Authors:
- Helps inexperienced amateur astronomers to move beyond the beginner level to develop better observing skills
- Surveys equipment needed to observe and image
- Solar System objects
- Includes specifics on how to identify hard to observe objects
- Explains why our Solar System is the ideal place for an amateur astronomer to get serious with their observations!
Part of the book series: The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series (PATRICKMOORE)
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Table of contents (11 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
Viewing and Imaging the Solar System: A Guide for Amateur Astronomers is for those who want to develop their ability to observe and image Solar System objects, including the planets and moons, the Sun, and comets and asteroids. They might be beginners, or they may have already owned and used an astronomical telescope for a year or more.
Newcomers are almost always wowed by sights such as the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter, but have little idea how to find these objects for themselves (with the obvious exceptions of the Sun and Moon). They also need guidance about what equipment, besides a telescope, they will need.
This book is written by an expert on the Solar System, who has had a lot of experience with outreach programs, which teach others how to make the most of relatively simple and low-cost equipment. That does not mean that this book is not for serious amateurs. On the contrary, it is designed to show amateur astronomers, in a relatively light-hearted—and math-free way—how to become serious.
Reviews
From the book reviews:
“If you happen to be a young amateur astronomer just starting out with astronomy and observing, then this book might be a good read … . gives a quick and short overview of what a beginner observer might need to know or think of before heading outside on a cold clear night. … if you want to start out a new hobby of astrophotography without any prior knowledge about the night sky, it’s the book to go to.” (Kadri Tinn, AstroMadness.com, November, 2014)Authors and Affiliations
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Director of Observing, Bristol Astronomical Society, Bristol, United Kingdom
Jane Clark
About the author
Jane Clark is an English amateur astronomer who earns her living as an engineer. She has a Ph.D. in physics and an MBA from Warwick University. She completed two years of postdoctoral training at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio before returning to England to begin an industrial career. She became interested in both astronomy and photography as a teenager in the 1970s, photography much more seriously, although as her career progressed and family commitments increased, both interests lapsed. She acquired a telescope in 2006, shortly after completing her MBA, and quickly became hooked on observing. This experience made her realize that astronomy is a lot more fun than business administration. She is a member of Bristol Astronomical Society, and was a founder member of West Norfolk Astronomy Society. Jane gives talks on the Solar System to astronomy clubs, and other societies as diverse as the cub scouts and church wives’ groups; and helps with the public outreach activities of her club in Bristol.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Viewing and Imaging the Solar System
Book Subtitle: A Guide for Amateur Astronomers
Authors: Jane Clark
Series Title: The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5179-2
Publisher: Springer New York, NY
eBook Packages: Physics and Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4614-5178-5Published: 25 September 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4614-5179-2Published: 24 September 2014
Series ISSN: 1431-9756
Series E-ISSN: 2197-6562
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 256
Number of Illustrations: 86 b/w illustrations, 74 illustrations in colour
Topics: Astronomy, Observations and Techniques, Popular Science in Astronomy