Viewing and Imaging the Solar System: A Guide for Amateur Astronomers (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series Book 7)

__Viewing and Imaging the Solar System: A Guide for Amateur Astronomers__ is for those who want to develop their ability to observe and image Solar System objects, including the planets and moons, the Sun, and comets and asteroids. They might be beginners, or they may have already owned and used an astronomical telescope for a year or more. Newcomers are almost always wowed by sights such as the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter, but have little idea how to find these objects for themselves (with the obvious exceptions of the Sun and Moon). They also need guidance about what equipment, besides a telescope, they will need. This book is written by an expert on the Solar System, who has had a lot of experience with outreach programs, which teach others how to make the most of relatively simple and low-cost equipment. That does not mean that this book is not for serious amateurs. On the contrary, it is designed to show amateur astronomers, in a relatively light-hearted—and math-free way—how to __become__ serious. Viewing¡and Imaging the Solar System: A¡Guide for Amateur Astronomers is for those who want to develop their ability to observe and image Solar System objects, including the planets and moons, the Sun, and comets and asteroids. They might be beginners, or they may have already owned and used an astronomical telescope for a year or more. Newcomers are almost always wowed by sights such as the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter, but have little idea how to find these objects for themselves (with the obvious exceptions of the Sun and Moon). They also need guidance about what equipment to use, besides a telescope. This book is written by an expert on the Solar System, who has had a lot of experience with outreach programs, which teach others how to make the most of relatively simple and low-cost equipment. That does not mean that this book is not for serious amateurs. On the contrary, it is designed to show amateur astronomers, in a relatively light-hearted--and math-free way--how to become serious Viewing and Imaging the Solar System: A Guide for Amateur Astronomers is for those who want to develop their ability to observe and image Solar System objects, including the planets and moons, the Sun, and comets and asteroids. They might be beginners, or they may have already owned and used an astronomical telescope for a year or more. Newcomers are almost always wowed by sights such as the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter, but have little idea how to find these objects for themselves (with the obvious exceptions of the Sun and Moon). They also need guidance about what equipment to use, besides a telescope. This book is written by an expert on the Solar System, who has had a lot of experience with outreach programs, which teach others how to make the most of relatively simple and low-cost equipment. That does not mean that this book is not for serious amateurs. On the contrary, it is designed to show amateur astronomers, in a relatively light-hearted—and math-free way—how to become serious. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii How to Find the Solar System....Pages 1-17 Telescope Mounts....Pages 19-31 Telescopes, Binoculars and Light....Pages 33-56 Photographing the Moon and Planets....Pages 57-80 The Solar System in Context....Pages 81-86 Earth’s Nearest Neighbor: The Moon....Pages 87-124 The Planets: What You Can Realistically Expect to See....Pages 125-162 The Sun, Star of the Solar System....Pages 163-197 Small Fry: Asteroids and Comets....Pages 199-213 The Apps and Downs of Mobile Devices for Astronomy....Pages 215-221 Observing the Solar System from Your Armchair....Pages 223-244 Back Matter....Pages 245-256