The Backyard Astronomer's Guide

by Dickinson, Terence

• ISBN13: 9781552095072
• ISBN10: 155209507X
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-11-01
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

What type of telescope is best for beginners? Can I use my camera to take photographs through a telescope? How good are the new computerized telescope mounts? What charts, books, software and other references do I need? These questions are asked time and again by enthusiastic new amateurs as they take up recreational astronomy.But accurate, objective and up-to-date information can be hard to find. Throughout the 1990s, the first edition of The Backyard Astronomer's Guide established itself as the indispensable reference to the equipment and techniques used by the modern recreational stargazer. Now, authors Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer have produced an expanded and completely updated edition that again sets the standard for accessible and reliable information on one of the world's most popular hobbies.Dickinson and Dyer -- both full-time astronomy writers -- bring decades of experience to their task. They explain why telescopes often perform much differently from what the novice expects. They recommend the accessories that will enhance the observing experience and advise what not to buy until you become more familiar with your equipment. They name brands and sources and compare value so that you can be armed with the latest practical information when deciding on your next purchase. Sections on astrophotography, daytime and twilight observing, binocular observing and planetary and deep-sky observing round out this comprehensive guide to personal exploration of the universe. Dickinson and Dyer's elegant yet straightforward approach to a complex subject makes this book an invaluable resource for astronomers throughout North America.With more than 500 color photographs and illustrations, The Backyard Astronomer's Guide is also one of the most beautiful -- and user-friendly -- astronomy books ever produced.

Author Biography

Terence Dickinson is the author of the best-selling guidebook NightWatch and 13 other books, among them The Universe and Beyond, Splendors of the Universe, Summer Stargazing and Exploring the Night Sky. He is also editor of the Canadian astronomy magazine SkyNews and is an astronomy commentator for Discovery Channel Canada. Alan Dyer is program producer at the Calgary Science Centre Planetarium and a contributing editor to Sky & Telescope magazine. He is widely regarded as an authority on commercial telescopes, and his evaluations of astronomical equipment appear regularly in major North American astronomy magazines.<p> <b>Terence Dickinson</b> is the author of the best-selling guidebook <i>NightWatch</i> and 13 other books, among them <i>The Universe and Beyond</i>, <i>Splendors of the Universe</i>, <i>Summer Stargazing</i> and <i>Exploring the Night Sky</i>. He is also editor of the Canadian astronomy magazine <i>SkyNews</i> and is an astronomy commentator for Discovery Channel Canada. </p><p> <b>Alan Dyer</b> is program producer at the Calgary Science Centre Planetarium and a contributing editor to <i>Sky & Telescope</i> magazine. He is widely regarded as an authority on commercial telescopes, and his evaluations of astronomical equipment appear regularly in major North American astronomy magazines. </p>

Table of Contents

Introduction: A New Stargazer's Guidebook	p. 8
Amateur Astronomy Comes of Age	p. 12
Equipment for Backyard Asironomy
Binoculars for the Beginner and the Serious Observer	p. 24
Telescopes for Recreational Astronomy	p. 40
Eyepieces and Filters	p. 66
Accessories and Observing Aids	p. 82
Ten Myths About Telescopes and Observing	p. 90
Observing the Celestial Panorama
The Sky Without a Telescope	p. 96
Observing Conditions: Your Site and Light Pollution	p. 110
Observing the Moon, Sun and Comets	p. 122
Observing the Planets	p. 140
How to Find Your Way Around the Sky	p. 160
Exploring the Deep Sky	p. 170
Astrophotography
Capturing the Sky on Film	p. 202
The Essential Techniques	p. 216
Eclipses, Gremlins and Advanced Techniques	p. 232
Epilogue: The Universe Awaits	p. 246
Appendixes
Recommended Books and Magazines	p. 250
North American Organizations	p. 253
Astronomy Product Sources	p. 254
Polar Alignment	p. 259
Maintaining Telescope Performance	p. 262
A Glossary of Optical Jargon	p. 266
How to Test Your Telescope's Optics	p. 270
Charts of Selected Sky Regions	p. 274
Index	p. 290
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Chapter One: Amateur Astronomy Comes of Age There is something deeply compelling about the starry night sky. Those fragile flickering points of light in the blackness beckon to the inquisitive mind. So it was in antiquity, and so it remains today. But only in the past decade have large numbers of people decided to delve into stargazing -- recreational astronomy -- as a leisure activity. Today, more than half a million people in North America call themselves amateur astronomers. The magic moment when you know you're hooked usually comes with your eye at a telescope eyepiece. It often takes just one exposure to Saturn's stunningly alien, yet serenely beautiful ring system or a steady view of an ancient lunar crater frozen in time on the edge of a rumpled, airless plain. Naturalists of the Night American 19th-century poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: "The man on the street does not know a star in the sky." Of course, he was right then and now. Well, almost. In recent years, a growing number of people want to become acquainted with the stars. Sales of astronomy books, telescopes and astronomy software have reached all-time highs. More people than ever before are enrolling in the astronomy courses offered by colleges, universities and planetariums. Summer weekend gatherings of astronomy enthusiasts for telescope viewing and informative talks (known among the participants as "star parties") now attract thousands of fans. There is no mistaking the signals: Astronomy has come of age as a mainstream interest and recreational activity. Not coincidentally, the growth of interest in astronomy has paralleled the rise in our awareness of the environment. The realization that we live on a planet with finite resources and dwindling access to wilderness areas has generated a sharp increase in activities which involve observing and appreciating nature: birding, nature walks, hiking, scenic drives, camping and nature photography. Recreational astronomy is in this category too. Amateur astronomers are naturalists of the night, captivated by the mystique of the vast universe that is accessible only under a dark sky. In recent decades, the darkness that astronomy enthusiasts seek has been beaten back by the ever-growing domes of artificial light over cities and towns and by the increased use of security lighting everywhere. In many places, the luster of the Milky Way arching across a star-studded sky has been obliterated forever. Yet amateur astronomy flourishes as never before. Why? Perhaps it is an example of that well-known human tendency to ignore the historic or acclaimed tourist sights in one's own neighborhood while attempting to see everything when traveling to distant lands. Most people now perceive a starry sky as foreign and enchanting rather than something that can be seen from any sidewalk, as it was when our grandparents were young. That is certainly part of the answer, but consider how amateur astronomy has changed in two generations. The typical 1960s amateur astronomer was usually male and a loner, with a strong interest in physics, mathematics and optics. In high school, he spent his weekends grinding a 6-inch f/8 Newtonian telescope mirror from a kit sold by Edmund Scientific, in accordance with the instructions in Scientfic American telescope-making books. The four-foot-long telescope was mounted on what was affectionately called a plumber's nightmare -- an equatorial mount made of pipe fittings. In some cases, it was necessary to keep the telescope out of sight to be brought out only under cover of darkness to avoid derisive commentary from the neighbors. Practical reference material was almost nonexistent in the 1960s. Most of what there was came from England, and virtually all of it was written by one man, Patrick Moore. Amateur astronomy was like a secret religion -- so secret, it was almost unknown. Thank