Reviews (9)

Good techincal stuff - but out dated information
The book is well written and good reference for
Buy this before you buy a telescope!
Excellent overview of current offerings, along with something rarely found - specific recommendations.A must have before making an initial investment in a telescope, eye pieces, or other accessories.

Brilliant trilogy
This has got to be the best and most comprehensive book on everything to do with astronomical equipment. Reading all three editions not only fully equips you with the knowledge on which scope (or binoculars) is best for your needs, but also serves as a "historical" overview of scopes from the past. What I especially liked about the book is that it has exhaustive reviews of scopes and they are split into different categories and brand names (yup brand names and makes are mentioned in the book). Also has a homemade astronomer section that is veryuseful. Plus, in the 1st and 2nd edition, there is a section on observing (with eyepiece impression sketches). I was disappointed that this section was left out in the third edition but then this spawned Phil's other book "Starwatch". Highly recommended!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomical Instruments    3. Astronomy - General    4. Consumer Behavior - General    5. Consumer Buying Guides    6. Guidebooks    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Purchasing    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Star Observation    12. Telescopes    13. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    14. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (1)

amazing engineering feats
You can think of this as a course in very specialised antenna design. Certainly, the broad concepts would be immediately recognisable to any engineer who has built antennas. But here the sources that are being detected are at far reaches indeed. Correspondingly, the sizes of each radio dish far exceeds your typical antenna in industrial or military use.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Cosmology    3. Radio Astronomy    4. Radio interferometers    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Star Observation    8. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    9. Science / Astronomy   

Editorial Review

Astronomers were among the first scientists to whole-heartedly embrace the computer and the Internet. Not surprisingly, the quantity of astronomy software and Web sites out there can now only be called "astronomical." Astronomer Jeff Foust and writer Ron Lafon have teamed up to sort through the chaff and give you the wheat. Read more

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Reviews (5)

I wanted to like this book
I wanted to like this book but in the end I have to wonder what the purpose of buying a book whose contents can be found in 10 minutes searching the internet. This book was perhaps of some value 5 years ago. I expected that this book would be more than a description ofwebsites and programs and contain some 'how-to' information. Pages 293 through 482 were used to describe what was on the cd.
Excellent resource guide for Astronomers
I expected a large portion of the book to be on scope control and image acquisition. In reality only the last chapter is on that topic and the majority of the book is on astronomy through the web and through custom software. As such this is an excellent field guide to desktop astronomy.
The Computer Companion is Aging Well...
To be honest, I really didn't WANT to write a good review of this book. In my experience a book that does anything to overview the WWW does itself and its readers a disservice since reality will make it quickly out of date.Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy (General)    3. Astronomy - General    4. Computer Networks    5. Data processing    6. General    7. Microcomputers    8. Online Services - Resource Directories    9. Science    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Applications of Computing    12. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    13. Computers/Online Services - Resource Directories    14. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (11)

The story of the Palomar telescope and its predecessors
I purchased this book at the telescope gift shop on Mount Palomar back in 1996.I read it in the next few days.It is the fascinating tale of George Hale, a remarkable man who had to battle personal demons (in the form of debilitating mental breakdowns) to build the world's largest telescope--then do it again and again!I can't remember the first one offhand, but the 100-inch Hooker Telescope on Mt. Wilson was next, then the 200-inch Hale telescope on Mt. Palomar.This book talks about all the technical, financal and other difficulties that were overcome to make the giant telescope possible.It explains large earlier telescopes and how the problems encountered in their construction provided lessons for the designers and builders of the Palomar telescope.Anyone interested in the history of technology or astronomy should give this book a look.

I bought it for my father
I have no trouble pinpointing the splendid-ness of this book. All I have to do is mutate a cliche and say that "the angel is in the details." Florence's full, dramatic account of the various attempts to create the mirror for this enormous telescope -- first by General Electric and then by Corning -- is worth many times the price of admission. What you get is an exciting story of engineering hurdles met, overcome, and sometimes not overcome ... I am not an engineer, but probably should have been one. My father _was_ an engineer and, while reading this book, decided he would probably find it enthralling, and I was right. A nearly perfect book about a nearly perfect machine
Not only does Ronald Florence give a vibrant account of the design and construction of the Hale telescope, he manages to make the reader share his fascination for an admirable project and an awe-inspiring science machine. The book is better than well written, it is captivating. Having been closely involved in a major telescope project, I can only state that his account of the production of the "giant eye" rings true. Rarely has a science writer shown so much understanding of the intricate processes, technologies, and human relations underlying a large science project. Still, there are a few disturbing inaccuracies in Florence's story. On a number of occasions, the author wrongly gives credit to the Palomar telescope designers for innovations that had been experimented long before, such as the principle of the support of the primary mirror, actually due to Lassel (Malta, 1861). The account of the in-situ finishing of the primary mirror sounds completely implausible, the metrology of the time (I saw the Hartmann screen on the occasion of a privileged visit in 1995) being of too low resolution to allow any meaningful verification of local refiguring as reported by Florence. The post-1950 period would also have deserved a somewhat broader and fairer account; the Russian 6-m may not have been a success comparable to the Palomar but paved the way for modern mechanical designs, and the advent of entirely new and far-reaching concepts, such as active optics, in the hands of European designers and suppliers is completely ignored. Still, the vision and the endeavour underlying the making of the Palomar telescope emanate from every page; it is a nearly perfect book about a nearly perfect machine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. California    3. General    4. History    5. Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories    6. Palomar, Mount    7. Reflecting telescopes    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Star Observation    11. Telescope   

Reviews (2)

Lots of options to help you decide on an observatory for you
'Small Astronomical Observatories' is not your ordinary astro book.It shows you a number of different observatory designs, but assumes you already have knowledge of key construction concepts.Spherical andpolygonal domes, roll off roofs and some unusual designs are included inthis book (which were built by amateur astronomers).There are even blueprint type diagrams for a few of the designs to help you get started andmake your own design decisions. Well worth buying.

Cover very much in little depth
Has several different observatory design ideas, but lacks depth and details.Is good if you aren't sure exactly what you want to build, and want to get an idea of possibilities.Some chapters have good tips on avoiding problems and mistakes made by builders during construction, but I found the book lacking in material.I wish I could recommend a different/better book, but I never found one.Unfortunately, this is the top of a shallow pile... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomical Observatories    3. Astronomy - General    4. Design and construction    5. Great Britain    6. Reference    7. Science    8. Star Observation    9. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    10. Science / Astronomy   

Subjects:  1. Nature / Field Guide Books    2. Popular works    3. Radio Astronomy    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Star Observation    6. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (4)

Best book on conventional astrophotogrpahy.
A great referance for the advance amateur covering the history and methods ( applied and theoretical ) of astrophotography. A definite must for all amateur astronomers that photograph the sky.

Not for the masses
If one can read through the author's interminablly sophomoric and condescending attitude(s); perhaps a nuggest or two of knowledge can be gleaned by those who can perservere.The commercial reviews are terribly outdated.This book is for those who have unlimited funding for building exotic telescopes and accessories.I cannot recommend this book and wish I had not read it so I could return it for a refund.

A bit dated but still the best book on astrophotography.
This book pre-dates CCDs but still gives the best coverage of the theory and practice ofall aspects of astrophotography.A must-have for your reference library. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomical Instruments    2. Astronomical photography    3. Astronomy - General    4. General    5. Photo Techniques    6. Photography    7. Star Observation    8. Popular astronomy    9. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (1)

Excellent addition to my growing astronomy book collection
This well thought out book is an excellent source for those of us who are pursuing the entire Messier catalog.Everything about it helps in the chase. Written in a manner that is not intimidating or too technical for thosejust starting out in amateur astronomy. Very helpful,interesting,and comprehensive. Can't go wrong with this one!Clear skies,all!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - General    3. Charts, diagrams, etc    4. Galaxies    5. Observers' manuals    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Star Observation    9. Stars    10. Catalogue des nébuleuses et amas d'étoiles    11. Galaxies, clusters, intergalactic matter    12. Messier, Charles    13. Popular astronomy    14. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (3)

Very helpful book
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
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
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.Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Automatic control    3. Computerized instruments    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Star Observation    8. Telescopes    9. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    10. Popular astronomy    11. Science / Astronomy   

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Atlases    3. Catalogs    4. Infrared Astronomy    5. Infrared sources    6. Magellanic Clouds    7. Nature    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Star Observation    11. Science / Astronomy    12. Stars, interstellar matter   

Subjects:  1. Applied Sciences (Young Adult)    2. Astronomy    3. Astronomy - General    4. Astronomy - Solar System    5. Astronomy projects    6. Observers' manuals    7. Popular works    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Telescopes    11. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    12. Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Technology / Astronomy   

Reviews (4)

more small astronnomical observatories
It a good book but it is outto date ,it is a good think who some one make a new book for this subject astronomical observatories amateur...

A Wealth of Ideas!
Sir Patrick Moore adds another wonderful book to his many!Anyone sincerely interested in configuring and erecting a custom observatory would find this invaluable.The initial offering is now out of print, but the editors and Sir Moore have kindly included a CD rendition of it.

Good for giving ideas
This book is not a step-by-step guide. Moore never says it would be. It allows you to see what others have built and get ideas for your own observatory - what is a better/different way to do what I want. An added bonus is that his first book (Small Astronomical Observatories) is included as a CD in the back (I had been looking for it for a while with no luck).Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomical Observatories    3. Astronomy - General    4. Design and construction    5. Great Britain    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Star Observation    9. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    10. Popular astronomy    11. Science / Astronomy    12. astronomy    13. observatories   

Reviews (3)

Great - for advanced amateur star-gazers
Mr. Suiter is a professional physicist whose avocation is star-gazing with modest amateur astronomical telescopes.His book bridges the gap between amateur and professional on the subject of telescope optics and performance.
A MUST-HAVE BOOK
If you are an amateur telescope maker, avid amateur astronomer with a jones for hardware, or are just interested in optics--YOU NEED THIS BOOK.Some rather technical sections do not detract from the hands-on user knowledge that makes it popular.Your friends will think you are an optics expert when you critique their scopes, but more importantly, it will help you get the best perfromance from your own equipment. An Excellent, Highly Technical Book
This is THE definitive book on the topic (outside of professional literature), and Suiter does an excellent job of presenting the material in a logical way, with clear diagrams, excellent photos, and in-depthdiscussion of the theory behind the technique.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomical Instruments    3. Nature    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Star Observation    6. Telescopes    7. Testing    8. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods   

Subjects:  1. Astronomical Instruments    2. Astronomy - General    3. Exploration    4. Hubble Space Telescope (Spacec    5. Hubble Space Telescope (Spacecraft)    6. Outer space    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Universe    10. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods   

Reviews (11)

Very good reference book for any astrophotographer
Micheal Covington's book covers all aspects of astrophotography starting from objects, from camera selection to films, exposure methods, mounts and drives, guiding of the mount & guiding accuracy/errors, and of course the CCD imaging. I also gives ideas on how to build a simple barn door mount. It does not end at taking exposures. After an exposure is taken we have to convert it into an acceptable quality print or into a computer file. Images can be greatly improved by digital processing. So it also covers image processing ideas. The only point to be noted is that one must look at his website and download the errata. The book has many printing errors, some of which are trivial though. That, of course, must not deter any user. I consider is my best field guide book on this topic. I believe his recent edition has got over these errors - not mine. I bought mine in 1999.

Great Introductory book
This book is a must in doing amateur astrophotography if you are going serious. It has lots of information which is very useful.For example it teach you to calculate the focal ratio using diferent techniques of takig pictures with the telescope, it help you calculate the exposure times in order to photograph the moon or a constelation on a tripod. My best book on astrophotography
I've bought a handful of books on the subject, and this one is head and shoulders above the rest. Some of the other books have lots of pretty pictures, and very little information on actually taking photos. I found the instructions easy to follow, and when I had a question, or needed to figure something out, this book always had it. Two big thumbs up! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomical Instruments    3. Astronomical photography    4. Astronomy - General    5. Photography    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Techniques - General    9. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    10. Astronomical photography--Amateurs' manuals    11. Photographic equipment & techniques    12. Popular astronomy    13. Science / Astronomy   

Subjects:  1. Antiques / Collectibles    2. Astronomical instruments    3. General    4. History    5. Instrument Science    6. Instruments    7. Nautical instruments    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Star Observation    10. Surveying   

Reviews (1)

A guide for the knowledgeable astronomer
At last.A Guide to telescopically observable deep-sky objects that also contains astrophysical information about each one all in one book.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - Star Guides    3. Astronomy - Universe    4. Astrophysics    5. Astrophysics & Space Science    6. Clusters    7. Cosmology    8. Galaxies    9. Nebulae    10. Observers' manuals    11. Science    12. Science/Mathematics    13. Cluster    14. Cosmology & the universe    15. Galaxy    16. Messier    17. Nebula    18. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (2)

More than I bargained for
As a beginner in astronomy I hoped for a book to hold my hand each step ofthe way, but I got more than I bargained for. This is not a true beginner'sbook, however the more I read the book the more I liked it. The fundamentalinformation is there, you just have to read some paragraphs over a time ortwo to absorb the knowledge, and then it begins to make more sense. Maybegood astronomy is like that anyway - not easy at first, but the more youlearn the more it draws you deeper into the study. The author is not afraidto be complete and provides an easy reading of the subject. Greatinformation on different types of telescopes.Excellent information for abeginner on major objects in the sky, cataloged nicely. I found some of theobjects my first night out with my new telescope - knew then I was hookedon this hobby! Highly recommend this book to someone who wants more thanjust a beginner's book, but is willing to take the time to absorb theexcellent information found within. If you are serious about astronomy as ahobby this is a great book to own.

Plenty of information for the money.
The subtitle "A Beginner's Guide to Observing the Cosmos" could have omitted the word "beginner's."This book packs a lot of information for the experienced amateur.The text goes much deeper than the littletechniques we have seen in other observing guides, like averted vision andproper dark adaptation.It provides specific recommendations for mosttypes of celestial targets suitable for amateur telescopes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomy - Star Guides    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Star Observation    6. Telescope    7. Telescopes    8. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods    9. Nature / Star Observation    10. Science / General    11. Science-Astronomy - Star Guides   

Reviews (1)

Capably written by experienced seaman and navigator Dag Pike
Capably written by experienced seaman and navigator Dag Pike, Reed's Sextant Simplified is an accessibly practical and authoritative guide to using a navigational device that has served seamen and airmen across generations and down through the centuries. Practical tips, a straightforward tutorial to reading and taking sights, making adjustments and correcting for errors, advice on handling and caring for the instrument, and more fill the pages of this solid resource which is especially recommended for beginners -- and has much to offer even the more experienced seafarer! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boating - General    2. Navigation    3. Sailing - General    4. Sailing - Navigation    5. Sextant    6. Sports    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Astronomical observation: observatories, equipment & methods   

Reviews (4)

Dated, but contains lots of hard to find information.
Originally published in 1955, this reprint is of the 3rd (1971) edition. In our era of out-of-the-box Go-to telescopes, these details of the English mounting and aberrations in a doublet lens may seem hopelessly dated. Yet there is lots of information here that is hard to find elsewhere. How much magnification is enough? How much is too much? Elsewhere you can find a rule of thumb; here you can find eight rules compared and evaluated. Sidgwick derives many formulae from the basic physics of light; he gets into the details of how vision works; he gives a more detailed analysis of 'seeing' than any other I've read. Technical introduction to amateur astronomy
Sidgwick's book is recognized as a classic, but the subject matter is presented rigorously and in the style of a text book.Originally published in 1955, Sidgwick's book relies heavily on British Astronomical Associationarchives and the overall book has a somewhat European bent.Most of thebook is still very relevant and informative, but don't expect unbiasedviews of currently available super eyepieces or CCD cameras.However, ifyou want exhaustive information on different types of mounts (and theirstrengths and weaknesses), hard-to-to-find information on accessories likemicrometers and spectroscopes, and analyses of image circles, telescopeconfigurations, and metallic films, this book is for you.Indeed, it isthe only book that I've seen with a section that Sidgwick calls"Personal Equation", that is, how much a given observation isinfluenced by innately human factors like visual acuity, overall health,and fatigue.It is an excellent book: just don't expect a lot of colorfulgraphs and eye candy.

Great!
This book is the best for amateurs.Recommended for al ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomical instruments    3. Astronomy    4. Astronomy - Star Guides    5. Reference    6. Science    7. Star Observation    8. Science / Astronomy