Transcript Document 7361177

AOAS
Getting Started With An Observing Program
May 2009 –
Astronomy Books That Will Get You Going In The Right Direction
Nightwatch
APracticalGuideToViewingtheUniverse
Author 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.
The Sky
AUsersGuide
The perfect introduction for the beginning and
intermediate astronomer, This book stirs the
imagination and puts observation in a framework of
social activity and personal adventure. This is a
technical guide to the sky, full of helpful practical
hints.
For instance, author David H. Levy describes the
features of the Moon from night to night; how to
observe constellations in both Northern and
Southern hemispheres; how best to view the stars,
nebulae, and galaxies; how to follow the planets on their annual trek among the
constellations; how to map the sky; how to find a new comet; how to buy or even
make a telescope; what to see in a month of lunar observations or a year of
stellar observation; and much more.
Beginners who have just joined an astronomy club or amateurs who wish to
learn more about what can be accomplished with a small telescope will not find a
better first book.
Seeing The Sky
AThree-BookSeries onVisualObserving
SEEING THE SKY –
100 Projects, Activities & Explorations in Astronomy
SEEING THE SOLAR SYSTEM –
Telescopic Projects, Activities, and Explorations in
Astronomy
SEEING THE DEEP SKY –
Telescopic Astronomy Projects Beyond the Solar
System
Fred Schaaf, astronomer, author of several popular astronomy books, and
contributor to Astronomy and Sky and Telescope, has created an astronomy
guidebook series with interesting, informative and entertaining activities and
projects.
The End
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