Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders

by Thompson, Robert

• ISBN13: 9780596526856
• ISBN10: 0596526857
• Edition: Illus.
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-01
• Publisher: Maker Media Inc

Summary

The Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders explains everything a beginner needs to know to get started, and will remain indispensable long after a beginner graduates to intermediate status. This heavily graphical book, with numerous photographs, drawings, star charts, and tables, will address, comprehensively, the two major problems beginning and intermediate astronomers face: which objects to look at and how to find those objects. It provides a solid grounding in the fundamental concepts and terminology of astronomy, and includes specific advice about choosing, buying, using, and maintaining observing equipment. Lists are provided with recommended observing targets for newbies and intermediate observers alike, including details about the best celestial objects. Star charts are sufficiently detailed to allow readers to locate and observe featured objects.

Author Biography

Robert Bruce Thompson is the coauthor of Astronomy Hacks, Building the Perfect PC, and PC Hardware in a Nutshell. Robert built his first computer in 1976 from discrete chips. It had 256 bytes of memory, used toggle switches and LEDs for I/O, ran at less than 1MHz, and had no operating system. Since then, he has bought, built, upgraded, and repaired hundreds of PCs for himself, employers, customers, friends, and clients. Robert reads mysteries and nonfiction for relaxation, but only on cloudy nights. He spends most clear, moonless nights outdoors with his 10-inch Dobsonian reflector telescope, hunting down faint fuzzies, and is currently designing a larger truss-tube Dobsonian (computerized, of course) that he plans to build.

Barbara Fritchman Thompson is the coauthor of Astonomy Hacks, Building the Perfect PC, and PC Hardware in a Nutshell. Barbara worked for 20 years as a librarian before starting her own home-based consulting practice, Research Solutions, and is also a researcher for the law firm Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge, & Rice, PLLC. During her leisure hours, Barbara reads, works out, plays golf, and, like Robert, is an avid amateur astronomer.

Table of Contents

Constellation Guide
Andromeda	p. 66
Aquarius	p. 74
Aquila	p. 84
Aries	p. 90
Auriga	p. 94
Bootes	p. 102
Camelopardalis	p. 108
Cancer	p. 118
Canes Venatici	p. 124
Canis Major	p. 140
Capricornus	p. 146
Cassiopeia	p. 150
Cepheus	p. 166
Cetus	p. 178
Coma Berenices	p. 184
Corona Borealis	p. 204
Corvus	p. 208
Cygnus	p. 214
Delphinus	p. 230
Draco	p. 234
Eridanus	p. 244
Gemini	p. 250
Hercules	p. 256
Hydra	p. 264
Lacerta	p. 274
Leo	p. 280
Leo Minor	p. 290
Lepus	p. 296
Libra	p. 300
Lynx	p. 302
Lyra	p. 308
Monoceros	p. 314
Ophiuchus	p. 326
Orion	p. 340
Pegasus	p. 356
Perseus	p. 362
Pisces	p. 376
Puppis	p. 382
Sagitta	p. 392
Sagittarius	p. 396
Scorpius	p. 416
Sculptor	p. 424
Scutum	p. 428
Serpens	p. 434
Sextans	p. 442
Taurus	p. 446
Triangulum	p. 458
Ursa Major	p. 462
Virgo	p. 480
Vulpecula	p. 500
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.