky, supported by background information on surveys and objects lists - some familiar, such as Caldwell, and some not so familiar. This book not only provides a wealth of experience compiled from several sources, but it also gives an historical background to surveys whose names may or may not be familiar to most amateur astronomers. Finally, it includes a listing of the many galaxy clusters out there, from "nearby" ones such as Stefan's Quintet to some of the most distant groups observable through the largest telescopes.

Planetary Nebulae and How to Observe Them is for amateur astronomers who want to go beyond the Messier objects, concentrating on one of the most beautiful classes of astronomical objects in the sky. Planetary nebulae are not visible to the naked eye, but they are a fascinating group of telescope objects.

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.

Every amateur astronomer - and many non-astronomers - will be familiar with seeing a "star" that shows that characteristic steady slide across the starry background of the sky. Artificial satellites can be seen any night, and some as bright as the planets. But how many of us can identify which satellites or spent launch vehicle casing we are seeing?Artificial Satellites and How to Observe Them describes all the different satellites that can be observed without optical aid, including of course the International Space Station and the many spy satellites operated by different nations. Richard Schmude looks at them in detail and describes how they can be observed by amateurs, how to recognize them, and even how to predict their orbits. Artificial satellites have changed since the beginning of the millenium. Several additional countries have launched them. And amateur astronomers have utilized digital cameras in order to image satellites to a resolution of about three feet. This book describes how to recognize, observe, and image satellites. Examples of recent images and how they were made are given. It also offers up-to-date descriptions of the many satellites that are orbiting the Earth and other celestial bodies. Readers can learn how satellites impact our day-to-day lives. In short, Artificial Satellites and How to Observe Them is a detailed and up-to-date overview of artificial satellites and how to study them in the night sky.

Astronomy enthusiasts will all appreciate the detailed yet easily-assimilated description of star clusters, how they were formed as our Milky Way galaxy, how they evolved, and how they are classified. The latest research has revealed a vast amount of fascinating information about the clusters, along with some spectacular photographs.Modern commercially-made telescopes enable amateur astronomers to see a surprising amount of detail, and to record – using CCD cameras, video, webcams or even film – some remarkably beautiful and detailed images. Contained here also is detailed information on using refractors, reflectors, and, of course, Meade and Celestron’s ubiquitous range of computer-controlled SCT telescopes.

This Astronomers' Observing Guides are designed for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know the details of exactly what they are looking at.Nebulae are the places where the stars are born.  For amateur astronomers, the many different kinds of nebulae vary from "easy" targets that can be seen with modest equipment under mediocre skies, to "challenging" objects that require experienced observers, large telescopes and excellent seeing.The concept of the book - and of the series - is to present an up-to-date detailed description and categorisation (part one); and then (part two) to consider how best to successfully observe and record the large range of astronomical objects that fall under the general heading of "nebulae".Nebulae and How to Observe Them is a mine of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced.

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

Astronomers' observing guides provide up-to-date information for amateur astronomers who want to know all about what it is they are observing. This is the basis of the first part of the book. The second part details observing techniques for practical astronomers, working with a range of different instruments.

Suitable for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know and understand the details of exactly what they are looking at, this title presents detailed description of the objects, their physics and their evolution; and considers how to observe and record them successfully.

ASTRONOMERS OBSERVING GUIDES provide up-to-date information for amateur astronomers who want to know all about what it is they are observing. This is the basis of the first part of the book. The second part details observing techniques for practical astronomers, working with a range of different instruments.