Celestial Objects for Modern Telescopes: Practical Amateur Astronomy Volume 2

by Michael A. Covington

Overview

Based on field notes made by Michael Covington throughout his career as an amateur astronomer, this guide covers both the traditional and novel approaches to studying the night sky. In addition to the more standard techniques, it discusses the latest modern resources available to today's astronomer, such as personal computers, the internet, and computerized telescopes. Covington includes practical advice on site selection and weather; detailed instructions for observing the Sun, Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects; and newer specialities such as satellite observing and the use of astronomical databases. Written to complement How to Use a Computerized Telescope, this book appeals to astronomers with more traditional equipment. 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 languages 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521524193
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/26/2002
Series:	Practical Amateur Astronomy Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	282
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.69(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Michael Covington is one of America's leading amateur astronomers and the author of Astrophotography for the Amateur (0521641330).

Table of Contents

Preface; Part I. Amateur Astronomy: 1. Using this book effectively; 2. Observing sites and conditions; 3. The Moon, the Sun, and eclipses; 4. The planets; 5. Comets, asteroids (minor planets), and artificial satellites; 6. Constellations; 7. Stars - identification, nomenclature, and maps; 8. Stars - physical properties; 9. Double and multiple stars; 10. Variable stars; 11. Clusters, nebulae, and galaxies; Part II. Celestial Objects for Suburban Telescopes: 12. Celestial objects for suburban telescopes; 13. The January-February sky (R.A. 6h-10h); 14. The March-April sky (R.A. 10h-14h); 15. The May-June sky (R.A. 14h-18h); 16. The July-August sky (R.A. 18h-22h); 17. The September-October sky (R.A. 22h-2h); 18. The November-December sky (R.A. 2h-6h); Part III. Appendices: A. Converting decimal minutes to seconds; B. Precession from 1950 to 2000; C. Julian date, 2001–2015.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is highly recommmended for all public, college and university libraries. The modest price would also make it an attractive purchase for private collections as well." E-STREAMS

"Altogether, one of the best field guides available. Highly recommended." Choice

From the Publisher