Astronomy Log

This is the second edition of Michael Covington’s Astrophotography for the amateur book.  It is nice to find a book solely on astrophotography, as that’s what interests me most, I always like to come in from the cold with some images or video to work on.

Although the title of the book is astrophotography for the amateur, I did find this book to be quite in depth and it does include non-beginner topics such as exposure tables, and lots of mathematical equations. The book does not include many colour images, only in a section in the centre of the book.

Astrophotography for the amateur is broken down into four main sections; simple techniques, advanced techniques, photographic technology and digital imaging.

The first section takes you through photographing stars without a telescope, and how to shoot eclipses, the moon, comets and meteors.

The second section on advanced techniques takes you through performing prime focus photography, which is where you connect the camera directly to the telescope.  This section also discusses dealing with tracking, vibration, unsteady air, dew and more. This section finishes off detailing piggy backing your camera on your telescope, building and using a barn door tracker, using lenses, dealing with light pollution and how to get the best polar alignment.

The third section entitled photographic technology covers using traditional SLR cameras, there is no mention of digital cameras in this section.  This section does include everything you wanted to know about SLR cameras though, such as about film, various cameras and developing and processing your shots.

The final section is all about digital imaging, including file compression, how to manipulate colour, combining images, printing, smoothing, sharpening, working with histograms and all about CCD imaging.  The CCD section talks about how CCD works, aiming and focusing, exposures and focal lengths and more.

Astrophotography for the amateur also includes six appendices, such as exposure tables, plans for an electronic drive corrector and about photographic filters as well as an appendix on mathematical analysis of polar-axis misalignment.

So as you can tell there is a lot of content in this book, and it covers lots of areas of astrophotography and it packs in a lot of information. Overall a very good book on astrophotography, just a shame that DSLR cameras were not covered in any detail, perhaps in the next edition the SLR section will be changed to a DSLR section.

Buy Astrophotography for the Amateur Book

Philip’s Atlas of the Universe by Patrick Moore is now in its sixth edition. The Atlas of the Universe is quite a big book; it’s a hardcover book and is a full size type coffee table book.  The full colour photographs, images and diagrams are absolutely breath taking, with pictures from space missions and images of planets, nebulae, constellations and more.

Atlas of the Universe is divided into seven sections, these are “Exploring the Universe”, which covers the history of astronomy and space exploration and the latest results from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes.

“The Solar System” chapter contains information on everything in our solar system including the earth and the planets, with images and maps of the planets from visiting spacecraft including the Cassini probe, the Mars Express and the Spirit and Opportunity rovers.

“The Sun” chapter covers visible phenomena, from sunspots to solar eclipses including images from the SOHO and TRACE spacecrafts.

“The Stars” chapter covers nebulae, supernovae, black holes, stellar clusters with images from the VLT or Very Large Telescope.

“Into the Universe” includes the structure of the Universe, our Galaxy, quasers.  It also discusses the possibilities of extraterrestrial life.

Towards the rear of the book there are more practical astronomy chapters, including Star Maps, a complete atlas of the constellations (northern and southern hemisphere) stretched across 22 maps.  There are also tables accompanying the maps which give co-ordinates, magnitudes and other data.

The final chapters contain beginner’s guides which teach beginners such basics as how to use a planisphere and an introduction to binoculars and telescopes.  There are sections on digital imaging with cameras and CCD cameras. The final section covers having an observatory.  Atlas of the Universe ends with a 25 page glossary which includes colour diagrams.

Overall The Atlas of the Universe is a magical book, if you don’t like reading these types of general astronomy books, and then just look at the images, they are amazing. I could imagine this book to be a brilliant gift for the avid astronomer or for any child who is studying astronomy or has a school project to complete.

Atlas of the Universe is available from Amazon

This version of the Mars Observer’s Guide was published in 2003.  It is one of the pocket sized Philip’s books which retails at under £10.

Mars Observer’s Guide contains a lot of full colour pictures and diagrams all of which are very high quality images. The book begins by looking at the main features of Mars, Martian geology and the seasons of Mars.

There is then a chapter on telescope equipment that can be used to view Mars. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of refractors, reflectors and catadioptrics.  The rest of the chapter then takes a look at eyepieces, filters and mounts.

There is a small section about the photography of Mars and CCD imaging. A larger section is dedicated to sketching Mars, with lots of help and advice on drawing Mars.

The following three chapters cover what’s happening at Mars in 2003, 2005 and 2007-08, such as highlights of the year, and apparition timetables.  Obviously this book is re-published every few years in order to bring it up to date, so make sure you purchase the latest copy so you have information on Mars to last you the next few years.

At the end of the book there is information about the history of Mars and the influential observers of Mars.  There is then information on all of the space missions to Mars including satellites and Mars landers.

Overall the Mars Observer’s Guide is a useful pocket guide which includes a great deal of useful information about the red planet for education and observers.

The Mars Observers Guide Book can be purchased from Amazon

Each of the 50 sights are given their own chapter in this book with these chapters then divided into sections based upon the field of view, and thus what you need to use to see each sight. This includes the naked eye, binoculars, small and large telescopes.

Each of the fifty sights is given several pages each, and each sight is well described together with tips on how to see the sight.

Such sights covered are solar and lunar eclipses, the Pleiades, Andromeda galaxy, Jupiter, Great Orion Nebula, Venus and The Milky Way.

‘The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How To See Them’ is great little book, and will give beginner astronomers a great insight in what you can see and what to look out for during the astronomical year.

Most of the images in the book are in black and white except for a few colour glossy pages that can be found in the middle of the book.

The book also contains five small appendices covering a list of total solar eclipse dates up to 2024, major meteor showers throughout the year, total and partial lunar eclipses, the brightest stars and the transit dates of Mercury and Venus.

Overall ‘The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How To See Them’ is a useful beginners book but it would have been nice if each sight could have been presented with a colour photograph.

The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How To See Them can be purchased at Amazon

I actually received this book as part of the AstroBox when I purchased my Bresser Messier 130N telescope. Philip’s produce some really good books on all aspects of astronomy and this book is no different.

Stargazing with a telescope begins by taking you through how telescopes work and the various types of telescopes available and which may be right for you. The book also contains a lot of information on the various types of mounts from various manufacturers and how they all work. There are also some great tips on what to look for when purchasing a second hand telescope and a section on how to maintain your telescope.

Stargazing with a telescope then moves onto using your telescope, it begins with setting up your viewfinder and getting its alignment correct. The book also describes each part of the telescope in turn and gives help and advice on how to make the most of your nights viewing.

Stargazing with a telescope shows you how to set up and use setting circles, and get used to use RA and Dec settings, and polar align your telescope. It also instructs you how to use the Philips Planisphere.

There is then a section on the planets and how to view the sun and about viewing nebulae and double stars.

The last major chapter is about the extras you can purchase for your telescope including eyepieces, filters, dew shields, power supplies, astrophotography and web cam use.

Finally the book has a number of sky maps depicting the sky throughout the various seasons and a list of the various nebulae and other interesting objects to observe.

At around 190 pages Stargazing with a telescope packs in so much vital information for astronomy beginners.

I actually think that every person starting astronomy should read Stargazing with a telescope. I still am, for reference as well. This book could also be read before you purchase binoculars or a telescope as there is lots of good advice about the different type of telescope and which may be right for you.

This book review is based on the 2004 edition.

The Monthly Sky Guide 7th Edition by Cambridge University Press (ISBN 0521684358)

The Monthly Sky Guide contains a chapter on the main sights visible in each month of the year in the northern hemisphere.

The Monthly Sky Guide was first published in 1987 and it gets updated every few years, this 7th edition of The Monthly Sky Guide has details on planet positions and eclipses up to 2011.

At around 65 pages this book is not the largest astronomy book ever seen but it does contain a lot of useful information. The beginning of the book contains a useful introduction which answers questions such as what is a Star. What is a Constellation? How bright are the stars? etc. It also helps you to find your way around the night sky and describes how the night sky changes through the seasons.

Each month in turn provides you with a night sky map and details on key stars for the month, what the planets are up to together with any meteor showers or eclipses that are due that month. A particular constellation is then looked into in more detail, describing what to look for in that constellation.

Overall the maps are really useful and easy to read, The Monthly Sky Guide is an excellent book for anyone who wants to learn about the night sky and the constellations and know what major events are coming up in the next few years.

The Monthly Sky Guide is available from Amazon

As you would expect the Moon Observer’s Guide (ISBN 0540084190) is a book all about our moon and a what a complete book it is. I think it must contain everything you ever need to know about the moon.

Moon Observers Guide contains chapters on lunar geology, the moon in space, lunar observer’s equipment, moon watching, recording your observations, eclipses and occultations, and the space-age moon.

The Moon Observers Guide contains a useful chapter which discusses the various type of telescopes you can use to view the moon and their advantages and disadvantages.

Throughout The Moon Observer’s Guide are some nice colour and black and white images and drawings of the moon.

A large section of the book follows the moon cycle through 28 days with each day containing a page about the part of the moon that is on show together with an image of that new section on show naming each section of the moon. This is just like having a moon map but split into days which is really good.

There are also chapters on how to record your observations using conventional photography, and digital photography including using camcorders, web cams and digital cameras. Finally there is a nice chapter describing occultations and lunar eclipses.

Overall this Philips title is really good and can be purchased on its own or within the Moonwatch pack which also includes a moon map and moon poster.

Philip’s Moon Observers Guide is available from Amazon

The Complete Guide to Stargazing (0540089370) is an amazing astronomy book from Philips, which is more like an encyclopedia of astronomy, it’s certainly a coffee table kind of book which you could leave out and see lots of friends pick up and flick through.

The Complete Guide to Stargazing is a very large full colour astronomy book which contains hundreds of images both from NASA and from amateur astronomers alike.

The book was first published in 2006, but this review is based on the reprinted 2007 edition.

The Complete Guide to Stargazing contains eight chapters with a very large a-z of astronomy at the rear. The first chapter entitled ‘The night sky’ introduces you to the basics of the sky including details on wavelengths, distances of galaxies, about stars and how we view them.

The second chapter entitled ‘Getting Started’ introduces you to the night’s sky and how it moves, as well as the sun’s movement, scale of the sky and star brightness.

The third chapter is about equipment for observing, and discusses using binoculars for astronomy as well as teaching you about the various types of telescopes, mounts and how to get to know and use your telescope.

The fourth chapter is about our moon, and contains some great photos in it of the moon and the lunar landings. There are also useful moon maps included.

The fifth chapter is about the solar system and includes information on how to view the sun through a telescope via projection or by using solar filters. Many full colour images of each planet in turn are shown throughout the chapter including images from a distance and terrain images where available, and it’s nice to see amateur images making it into the book, some also detail what type of telescope took the image.

Chapter six covers stars and deep sky objects, again this chapter includes some brilliant images and tips on how to draw objects and photograph them.

Chapter seven is a very useful chapter covering the sky month by month with sky maps and images as well as full descriptions about each item.

The final chapter contains sky maps, and they have been laid out very well, as the left hand side of the page is a map page indicating the constellations and stars, whilst the right hand side of the page is a matching image of the real sky. This makes it really easy to learn the night sky.

Overall The Complete Guide to Stargazing is an amazing book with amazing images, a book which I’m sure most astronomers would love to have, and I can imagine this book being a great gift for anyone interested in astronomy at any age.

The Complete Guide to Stargazing is available at Amazon now.

O’Reilly is not known for being specialists in publishing astronomy books, so it is nice to see an astronomy book from them. O’Reilly are already well known for their hacks series of books on a number of subjects and this book contains 65 astronomy hacks covering everything you need to know in order to make the most out of your nights observing.

The 65 astronomy hacks are divided into four chapters. These are Getting Started, Observing Hacks, Scope Hacks and Accessory Hacks.

There are lots of tips and advice in this book, such as what to pack for nights observing, how to protect your night vision, how to learn urban observing, how to upgrade your Dobsian mount.

There are also other tips on how to align your viewfinder, how to maintain logbooks, how to clean your eyepieces and how to tune your Newtonian reflector for maximum performance.

Astronomy Hacks contains a number of images and diagrams and is a great read, also a useful reference. It’s nice to be able to read just one hack at once, which is shorter than a normal book chapter.

Pathways to Astronomy (ISBN 0072922087). The beginning of the book contains some really nice pages of various parts of the night sky constellations in full colour and what interesting sights to look out for in the sky, including M101, M81, M82, M31, M45, M57, M16 and a lot more.

Pathways to Astronomy is split into five parts, these are the cosmic landscape, probing light and matter, the solar system, stars and stellar evolution and finally galaxies and the universe.

The cosmic landscape part covers the basics of astronomy including the geometry of the moon, sun and earth as well as lunar cycles and an introduction to astronomical formulae and functions.

Part two covers Newton’s law, orbital velocities, conservation laws, the electromagnetic spectrum, and Doppler shift, focusing light and how to observe space.

Part three covers the solar system including our solar systems planets including asteroids, comets and about impacts on earth.

Path four covers the stars and stellar evolution including giant and variable stars, exploding white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, star clusters and about the sun.

Part five covers galaxies and the universe including details on the gas and dust in the Milky Way and the mass and motions in the Milky Way. Dark matter, cosmology and astrobiology and the search for life elsewhere are also included.

Starry Night Pro on CD accompanied my copy of Pathways to Astronomy which is an excellent piece of astronomy software.

The appendices include a wide range of tables and information about astronomy formulae and tables giving you information on stars, satellites, the nearest stars and more. Also included is the table of periodic elements. The rear of the book also includes a glossary of astronomical terms together with a fold out map of the constellations in the northern and southern hemisphere.

Pathways to Astronomy are a very large and concise book on astronomy. At the end of each chapter there are key terms, questions for review, problems to solve and a set of questions to test your self.

Pathways to Astronomy contains some amazing full colour photographs of the solar system together with some really clear and concise drawings which help to explain certain topics. If you are after a really concise book on astronomy then Pathways to Astronomy is an excellent book and an excellent study guide book.

Pathways to Astronomy is available at Amazon