Astronomy with Small Telescopes

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. Refractors

   1. Upgrading a 60mm Refractor

      • Stephen Tonkin

      Pages 3-15

   2. Experiences with a 60mm Telescope

      • Robert Hatch

      Pages 17-26

   3. Observing with a 60mm Refractor

      • Stephen Tonkin

      Pages 27-34

   4. The Orion ShortTube 80mm Rich-field Refractor

      • Dave Mitsky

      Pages 35-55

   5. Visual Observation of Deep-sky Objects with Small Telescopes

      • Jay Reynolds Freeman

      Pages 57-74

3. Reflectors

   1. A 100mm Reflector in the Hands of a Young Astronomer

      • Tim Tonkin

      Pages 77-79

   2. Modifying the Orion ShortTube Reflector

      • Dwight Elvey

      Pages 81-87

   3. The Celestron Firstscope 114 Deluxe

      • Kevin P. Daly

      Pages 89-100

4. Catadioptrics

   1. The Mighty ETX

      • Michael L. Weasner

      Pages 103-127

   2. The “C5++”

      • Stephen Tonkin

      Pages 129-146

5. Radio

   1. Meteor Observations with a Small Radio Telescope

      • Stephen Tonkin

      Pages 149-153

6. Back Matter

   Pages 155-157

   PDF

Small telescopes have a lot to recommend them.
Cost is of course a consideration, but their most positive feature is sheer portability. Some manufacturers have tried to make large telescopes more portable (with mixed success), but the opposite approach, that of making small telescopes more effective, is what this book is all about.
Good 2-inch (60mm) telescopes are now available for beginners, and major American manufacturers now offer small, affordable computer-controlled instruments that are capable of superb results.
Stephen Tonkin has gathered the experience of users of small telescopes to provide an insight into just what is possible - for newcomers to astronomy or experienced observers who simply want to use a small, really portable telescope.

• astronomy
• deep-sky
• instruments
• observational
• telescope

From the reviews:

"Astronomy with Small Telescopes offers the amateur astronomer practical ‘how-to’ advice. Specifically, this book shows the amateur how to get the most performance out of a small telescope. … The chapter entitled ‘Visual Observation of Deep-sky Objects with Small Telescopes’ includes information that would be helpful to the novice amateur. … some readers will appreciate the convenience of having all of this information in one well written and easy to read book. Astronomy with Small Telescopes is recommended for public and school libraries." (Travis Dolence, E-STREAMS, Vol. 5 (10), 2002)

"As a regular user of small telescopes to explore the night sky, I was keen to discover if Stephen Tonkin’s book would encourage the newcomer to astronomy and provide useful information for the more experienced observer. I am delighted to say that it succeeds admirably in both respects. … This is a well-produced, informative book which goes a long way to dispel the notion that you need an expensive, large-aperture telescope to enjoy or contribute to the world of astronomy." (Mike Ropelewski, The Deep Sky Observer Magazine, Issue 126, 2001)

"This latest book summarizes the experiences of several authors who have used telescopes ranging from a simple 60 mm aperture refractor on an altazimuth mount, through to the workings of the fork-mounted ETX telescope and the portable C5. … the advice given in this book will certainly help to improve the performances of almost any instrument. … the individual chapters made very interesting reading … . I would warmly recommend this book to anyone thinking of buying a portable telescope for work or for pleasure." (Neil English, Astronomy Now, April, 2002)

"This is a book concerned primarily with astronomical hardware. Each chapter is written by one of eight contributors, all users of small telescopes. … Kevin P. Daly’s account of his Celestron 114-mm reflector andfavourite objects to observe is a pleasure to read, containing much that will be of interest to the newcomer. … this chapter should inspire even the most house-bound armchair astronomer to spend a night under the stars with the telescope." (Nigel Bannister, The Observatory, Vol. 121 (1165), 2001)

"The book is part of ‘Patrick Moore’s Practical Astronomy Series’. It discusses the use of telescopes up to 5-inch aperture (125mm) and thus includes a number of modern popular instruments. … I found the chapter on the ETX telescopes very useful … . Apart from the equipment itself, the book contains suggested projects including deep sky and a chapter on ‘meteor observing with a small radio telescope’. A useful and very practical book for the amateur astronomer starting with a first scope." (The Astronomer, Vol. 38 (446), 2001)

• Alderholt, Fordingbridge, UK

  Stephen F. Tonkin

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