Contents. Part I Developing Your Skills

Transcription

1 Contents Part I Developing Your Skills 1 Accessing and Developing Your Observing Skills Stargazer or Amateur Astronomer? Perceptions and Expectations Assessing Your Skills and Identifying Your Interests Taking Stock Some General Observing Rules Managing Your Expectations How the Human Eye Works Dark Adaptation Factors That Can Affect Your Night Vision Maintaining Your Dark Adaptation Eyesight Correction Set Yourself Realistic Targets Evaluate Your Favored List of Targets Assess Your Abilities Planning and Recording Your Observing Sessions Preparing for an Observing Session Weather Gain Knowledge of Your Quarry Keep an Observing Notebook Date and Time of Observation The Seeing Scale Note Down How and What You Observed xi

2 xii Contents 2.8 Astronomical Drawing Getting Started with Drawing Equipment Needed for Drawing How to Draw Finalizing Your Drawings for Presentation Equipment Telescopes and Accessories A Long Hard Look at Your Equipment General Notes About Telescopes Binoculars Choosing Binoculars Telescopes Accessories Finder Scopes Eyepieces Star Diagonal or Right-Angle Prism Barlow Lenses Filters An Occulting Bar Dew Prevention Collimating Your Telescope Cleaning/Resurfacing Lenses and Mirrors Aperture/Equipment Fever Your Own Observatory Part II Practical Observing: Your Quarry Awaits 5 Constellations, Asterisms and Stars Star-Hopping Learn to Star-Hop Positions of Objects on the Sky Asterisms The Brightness of Stars The Bayer Designation Limiting Naked Eye Magnitude Estimating Star Magnitudes The Colors of Stars The Hertzprung-Russell Diagram Investigating the Colors of Stars Simple Spectroscopy Star Catalogs... 88

3 Contents xiii 6 Variable and Double Stars Variable Stars Naming of Variable Stars Types of Variable Stars Supernovae Naming of Supernova Variable Star Observing Programs Double and Multiple Stars The Main Types of Double Stars Measuring Double Stars Instruments for Splitting Double Stars The Airy Disk Dawes Limit A Couple of Challenging Double Stars Double and Variable Star Resources The Solar System: The Sun Observing the Sun Observing the Sun Indirectly Observing the Sun Directly Sunspots Counting Sunspots Counting Sunspot Groups Classification of Sunspot Groups Hydrogen Alpha and Calcium Solar Observing Solar Eclipses Solar Resources The Solar System: The Moon Observing the Moon Common Lunar Features Transient Lunar Phenomena and Impact Flashes Lunar Eclipses The Danjon Scale Lunar Occultations Lunar Resources The Solar System: Observing the Planets Mercury & Venus: The Inner Planets Visibility of the Inner Planets Observing the Inner Planets Observing Features on the Inner Planets Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune: The Outer Planets Retrograde Motion of the Planets Observing Mars

4 xiv Contents 9.8 Observing Jupiter Jupiter s Red Spot Other Jovian Features Jupiter s Moons Observing Saturn Saturn s Ring System Saturn s Cloud Structure Saturn s Moons Uranus and Neptune Moons of Uranus and Neptune Planetary Occultations of Stars or Other Planets The Solar System: Minor Solar System Bodies and Other Phenomena Minor Solar System Bodies Pluto Get a Permanent Observatory Number Measuring the Brightness of Minor Planets Observing Minor Planet Occultations Two Objects to Look Out For Meteors and Meteor Showers Meteorites Planning a Meteorite Hunt Observing Satellites Observing Geosynchronous Satellites Observing Passing Spacecraft Satellite Resources The Aurora The Zodiacal Light Atmospheric Effects The Solar System: Observing Comets Comet Behavior Comet Naming Comet Features Structure of a Comet Measuring the Comet s Coma The Comets Tail(s) Predicting a Comets Future Appearance Daylight Comets Hunting for New Comets Comet Resources Beyond the Solar System: Deep Sky Objects Observing Deep Sky Objects Deep Sky Catalogs

5 Contents xv 12.3 Open Star Clusters Globular Star Clusters Planetary Nebulae Gaseous Nebulae Supernova Remnants Galaxies Quasars Deep-Sky Resources Basic Astrophotography Astro-imaging Background Basic Astrophotography Primer Taking Your First Images Processing Your Hard Earned Images Astrophotography Through the Telescope Imaging the Planets Imaging Deep Sky Objects Astrophotography Resources Part III Further Information Sources and Community 14 Online Resources Software Online Citizen Astronomy Remote Telescopes Astronomy Podcasts Mobile Phone/Tablet Apps Meeting Other Observers Local Astronomical Clubs/Societies National and International Organizations Online Discussions and Resources Astronomy Conventions Remote Dark Sky Observing. Going it Alone Remote Dark Sky Observing. Star Parties Basic Rules for Star Parties Some of the Biggest and Most Popular Star Parties Star Maps, Sources of Information, Publications and Further Reading Star Maps Other Publications Places of Astronomical Interest Astronomical Holidays Further Reading/References Space Travel and Exploration

6 xvi Contents 15.7 Light Pollution and Organizations The History of Astronomy Conclusion Keep the Passion Burning Author s Closing Remarks Index