Amazon.com
The third edition of Nightwatch continues its tradition of being the best handbook for the beginning astronomer. Terence Dickinson covers all the problems beginners face, starting with the fact that the night sky does not look the way a modern city-dweller expects. He discusses light pollution, how to choose binoculars and telescopes, how to pronounce the names of stars and constellations, telescope mounts, averted vision, and why the harvest moon looks especially bright. Most of the lovely photographs in the book were taken by amateurs, which gives the section on astrophotography a particularly inspirational gleam.
Dickinson's star charts are very handy, each covering a reasonable field of view and mapping the most interesting amateur objects. He gives good advice for planet watching, which he notes "is one of the few astronomical activities that can be conducted almost as well from the city as from dark rural locations."
Altogether, the watchword for Nightwatch is indeed "practical"--this is a book to be used, not just read. Spiral-bound to lie flat or to fold back undamaged, it's a field guide that pulls its own weight in the field. Author Timothy Ferris says, "Like a good night sky, Nightwatch is clear and wind-free. Try it and see for yourself." --Mary Ellen Curtin
Book Description
Thoroughly revised, updated and expanded.
The first three editions of
NightWatch sold more than 600,000 copies, making it the top-selling stargazing guide in the world for the last 20 years. The key feature of this classic title is the section of star charts that are cherished by backyard astronomers everywhere. Each new edition has outsold the previous one because of thorough revisions and additional new material.
NightWatch has been acclaimed as the best general interest introduction to astronomy. The fourth edition has improvements over the 3rd edition in every chapter, including:
- The famous charts, ideal for stargazers using a small telescope or binoculars
- A complete update of the equipment section, including computerized telescopes
- An enlarged photography section, including how-to instructions for using the new generation of digital cameras for astronomical photography, both with and without a telescope
- The tables of future solar and lunar eclipses, planetary conjunctions and planet locations, updated through 2018.
This edition includes for the first time star charts for use in the southern hemisphere. There are also dozens of new photographs throughout the book that show the latest thrilling discoveries made by current space observatories and probes.
Customer Reviews:
Best book for the budding astronomer. .......2007-10-06
I have owned a previous version of Nightwatch and purchased the latest version for updated information on when to view the planets and star charts. For those looking to purchase their first telescope, there is essential information on how to choose and care for your first telescope. The amount of new material and much improved printing and binding were a wonderful plus. This Guide is the best place to start your adventure into astronomy. Highly recommended.
NightWatch A practicle Guide to Viewing the Universe.......2007-10-01
This is the best comprehensive guide to nightime "skylooking" that I have in my library. I have the previous edition and this is much improved and very readable. I have several sky charts, astronomy books and this is the best, hands down.. Thanks Terence Dickinnson.
A wonderful introduction to backyard astronomy.......2007-08-07
This is probably the best book out there for the beginner stargazer. It explains all about the different options for binoculars and telescopes (for instance, you may want to start out with "just" binoculars, and find you enjoy it more!)
Love the star charts, the illustrations, the writing...it's just great. Spiral-bound, we take it with us to every star party.
Excellent guide but the book has a more personal meaning to me........2007-05-24
I consider myself an amateur astronomer although the last time I actively kept an observation journal was nearly 40 years ago. I do follow all events astronomical. It boggles my mind at the discoveries that science has made in the last decade. Imagine, at last count, 277 exosolar planets!
This book was ordered by my father. I bought it and received another one. This book was half of the incident that changed my life. The one I received unexpectedly was the other half.
Anyway, this is a well-illustrated and well-written guide.
buy this book before buying your first telescope.......2007-04-30
I bought this book because of the great reviews amazon costumers were giving. Thanks amazon costumers, I'm glad I bought it! It gives such great information about chosing telescopes. People who have a small telescope (under 4 inches in aperture) may be a little peived about this book because the author doesn't talk very highly of small refractors bought in department stores. Not many authors do. I wish I bought this book first before buying any telescope. I say this in my review title because i highly stress it. I first bought a 70mm refractor when I knew absolutely NOTHING about telescopes (because I did no prior reading), and I ended up sending it back within a month because I started to learn more about them through websites and books. So I bought the spaceprobe 130mm (5.1 inch) by Orion, but the equatorial mount was not my favorite gadget to work with, but it's still a great tool, and it has great reviews, so I'm not going to totally trash it. This book recommends beginner scopes with great aperture and ease of use. He explains a variety of scopes, and what he considers a great buy. I sold my spaceprobe to my colleague and got a 6inch Newtonian Dob. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm positive I made the right choice based on this book. He goes into eyepeices and everything you need to know about what to buy. Once you've read this book, you've done your homework, and you'll be more confident in buying the right items. If you're going to spend hundreds on a telescope plus accessories, make sure you're not wasting it on the wrong things. I love the glossy pages and colorful images. I highly recommend this book with "Left Turn at Orion". Buy them together if you're totally new at this. One will complement the other. If you have a small rafractor, you will love "Left Turn at Orion" because that is one of the few books that don't insult the small refractors, but tells you how to use them.
Average customer rating:
- Loved it!
- Turn the crank
- Awesome introduction to Astronomy
- Excellent Value at $11.80
- Very good book
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Practical Astronomy with your Calculator
Peter Duffett-Smith
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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ASIN: 0521356997 |
Book Description
In its first two editions, Practical Astronomy With Your Calculator enjoyed tremendous success. Using clear and logical
Customer Reviews:
Loved it!.......2007-01-29
If you're into astronomy and like to fly by the seat of your pants, this is your book. Combine it with a good reference, like Burnham's Celestial Handbook.
Turn the crank.......2006-01-29
Heavy on getting you the answer and light on the specifics of the theory behind getting you there, Practical Astronomy with your Calculator does exactly what the author purports -- gives you a simple set of equations that will tell you the wheres and whens of astronomical phenomena.
Awesome introduction to Astronomy.......2004-05-31
I read this book way back in 1989 in India at IIT library,
and implemented it in Turbo pascal on 8086/DOS.
It provides explanations of coordinate systems, time, date,
and calculations. Very well written, this is what Astronomy
was about, if you have read NEWTON's principia, or wondered
what Gauss did.
Check out Xephem (Free astronomy program for linux/X with source
code in C), Alw.exe (Astronomy lab almanac generator/DOS), if you want instant answers.
I also use Redshift 4, and starry nights on my pc to get
the star maps.
- Mosh http://www.cs.albany.edu/~mosh
Excellent Value at $11.80.......2003-11-26
Amateur astronomers will be able to solve a multitude of practical problems with this book. If you are short on funds and have time to explore, this is the book for you. It is well organized and reasonably complete.
The extremely concise - bordering on laconic - style poses the danger that some readers may become discouraged and will give up. The low price makes it a tempting entry-level book, but the terse explanations means you'll have to do a lot of digging, which is a cookbook recipe to discourage newcomers to a field.
I have two critiques of this otherwise excellent work.
1.) The formulae presented in this book are a little too "cookbook" in for my tastes.
2.) Further they are only weakly validated, so it is difficult to know how accurate the results are.
The cookbook nature provides little insight into the physical problem being solved. It did motivate me to buy and study Smart's "Spherical Astronomy". If you want more than superficial answers, you'll need to dig deeper.
Validation is rarely a problem for amateurs. Most people who buy this book will program the recipes on their home computers. (Most are readily amenable to treatment in spreadsheets.) So far, no problem. But how do you know whether or not your calculation of the position of Mars 60,000 ago is any good?
I think that Meeus and Montenbruck largely avoid these problems, but at a much higher selling price.
Very good book.......2002-10-04
This is a very good book. You have short explanation and practical application in calculating celestial coordinate transformation,calendar transformation, planets position,eclipse etc. and even precession phenomena. For this latter, elementary knowledge of matrix calculation would be helpful: in any case without going through matrix theory the practicals rules in how to handle them are given.
I strongly advise this book to anybody interested in practical and easy calculation (with high accuracy) of the most important astronomical phenomena.
Amazon.com
The thorniest scientific problem of the eighteenth century was how to determine longitude. Many thousands of lives had been lost at sea over the centuries due to the inability to determine an east-west position. This is the engrossing story of the clockmaker, John "Longitude" Harrison, who solved the problem that Newton and Galileo had failed to conquer, yet claimed only half the promised rich reward.
Book Description
Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that “the longitude problem” was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day—and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives, and the increasing fortunes of nations, hung on a resolution.
The scientific establishment of Europe—from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton—had mapped the heavens in both hemispheres in its certain pursuit of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution—a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had ever been able to do on land. Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest, and of Harrison's forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper, known today as the chronometer. Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world.
Customer Reviews:
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time.......2007-08-31
A mediocre book , the author clearly has no scientific knowlegde and drags the story out as if it was a Soap opera . No diagrams / drawings / patent descriptions are included , meagre technical information . NOT worth the effort of reading . this publication is an insult to the intelligence . ABSOLUTE RUBBISH . ( and I have read it ). William Asquith .
An interesting read, but not exceptional........2007-06-27
Dava Sobel's 'Longitude' makes for a quick, light read. The story covers an interesting slice of history, but Longitude hardy distinguishes itself as being a great book. The largest problem is that the "lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time," John Harrison, is not a man about whom very much is known. Everything that is known about him could be fitted onto one of the (paperback) book's 175 pages. It's a bit remarkable that Sobel was able to milk a book from minimal and disjointed known facts. The story is really about the longitude problem itself, and the Harrison 'enemies' long-running success in undermining Harrison's solution, a precision chronometer that could maintain accuracy under the widely varied environmental conditions encountered by mariners.
Sobel's 'Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love,' is, in every way, a better book. For those interested in a fast-paced historical exposition of "a lone genius" advancing science but meeting maddening resistance from England's celebrity scientific elite (yes, it's a theme that parallels Sobel's 'Longitude'), by all means secure a copy of Tom Standage's 'The Neptune File: A Story of Astronomical Rivalry and the Pioneers of Planet Hunting,' the story of John Couch Adams' startling genius and the developments of planetary astronomy from William Herschel to our current spectroscopic and mathematical hunt for distant exoplanets.
Not a bad book, but not great either.
Not a boring science textbook.......2007-06-23
Sobel brings science to life in this tell of the quest to solve the navigational conundrum of measuring position. Her writing is visual and fluid. The book tells a gripping story that brings in bits of politics, geography, economics, philosophy, and many other disciplines. It proves that fact can be stranger than fiction. This is a great read for anyone of any age and with any area of interest.
A Great Story.......2007-06-12
Longitude and latitude tell a sailor or aviator or hiker where in the entire world he or she is. If latitude is known, one knows how far north or south of the equator he or she is. But that's a circle all the way around the earth. To find the point on that circle, the sailor's longitude must be known. Without longitude, ships missed resupply islands in the south pacific by a couple of miles or by hundreds of miles - and never knew it. They crashed into rocks wandering around like you would in a dark room - the door is on the other side but, where?
The earth is round and, therefore, there are 360 degrees in the circumference. The earth makes one rotation every 24 hours and the sun stays put. That is, the earth rotates at the rate of 15 degrees per hour. So, if I know the time at some point in the world and I know the local time, I can calculate where I am on the circle of latitude. I can determine local noon and then I look at my very accurate clock and determine the time in, say, London. If it's four hours earlier in London, I know I am 4 x 15 or 60 degrees around the world from London. I shoot the sun with my sextant to find my latitude and now I know where I am.
The problem was - how do I know what time it is in London when I'm in the south pacific. Even on land, clocks were not even close to accurate - they'd lose several minutes a day. Many solutions were proposed - my favorites were the "sympathetic dogs" and the line of cannon firing ships. The dog solution involved having a dog in London and a dog on the ship. Since it was well known that dogs communicate telepathically, if the dog in London was pinched, the dog on the ship would feel it and yelp. So - pinch the dog at noon and - voila! That didn't work so the next idea was to put a string of ships across the oceans beginning in London. Put them at one mile intervals and have the crews listen. At noon a cannon would be fired in London and the first ship would fire its cannon. The second ship would hear it and fire its cannon. and so forth across all the oceans. When a cruising ship heard the cannon, the captain knew it was noon in London. Too many ships, too much money and what to do during a storm.
Harrison's first clock was accurate to 1/2 second per day. That's in the mid seventeen hundreds. That's better than most clocks and watches made anywhere in the world up to about 30 years ago. He ultimately made a large watch - about five inches across - that was able to keep London time so accurately the British Navy could go anywhere and find what they were looking for and the way home. But think of the problems - the ship is rolling and pitching so a pendulum won't work. The temperature and humidity change so the mechanism slows or speeds up or rusts. There were no computer chips or quartz crystals. And there were many important people saying, "God is the answer - look to the heavens."
It's a story about something we take so easily for granted today. Our throwaway watches are more accurate than anything imaginable when Harrison started. An atomic clock measures time to the billionth of a second and we think nothing of it - but without those clocks we would have no satellite communication, no weather satellites, no space program. It's a story about a man who didn't know the answer but was determined to find it. Harrison had no computer, no modern machine tools, no precedent. His story is absolutely amazing. And it is told wonderfully by Dava Sobel. I've read it three times and have enjoyed it each of them.
Solving the Problem of Longitude.......2007-06-09
I read this book from the perspective of an old naval aviator who used to fix the position of his aircraft using celestial navigation. Having estimated the position of my aircraft using the stars and planets as the only means to navigate across the Pacific, Indian or Atlantic Oceans, I am profoundly aware of the difficulties associated with the determination of longitude. I am also aware that the modern (by 1950 standards) sextant that I used made the task of sighting a celestial body many times easier than that of a sailor on a rolling and pitching on a 150 ton sailing ship. I greatly enjoyed this story. It connected and resonated with my nautical background and experiences. I was not aware of the history of how this problem was solved. I routinely used Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in my military career, but could not explain why that was the prime meridian.
This is also the well told story of the clockmaker Harrison and his incredible determination to win the longitude prize. The story was well told. I only wish it were longer.
Book Description
Not all amateur astronomers who live in a suburban location realize just how very effective a ‘chilled-chip’ astronomical CCD-camera and software can be at cutting through seemingly impenetrable light-pollution. CCD Astrophotography from the Suburbs details one man’s approach to the problem of getting high-quality astronomical images under light-polluted conditions. Adam Stuart has written this reference book for all amateur astronomers who are interested in CCD imaging, especially those who have to work under suburban conditions. The book outlines the materials and (commercially-available) equipment used for high-quality imaging. The many wonderful images Dr. Stuart has produced allow the reader to see the product of – initially – a fellow beginner’s efforts. The glorious images found in numerous books, and especially those seen in Sky and Telescope magazine – might seem out of reach. But this is not really the case. Respectable images are attainable with modest equipment. This book outlines a complete and thoroughly tested working program for every beginner to achieve high-quality digital imaging.
Customer Reviews:
Not for beginners .......2007-05-21
The first word that comes to mind regarding Adam Stuarts book is disappointing. Perhaps If he did not proclaim it was a beginners book...
I have no doubt someone can find some value perhaps so, but I could not. I have been looking for some time for a book that would address the questions a beginner would have in astro imaging. I have purchased an LX200 8 inch I have been an avid amateur astronomer for 40 years when I purchased this scope the dealer had an offer on astro imaging equipment that I took advantage of.
Unfortunately the instructions were not helpful. Some theory was in order, which I had hoped this book would address. Perhaps with some basics addressed in plain English I could then go back and better utilize the equipment.
It seems that there are people who can adapt quickly to this kind of photography with little or no help but I belong to a different group I need to know why things are done and in what order. For instance how do you determine how long to provide for each image when you need to take perhaps hundreds of images. And when using color how long for each filter how many images per filter and how many images in total. Of course, I have other questions but I am still looking for that "beginners book."
Informative but absolutely not for casual imagers.......2007-04-04
If you are considering this book in order to learn how to image with basic astronomical equipment and CCD imaging gear.
I was disappointed with it since it comes from the "Practical Astronomy" series. Mr. Stuart's set up is anything but practical. I know of few people who get into this hobby and instantly purchase their own dome, establish a network, and run their equipment from the convenience of their home. The cost of his endeavor must have been in the tens of thousands, not my idea of amateur nor practical.
Chapters 3 and 4 provide the most pertinent information on image collecting and processing. This is the meat of the subject and what most everyone starting out in astrophotography needs to know. Mr. Stuart, unfortunately, spends relatively little time describing the nuts-and-bolts of imaging with a CCD device, instead relying upon the Santa Barbara Imaging Group to handle the rough spots. WebCAM's have become the tool of choice for many backyard astronomers and the author devotes nothing more than a few pages describing them. He does, however, describe the processing stages and that is the strength of the book. Chapter 5 shows some of his best deep space images and some of the solar system objects he has photographed. Fine work, but with the amount of cash he tossed at them, they should be.
If you are interested in finding a quick solution, this book is not it. If you are established and want to learn how to shoot like the big boys, then Mr. Stuart's book is just fine.
This book is for beginner.......2007-02-25
I am slightly disappointed.
This book is not for actual, practical astrophotography. I think it might be a kind of his essay about astrophotography.
So I'm certain that reading this book can't make you a good photographer.
But the try he endeavered and the picture in this book is very good.
And to see the process of his effort to solve some problems will increase your ability to solve problems.
CCD Astrophotography.......2006-08-19
The book in excellent condition.
It is the best book so far, for
CCD photography.
High-Quality Imaging from the Suburbs.......2006-08-16
Excellent book. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in pursuing a hobby in astrophotography, or for anyone who is just wondering what the sky looks like from an "ordinary" backyard in Miami.
Book Description
Most amateur astronomers yearn to observe more frequently. Many of them, however, live in urban and highly developed suburban areas that are heavily light polluted. Due to this light pollution, they are under the impression that deep sky objects—nebulae, galaxies, star clusters—are either invisible or not worth viewing from home. This book describes the many objects that can be seen in a bright urban sky, and shows the city or suburban astronomer how to observe object after object, season after season.
This book covers the "why," "how," and "what" of astronomy under light-polluted skies. The prospective city-based observer is told why to observe from home (there are hundreds of spectacular objects to be seen from the average urban site), how to observe the city sky (telescopes, accessories, and moderns techniques), and what to observe. About 50% of the book is devoted to describing "tours" of the sky, with physical and observational descriptions, at-the-eyepiece drawings, and photographs.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for City Dwelling Amatuer Astronomers!.......2007-02-16
Living in the South Florida Peninsula, you get used to light pollution. In 2005, I purchased my first "real" telescope and soon learned how badly light polluted South Florida really is. Although a trip to a dark sky site is only 60 miles away, I live in the suburbs outside of Miami and wanted to take advantage of my decent sized back yard. My sky's limiting magnitude is around 4, the sky towards the north is a grayish white haze where only Polaris is visible and the big dipper if high enough in the sky. The rest of the sky is a little better but after 2 years of limited success in searching for DSOs, I decided to look for help.
The Urban Astronomer's Guide may be the help I require. The book is well written and easy to follow. This book was written where beginners as well as intermediate amateur astronomers would find it interesting.
Part I of the book entitled: Telescopes and Techniques covers everything from the why one would want to observe from the city to the writers experience with types of telescopes and needed techniques to beat the light pollution blues. Mr. Mollise explains the advantages in large and short focal length telescopes and which objects benefit from either type. The author discusses in great detail the differences between the different types of Light-Pollution Reduction Filters, eyepieces, finders, computer software, print atlases, etc.
The book discuses techniques which experienced amateurs may be familiar with but beginners and intermediates may have heard have but not understand completely. Things like the use of averted vision, "jiggling" the telescope to tease out details in faint objects. Dark Adaptation is discussed and it's importance, all invaluable lessons that every amateur astronomer should learn.
Part II of the book entitled: A Walking Tour of the Cosmos is what makes this book a keeper. This section of the book goes over examples of objects that are perfect for city observation. The four chapters as you might imagine are broken up by season, Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each season gives 4 lists of objects that the Author feels are viewable for the given season and time. An example of such a tour is Spring's Tour 1. Objects included in this tour are M94, M51, M106, M63, M81, M82, M101, M97, M3 and the Double Star Cor Caroli.
Each object is discussed in detail with the author's notes from his personal journal. Mr. Mollise discusses the use of filters that can enhance a particular object, magnification that should be used to view certain objects, and what you should expect to see at the eyepiece. The author also includes his personal illustrations of objects he's included in his journals, which gives you a good idea of what you should be able to see in the eyepiece. The illustrations are very good and to me are much more useful than the Hubble type images commonly seen in astronomy books.
The only thing I found a little odd about this book would be the inclusion of such difficult to see objects as M1 and M51. The author even writes: "Sadly, I have to admit that in the city it (M51) is something of a dud." He also writes: "you have to be satisfied just to say you've seen it (M1)." These are just two of several objects the author himself confesses are extremely challenging, if not impossible to view from a light-polluted location. Why not focus on objects that are less challenging? Maybe have one object at the end of each tour that might be a challenge.
This is not to say the book does not reward the reader with some surprisingly easy to see objects. I was recently treated to a "hidden treasure" in the open cluster M46. As it turns out there is a small planetary nebulae (NGC2438) within this semi-impressive cluster that makes M46 a showpiece object in my opinion. If not for this book, I may not have spent much more than 10 minutes viewing M46. I now find myself going back to it time after time just as I do with M42 and M45.
Overall the book is a good read. This book in written for beginner's with some experience and can be useful to intermediate amateurs who might not be getting the most from their telescopes due to light pollution issues within the Urban setting. Part II in particular I've found invaluable and it will definitely keep me coming back for more.
Indispenisble definitive guide for citybound deep-sky enthusiasts!.......2006-09-02
This is a work that has been long overdue. A book on urban astronomy that focuses soley on deep-sky objects, and practical recommendations for how to view them, equipment and techniques. A most comprehensive list, more than any other book of its kind. But by no means the only things that can be seen, there are more than in this book (as I have discovered). But by showing what you can see, you can try for more.
Another quality book from Rod.......2006-07-05
Rod writes with an authority about many subjects at hand, but his style is very approachable and appreciated by us amateurs. His subject matter is applicable to my Miami (Florida) skies and I am proud to display this book among the many astronomy books that I own.
Adam Stuart
Miami, Florida
Outstanding Repeat read value.......2006-07-04
This is an excellent book for anyone who lives in light polluted skies (OK, this includes EVERYONE EAST of the Mississippi river, and a good part of the rest of the civilized world).
Rod's approach and writing style, make this a good book for amateur astronomer's of all levels.
The first half of the book is filled with tips, and ideas, and how-to's that are worth the price of the book alone, all designed to help everyone get the most out of their skies no matter how much light pollution they have. Nothing will make the light pollution go away, so Rod's book is the perfect inspiration for those of us who feel like giving up when we look up and see so few stars from our urban or suburban locations.
The second half holds the key to making this an outstanding book for generations to come, because Rod goes into detail with personal observation's and descriptions about a large number of objects that those of us with "darkness-challenged" skies will still be able to enjoy. All of this gives Rod's book a very high repeat read value, since Rod covers objects for all seasons, and his Southern wit, charm, and humor combine to make this a 5 stars book.
Book Description
How to Use a Computerized Telescope describes how to get a computerized telescope up-and-running, and how to embark on a program of observation. Michael Covington explains in detail how the sky moves, how a telescope tracks it, and how to get the most out of any computerized telescope. Packed full of practical advice and tips for troubleshooting, his book gives detailed instructions for three popular telescopes: the Meade® LX200, Celestron^DCC NexStar 5 and 8, and Meade® Autostar^DTM (ETX and LX90). Michael A. Covington is an associate research scientist at the University of Georgia. He is a computational linguist trained in the computer processing of human language and the computer modeling of human logical reasoning, and a widely recognized expert on the Prolog programming language. He is the author of nine books including Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms, Seventh Edition (Barron's, 2000), Astrophotography for the Amateur (Cambridge, 1999), PROLOG Programming in Depth (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Cambridge Eclipse Photography Guide (1993), and Syntactic Theory in the High Middle Ages (Cambridge, 1985). A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Covington is a Contributing Editor to, and former "Q&A" columnist of, Poptronics magazine.
Customer Reviews:
The Book your looking for!.......2007-05-17
If your looking for a clearly written, very informative, get you going in the right direction book, this is the one!
How to Use a Computerized Telescope.......2007-01-19
This is a very clearly-written book and excellent for beginners. It breaks down the various topics of using a computerized telescope into manageable chapters.
Very helpful book.......2006-03-07
I recently purchased a Celestron StarSeeker telescope (basically a NexStar80) so wanted to read more about computerized telescopes. Michael Covington's book is very good. He starts by saying "Welcome to amateur astronomy". The first part of the book then goes on to discuss telescopes in general, such as the different types (ie, refractors, reflectors and catadioptric) and much very helpful general information about observational astronomy. Things like celestial coordinates, how a telescope works, etc. Too much to put in this review but I found the information extremely helpful. The second section is about astrophotography including simple ways to do astrophotography without a lot of expensive equipment. This author also has a book on Astrophotography which I haven't read. He refers to it several times in this section of this book. The last section describes in quite a bit of detail the operation of 3 computerized telescopes, the Meade LX200, Celestron NexStar 5 and 8 and two Meade telescopes with Autostar, the ETX 90 and the LX 90. All of these telescopes are now outdated as both Meade and Celestron have newer models. However, what is said in this section would apply to the newer models to a large extent. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and obtained a lot of useful information and recommendations to start my budding career in amateur photography. One further note; there is another book by Michael Swanson that deals with just the Celestron NexStar telescopes. I have this book also but haven't finished reading it. If you are just interested in computerized telescopes in general, I would recommend the one in this review. If you have or are interested in a Celestron, then I would suggest the Michael Swanson book; actually I would recommend both.
Very useful.......2005-08-02
I found this book to be very useful and informative. I am a beginner to astronomy and need something to orient me to what a electronic telescope was all about. A must reqad if you are considering a computerized telescope and are a beginner who has never used one.
What you need to know to use a "Go To" telescope.......2003-01-09
Covington's "Astrophotography for the Amateur" is one of the two must reads for beginning to intermiediate astrophotographers. "How to Use a Computerized Telescope" fits in the same category for beginner and intermediate amatuer astronomers who have or are thinking of aquiring a computerized telescope. The book is divided into two sections. The first covers basic topics on the use, care and feeding of telescopes in general. The second looks at three classic "Go To" telescope families. If you are looking to buy a computerized telescope, or already own one and want to get more out of it, then this is a good place to start.
Chapters:
PART I - Telescopes in general
1. Welcome to amatuer astronomy
2. How the sky moves
3. How telescopes track the stars
4. Using equatorial mounts and wedges
5. Telescope optics
6. Eyepieces and optical accessories
7. Astrophotography
8. Troubleshooting
PART II - Three classic telescopes
9. Three that led the revolution
10. Meade LX200
11. Celestron NexStar 5 and 8
12. Meade Autostar (ETX and LX90)
Though the models described in detail in the book are no longer the latest models, the foundations will allow one to get a better understanding of how computerized telescopes work, and how to get more out of their use.
Customer Reviews:
Catch a Falling Star and Put It In Your Pocket.......2002-11-04
I got this as the perfect gift for ME, but it really would make a wonderful gift for just about anybody. Who hasn't enjoyed gazing up at the diamonds in the sky and who hasn't tried to visualize the constellations? I love this set. I'm not an astronomer, I just love looking at the stars and I enjoy the myths about the characters that wheel above us in the starry heavens. This set contains a very well written 87 page guide book that is a quality paperback measuring 5 1/2" X 8", thirty-two cards that are slightly larger, and maps of the hemispheres. The book gives us the myth behind each of the constellations included in the set and also tells us about the major stars in each of the constellations, giving us brief scientific information as well as how to locate the constellation. It is not a professional astronomer's handbook, but is intended for the novice, and as such is excellent. The cards were invented by "a lady" in 1825 in London and were originally hand-painted. She called them Urania's Mirror. They are an original way to learn to recognize the constellations. Each card is pierced with tiny holes of varying sizes that glitter when held up to the light. These look like the constellations and give one an image to look for in the night sky. They are made of sturdy card stock and are colorful and have the abundant charm of 19th century map art. This is a super teaching aid and seems more "hands-on" and intimate than learning strictly from a book. The box that the book and cards come in is very sturdy and will hold up to lots of wear. It is not like the chintzy material that, for example, a Tarot deck would come in. It has a removable top, separate from the bottom, rather than tuck-in flaps. It is a deep indigo color with gold lettering, very attractive. It is meant to be a quality gift set that will last.
Makes a great gift.......2002-01-15
This box of stars holds a neat little pocketbook guide to the 88 constellations plus the legends & myths behind them. Its definitely a starter guide so don't expect a full size book. Its more like a thick pamphlet of the major legends. I bought it for the beautiful llustrations drawn in that old world cartography art. Its a great coffee table book/box. If you're looking for the same artwork, there's a blankbook planisphere on amazon by Paperblanks Book Company.
Education with artwork!.......2000-01-08
While the information is more mythological than astronomical, this is a very interesting little "box". It gives the full stories of the major constellations, and information on locating them. Where it excells, is in the set of cards that come with it. They are beautiful portraits of the constellations in their mythological forms, and the major stars are "punched" so that when held up to the light you can get a sense of what it will look like outdoors. Very tastefully done, it is the kind of item that would hook a young person on astronomy. It's even nice for old people too.
Book Description
This book studies the transition from local to national timekeeping, a process that led to Standard Time—the world-wide system of timekeeping by which we all live. Prior to the railroads’ adoption of Standard Railway Time in 1883, timekeeping was entirely a local matter, and America lacked any uniform system to coordinate times and public activities. For example, in the middle of the nineteenth century, Boston had three authoritative times, which differed by seconds and minutes.
The story begins in the 1830s with the building of the first railroads. Since railway safety depended upon maintaining the temporal separation of trains through precise timing, railroads were the first to establish time standards to govern their operations. The railroads’ switch to five time standards indexed to the Greenwich meridian inaugurated the modern era of public timekeeping and led directly to cities adopting Greenwich-indexed civil time zones.
Central to the story are those college and university astronomers who, starting in the 1850s, sold time signals to nearby cities and railroads. From the start, they competed with other entrepreneurs trying to make money by selling time. Decades of negotiations, government lobbying, and battles over customers followed, all in the name of “public service.” Improvements by a host of clockmakers, civil and electrical engineers, telegraph and railway technicians, and instrument makers finally changed the market for accurate time. Public timekeeping became the realm of business investors.
Despite the efforts of astronomers and various of their Congressional supporters, who argued for the necessity of a national system of time authorized by the federal government, the railroads’ success with their own system blocked legislation for a national system of time until the First World War. By then, a single source for correct time dominated the public’s timekeeping: the U.S. Naval Observatory’s noon signal.
In this first comprehensive, scholarly history of timekeeping in America, the author has drawn upon a rich, untapped archival record, municipal and legislative documents, newspapers, and science and engineering journals to challenge several myths that have grown up around the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Revealing and involving in its depth and detail.......2001-02-13
While it may be hard to easily categorize this title, it should become a mainstay of college-level collections of all sizes and types. Selling the True Time studies the transition from local to national timekeeping and a world-wide system of keeping time in the late 1800s. Until the railroads become involved, American lacked any uniform system to coordinate times: this charts the early involvement of the railroads in a process which transformed the world. Revealing and involving in its depth and detail, this is highly recommended.
Book Description
Because today's amateur astronomical telescopes are both powerful and affordable, spectroscopy - once the province of professionals - is becoming more and more popular. Various spectroscopes, at prices to suit everyone, are now available "off the shelf". Practical Amateur Spectroscopy contains everything an amateur needs to grasp the basic principles, to begin observing, and to understand just what the spectra show. Contributions by leading practical amateurs from America and Europe cover a very wide range of amateur equipment and techniques. One even describes how an audio CD can be used to show solar emission and absorption lines!
Book Description
This book is about using an 80mm refractor / 90mm Maksutov (such as a Helios 80 or Meade ETX90) as more than a "quick look" instrument, but rather something capable of use as an introduction to scientific observations. Emphasis is on measurement and discovery activities rather than on casual observing. There are two objectives to these activities: to re-enact the process of discovery and to provide amateur observers with the knowledge and skill that will help them make genuine contributions to the field of astronomy.
It is often said that users of small telescopes can conduct worthwhile scientific work, but ‘how’ is seldom explained except in the context of observations carried out by the most advanced amateur astronomers. This book provides the necessary introduction – derived from the author’s many year of experience in teaching the subject – that will be the starting point for serious work.
Users will find many activities and projects suitable for an 80mm refractor or 90mm reflector or Maksutov that have not been published elsewhere.
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