Practical Astronomy. Springer-Verlag London Ltd.

Transcription

1 Practical Astronomy Springer-Verlag London Ltd.

2 Other titles in this series The Modern Amateur Astronomer Patrick Moore (Ed.) Telescopes and Techniques: An Introduction to Practical Astronomy C. R. Kitchin

3 Patrick Moore (Ed.) i Springer

4 Cover illustration: The constellation Orion (John Sanford/Science Photo Library). British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Observational Amateur Astronomer. - (Practical Astronomy Series) I. Moore, Patrick II. Series 520 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The observational amateur astronomer / Patrick Moore (ed.). p. cm. -- (Practical astronomy) Includes index. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Astronomy--Amateurs' manuals. QB dc20 I. Moore, Patrick. II. Series CIP Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of the licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Springer-Verlag London 1995 Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 2003 The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Typeset by Editburo, Lewes, East Sussex, England Printed by the Alden Press Ltd., Osney Mead, Oxford 34/ Printed on acid-free paper

5 Contents Introduction Patrick Moore The Sun in White Light Bruce Hardie..... vii The Sun in Hydrogen-Alpha Bob Turner Eclipses Michael Maunder The Moon Jeremy Cook Mercury and Venus Richard M. Baum Mars Patrick Moore Jupiter Terry Moseley Saturn A. W. Heath The Asteroids and Telescopic Planets Andrew J. Hollis Meteors Neil Bone Comets Jonathan Shanklin 159 v

6 Contents 12 Occultations Alan Wells l3 Aurorre and Noctilucent Clouds David Gavine Variable Stars Melvyn D. Taylor Supernovre R. W. Arbour Deep Sky Observing Bernard C. Abrams Artificial Satellites Howard Miles Annotated Drawings Paul Doherty Contributors.. Index l

7 Introduction Amateur observers have always played a major role in astronomy. This is true even today, when techniques have become so advanced and so sophisticated. In The Modern Amateur Astronomer, instruments and techniques were discussed. The present volume is devoted entirely to observation. Only a few decades ago, work of this kind was limited mainly to a few restricted fields: lunar and planetary observation, comet-hunting, meteor-watching, and variable star estimates. The equipment used consisted of a simple telescope of modest aperture, together with a camera which would nowadays be regarded as primitive. This is not to belittle what was achieved; far from it - and it is worth remembering that, until almost the start of the space age, the best and most detailed maps of the Moon, for example, were of amateur construction. But now the amateur has had to become more specialised if he wants to undertake really useful research, and there is a dearth of books which bridge the gap between the beginner and the really experienced worker. This is the aim of this book. A limited amount of prior knowledge is assumed, but there is nothing here which will puzzle anyone who has done a certain amount of reading from the more elementary books on astronomy. Each chapter has been written by an experienced observer who has specialised knowledge of the subject under discussion - and it is assumed that the equipment needed is of the type which is available to most enthusiasts at reasonable cost. We have made no attempt to impose a 'standard style' on any of the chapters, and readers will discover a variety of approaches to the subject;

8 vi' Introduction there is still room for individualism in astronomy. Amateur work today is as valuable as ever, and to a considerable extent professional researchers depend upon it. Certainly there is a degree of cooperation in astronomy not found in most other sciences; and despite the great modern observatories and the space missions, there remains plenty for the dedicated amateur to contribute. I hope that this book will be of real use. Patrick Moore