Product Description
This introduction to the night sky is for amateur astronomers who desire a deeper understanding of the principles and observations of naked-eye astronomy. It covers topics such as terrestrial and astronomical coordinate systems, stars and constellations, the relative motions of the sky, sun, moon and earth leading to an understanding of the seasons, phases of the moon, and eclipses. Topics are discussed and compared for observers located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Written in a conversational style, only addition and subtraction are needed to understand the basic principles and a more advanced mathematical treatment is available in the appendices. Each chapter contains a set of review questions and simple exercises to reinforce the reader's understanding of the material. The last chapter is a set of self-contained observation projects to get readers started with making observations about the concepts they have learned.William Charles Millar, currently Professor of Astronomy at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, has been teaching the subject for almost twenty years and is very involved with local amateur astronomy groups. Millar also belongs to The Planetary Society and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and has traveled to Europe and South America to observe solar eclipses. Millar holds a Masters degree in Physics from Western Michigan University. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Celestial Sphere
This book was exactly what I was looking for.It is a reasonably thorough and accurate presentation of the basic astronomy of the sky.It explains why we see the apparent motion of sun, stars, moon, and it gives a good account of the seasons and their causes.

It is readable and straightforward without being "dumbed down."It requires some work to fully grasp all the concepts the author presents, but the reward is well worth the effort.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in really coming to grips with the celestial sphere and its motions.

Basic Astronomy
This book goes over the science of how things work. It tells why summer days are long and winter days are short. Also why things appear to move as they do, stars, some constellations. Great read if you want to know the science behind it all. Simple enough to browse, but with great details if you want to get more involved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must for the Amateur Astronomer

This is one of the classics. It explains the basics of optics, telescopes and the sky as well as any book out there. Yes, the imaging info is very dated, but that field is changing rapidly and nothing published before yesterday is up to date.

The information about the relationship between optics and vision is hard to find anywhere and a revelation. It explains how certain aberrations appear and change because of the way the eye works with telescopes and eyepieces.

I have recently decided that I want to make a mirror scope, valuable basic information here, as well. The techniques have not changed much in 25 years.

Many more topics are covered, the book is quite comprehensive and the author writes clearly and plainly.

Highly recommended and a bargain here at Amazon.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disagree with Mladen K. Vranjican's review
I totally disagree with Mladen K. Vranjican's review "- Page 127, line3. The book incorrectly relates R. J. Lurie's work with that of J. L. Houghton."
I don't have a copy of Lurie's paper (Journal of the Optical Society of America, March 1975, p. 261), but I have an article named "Gleanings for ATM's--Making an Aplanatic 4-inch Telescope" on Sky & Telescope Nov. 1979 issue. It mentioned Lurie's great thought in his paper:
"In Example IV [of U.S. Patent No.2350,112, May 30, 1944] J.L.Houghton presents a design for an aplanatic system that consists of a two-element afocal corrector at the optical focus of a spherical mirror. The corrector...is shown made of glasses that have different refractive indices. However, such a corrector can be designed using the same glass type for both elements. This aplanat has interesting properties. Like the Wright telescope...its tube length is equal to its focal length. However, its astigmatism is only half that of the Wright telescope, and its surfaces are all spherical. The image surface of best focus has the same curvature as the mirror."

So, Mr. Lurie not only invented the aspheric (conic-section) mirror type as Mladen K. Vranjican said in the review, but also footnoted the telescope with all spherical and same glass, just what we called 'Lurie-Houghton' now a days. Mr. Lurie ofcouse should own the honor for the name together with Houghton. What Houghton invented is using different glass and it is the source of Lurie-Houghton telescope.

Manual is more comprehensive than accessible
There was a time once when amateur astronomers had exposure to only a few different kinds of telescopes--mostly simple achromatic refractors, which comprise just two lenses cemented together (plus an eyepiece), and Newtonian reflectors, which include a mirror plus the eyepiece.Many, possibly most, of these amateurs also made their own optics, and as a result, they knew most of what there was to know about these designs.

Nowadays, it's quite different.Not only are there vastly more types of telescopes, but most amateurs now buy telescopes; telescope building is a diminishing part of amateur astronomy, and people make their own telescopes out of desire, not necessity.It's harder than ever now for amateurs to really know about optical designs in breadth and depth.

Into this breach step Rutten and van Venrooij, two Dutch astronomers who wanted to know more about optics but found that resources were generally unavailable to amateurs.So, they wrote their own.Telescope Optics is a compendium of optical information, geared to the intermediate to advanced amateur.Like Gaul, it can be divided into three parts: Chapters 1 through 4 discuss optical principles; Chapters 5 through 16 apply those principles to various telescope and accessory designs; and Chapters 17 through 22 cover evaluation and design.

The manner of the text is generally scholarly but informal.Although optical principles are explained from the fundamentals, the authors still assume a certain level of comfort with high school mathematics and analytical exposition.In particular, it helps if the reader can easily digest information in two-dimensional graphs.This can make the book somewhat imposing for those readers who really just want to know, at a high level, what makes their own telescope tick.

For those readers capable of making their way through the analysis, however, the authors clearly and comprehensively explain the workings of several telescope and camera designs, and discuss in brief the quirks of at least half a dozen more.The compromises of each design are detailed to the level of so-called "third-order aberrations"; these include coma, astigmatism, field curvature, spherical aberration, and distortion.

The authors also make available their own design software.Being 15 years down the line, the software is somewhat out of date, and it does not come free with the book; it must be purchased separately.The book does explain how to use the software, though.

Overall, the book should find its way onto the shelf of anyone who wants to learn, seriously, about their optics.For those who simply want a taste of how optics work, or who need a gentle introduction to the field, it probably ought to wait until later.

Excellent manual for beginners and advanced amateurs
Telescope Optics is a comprehensive, educational and practical manual for beginners and advanced amateur opticians and astronomers. It is probably one of the best overall sources of information on basic optics, optical instruments and their prformance. The book comes with a DOS-based computer program that allows users to design their own systems and evaluate theoretical or existing optical configurations.Telescope Optics fills the gap between simple amateur telescope and optics manuals and professional literature. The book is due for a second edition, as well as an upgraded optical design and analysis program suitable for Windows-driven computer environment.Although Telescope Optics came with some errata sheets, the book has notable omissions and errors, summarized below.- Page 5, line 19. No mention is made of either F. B. Wright (1935) or Y. Väisälä (1936), whose modifications to the original Schmidt camera design resulted in more compact, flat-field instruments suitable for visual as well as photographic work.- Page 88, line 5. Credit is given to K. Slevogt (October, 1942) for developing a modification to the famous Baker camera. His work was preceeded, however, by C. R. Burch (April, 1942) in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (Vol. 102, No. 3, "Design of Approximately Flat-fielded System, with Two Spherical Mirrors and One Plate").- Page 127, line3. The book incorrectly relates R. J. Lurie's work with that of J. L. Houghton. Houghton (U.S. Patent No 2,350,112, May 30, 1944) proposed a two-element all-spherical corrector used in conjunction with a spherical mirror for a Newtonian-like configuration. The system is aplanatic (free of coma and spherical aberration). Lurie (Journal of the Optical Society of America, March 1975, p. 261) proposes two-element all-spherical correctors in conjunction with aspheric (conic-section) mirrors resulting in a fully systems that are fully anastigmatic - free of coma, spherical aberration and astigmatism. The two systems are not interchangable and only bear superficial resemblence. The value of Lurie's configurations is in superior optical performance, which in all aspects except distortion rival that of a true Schmidt camera, and in the applicability of converting smaller Newtonian configurations into first-class astrographs.- Page 145, Section 14.4, the book omits to mention that Ross-type correctors can be used in conjunction with hyperboloidal primary mirrors, resulting in anastigmatic flat-field astrographs (offered by Takahashi of Japan). Since full-aperture correctors are not practical for large Newtonian-like configurations, vast number of amateurs with telescopes larger than 10-inches in diameter could convert their instruments to high quality astrocameras. Suitable correctors, other than the Ross, have also been investigated and implemented on existing observatory Newtonian systems. Availability of their design and analysis would be of paramount importance to serious amateur observers and astrophotographers.Mladen K. Vranjican ... Read more

Product Description
Praise for Star Ware

"Star Ware is still a tour de force that any experienced amateur will find invaluable, and which hardware-minded beginners will thoroughly enjoy."

- Robert Burnham, Sky & Telescope magazine

"Star Ware condenses between two covers what would normally take a telescope buyer many months to accumulate."

- John Shibley, Astronomy magazine

Whether you're shopping for your first telescope or your fifth, don't be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the dazzling array of product choices, bells and whistles, and the literature that describes them all. That's why you need Star Ware.

In this revised and updated Fourth Edition of the essential guide to comparing and selecting sky-watching equipment, award-winning astronomy writer Philip Harrington takes you telescope shopping the easy way. He analyzes and explains today's astronomy market and compares brands and models point by point. Star Ware gives you the confidence you need to buy the telescope and accessories that are right for you and the knowledge to get the most out of your new purchase, with:
*

Extensive, expanded reviews of leading models and accessories-including dozens of new products
*

A clear, step-by-step guide to every aspect of selecting telescopes, binoculars, filters, mounts, lenses, cameras, film, star charts, guides and references, and much more
*

Ten new do-it-yourself projects for building your own astronomical equipment
*

Easy tips on setting up, using, and caring for telescopes and other astronomical equipment
*

Lists of where to find everything astronomical, including Web sites and resources; distributors, dealers, and conventions; and corporate listings for products and services ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

The first decent guide

This is pleasurable reading. As a coffee table flick through it stacks well above the rest. As a beginners guide to astonomy equipment, its purchase, and its correct use in all possible contexts it sits as the one and only guide both for northern and southern hemisphere viewing. The author reflects his passion and experience in the field of amatuer astronomy through fluid easy to read prose, guiding visual, and kinesthetic learners alike. The ease of the language reflects the authors very deep knowledge of the subject. There are plenty of asides ranging from historical trends, to club contacts and it even covers some amazing projects developed by ingenius amatuers all beautifully diagrammed and represented in the book. If your an experienced astronomer this book tells you things you might not know already. If your a beginner, then this book is a must to read before you make financial commitments. If your after some coffee table eye candy have this one along side your nat geos and home beautifulls. Something for the cosmic ponderer in ALL of us.

Helpful telesope guidance
This book makes a nice complement to Rod Molise's book, "Chosing and Using a New CAT."Philip Harrington is less devoted to the catadioptric solution to telescope design, but the style, overall content, and usefulness of "Star Ware" are excellent.

I enjoyed this book very much.

Good reference material
Very detailed, exhaustive.Gets the novice (me) off the starting block and into the action.A book can only do so much, however.You have to start visiting the stores and websites yourself.I appreciate all the little hints provided, such as a homemade anti-fogging device and a focusing lever.Harrington does his best to help beginners avoid or solve all the little problems that come an amateur astronomer's way.I recommend it.

Where Every Beginner Should Start!
10-15 years ago a book like this really wouldn't even be needed but things are very different today. The amateur astronomer market has absolutely exploded with a plethora of different scopes and accessories. Even the seasoned veterans can find the market a bit daunting today. Well that is where Star Ware comes in and in all honesty this book should be on every amateur astronomers bookshelf regardless of their level of expertise. Its just an invaluable reference that covers all of the different gear available. Whats great about this book is it doesn't just cover the different types of scopes, it also gives you side by side comparisons of today's leading models.

The bottom line - If you are interested in buying astronomy gear then this is the very first purchase you should make. After reading this book you will have a much better understanding of the gear available and the gear best suited for the activities your interested in.

A must buy for all amateur astronomers!

5 Stars!

Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescoped and Accessories
Harrington's whole Star Ware series is a must read for anyone getting into the astronomy hobby. ... Read more

Product Description
Timeless, comprehensive coverage of telescopes, mirrors, lenses, mountings, telescope drives, micrometers, spectroscopes, more. "...highly recommended for very serious nonprofessional astronomers."—A Guide to the Literature of Astronomy. 189 illustrations. Reprint of 1971 edition.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent exposition of the technicalities of classical astronomical equipment
This book is an extremely valuable resource for the serious amateur astronomer, containing an excellent exposition of the basic technical aspects of astronomical equipment and important concepts such as time, coordinates, brightness and magnitude. It was first published in 1955, the present edition (3rd) being from 1971, and therefore the text seems old fashioned and outdated although it has not lost value at all because most of the book deals with fundamental physical and mathematical aspects that remain valid. As stated in the editor's preface to the third edition: "This book is basically not a book about astronomy, but a compendium of things an astronomer needs to know. As such, its contents are, for the most part essentially physical and mathematical in nature, and their truth is sufficiently fundamental that they will not change with time." I can't state that better. For this price you won't get all this excellent material anywhere else. This book is a treasure and I am happy to have it in my bookshelf. A warning for those that are not mathematically inclined: this book goes deep into concepts and makes abundant use of mathematics. If you are not willing to read or make use of such information this book is probably not for you.

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.

3 stars for the average amateur; 5 for the amateur telescope maker or anyone looking to tinker with equipment.

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

Not what you think.
This book is very technical and not a basic beginner's guide to backyard astronomy. But, if you want to understand the technical aspects of how a telescope works then it's for you. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first book to look in detail at amateur astronomy in Victorian Britain. It deals with the technical issues that were active in Victorian astronomy, and reviews the problems of finance, patronage and the dissemination of scientific ideas. It also examines the relationship between the amateur and professional in Britain. It contains a wealth of previously unpublished biographical and anecdotal material, and an extended bibliography with notes incorporating much new scholarship. In The Victorian Amateur Astronomer, Allan Chapman shows that while on the continent astronomical research was lavishly supported by the state, in Britain such research was paid for out of the pockets of highly educated, wealthy gentlemen — the so-called ‘Grand Amateurs. It was these powerful individuals who commissioned the telescopes, built the observatories, ran the learned societies, and often stole discoveries from their state-employed colleagues abroad. In addition to the ‘Grand Amateurs, Victorian Britain also contained many self-taught amateurs. Although they belonged to no learned societies, these people provide a barometer of the popularity of astronomy in that age. In the late 19th century, the comfortable middle classes — clergymen, lawyers, physicians and retired military officers — took to astronomy as a serious hobby. They formed societies which focused on observation, lectures and discussions, and it was through this medium that women first came to play a significant role in British astronomy. Readership: Undergraduate and postgraduate students studying the history of science or humanities, professional historians of science, engineering and technology, particularly those with an interest in astronomy, the development of astronomical ideas, scientific instrument makers, and amateur astronomers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How Space Exploration began at the Amateur Level!
This book lays out in some detail the contributions of early amateur astonomers. This book is an excellent source for information on a very interesting subject that almost every can enjoy because of its shear excitment. It is like the gold rush in America where everyone made an attempt at fame. This book digs deep aiming at the bottom of the iceberg where often most research looks only at the tip of the iceberg. You come to understand exactly the situation faced by "earlier eyes". It is a wonderful book on a subject that draws you closer by its clear presentation and well defined thought. It is a true testament to a modern genius and rennassiance man...

Enjoy!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great constellation guide
This book is very useful to the amateur astronomer since it contains muchessential information about all of the 88 constellations and has clear, readable maps.There are also some fine photographs of outstanding celestial objects in the more interesting regions of the sky.The book does not cover the mythology, which is already featured in many other books, but it is excellent as an observing guide.The charts are a great companion for stargazing with binoculars and a small telescope.By all means add this bookto your astronomy library-- even if you own other books about the constellations.

Excellent!
I bought this book used largely on the advice of the recommendations. They were not wrong. This book gives a grand tour of the skies in a comprehensive and thoughtful manner, very thoroughly documented with three perspectives:1) actual photographs of the constellations to train your eyes or stop hop from, 2)thoughtful descriptions and explanations 3) a comprehensive star atlas that easily rivals so-called star atlases such as Norton's and Collins, etc. I coulnd't find any difference in detail between much more expensive star-atlases and this book (maybe I didn't carefully enough). In fact, the photographs were so detailed (maybe not as lovely as Akira Fuji's), that many showed details well past the normal 7.5 magnitude stars and you could use these for star-hopping (although for a beginner, this is quite difficult until you train your eye). This isn't, however, quite as easy for the beginner to use as say Turn left at Orion, but I believe most can move on from that book within a few months whereas one cannot say that of Sanford's book.

Excellent beginners guide that should be re-released !
I managed to get a translated copy in Swedish of this book, "Stjärnboken" in a used-books store in Stockholm. The charts by Wil Tirion are excellent. Clear and accurate but not overly simplified. Sanford's narration is very pleasant with a good balance between the different DSO's that are interesting for people with different equipment. What really impressed me even more are the full colour pictures of *every* constellation in the night-sky. A tremendous effort, which provides great help in learning the constelations and the relative positions of deep-sky objects. I can't understand why this book is out of print. Someone should buy the rights for this book and publish it again. If you find a used-copy, grab one for me too =).

The BEST Constellation Observation Guide I've Seen!!!!!!!
It's truly amazing that this book is no longer in print.How is thispossible?I have found it to be the best general constellation guide fornaked eye, binocular or telescopic observing that I have seen.It providesvery good star charts and photos of each constellation and summarises themost prominent objects (multiple and variable stars, deep sky objects, etc)in each constellation, providing locations (on star chart and coordinates),basic information and data on each object.I take it with me on everyobservation session.The book is well organised, easily understood and itssetup/content caters for the beginner, intermediate and even more advancedobserver.I believe it would take a long time for a beginner to"outgrow" (if it's even possible) the usefulness of this book.Ibelieve it's a must have in the astronomical library.Again, Iask..."Why is this book no longer being published!?!"

David, Astronomy Enthusiast

Probably the best general observing guide, period.
Sanford's book is without doubt the best general observing guide to the constellations I have ever used, and I've used a lot of them. His star maps are excellent. He provides concise summaries of all the most interesting objects in each constellation, and he covers both hemispheres. I have been looking for additional copies of this wonderful, out-of-print book for a year. ... Read more

Product Description
Amateur astronomy, with its image as a cold, dark and damp passtime has generally attracted only the most hardy enthusiasts! This is set to change. In recent years technology has advanced so much that amateur astronomers are now able to achieve what professionals were doing at the end of the 1960s. Observers are able to make use of sophisticated equipment such as CCDs and robotic telescopes in the comfort of a their own homes.

Such improvements have meant that the observer / photographer can capture an image, and within minutes e-mail it to fellow observers worldwide. The wider availability of computer controlled telescopes has meant that astronomers can do real science and make discoveries in their own gardens. Amateurs can measure comet and asteroid positions and even chart the weather patterns on Jupiter if they so wish!

Martin Mobberley has written The New Amateur Astronomer to inspire determined beginners and experienced observers alike. All the aspects of the new hi-tech astronomy are covered. The book is divided in to two parts, the first dealing with the basics and equipment, and the second discussing the observers and their techniques. Throughout the book there are numerous planetary, cometary and Deep Sky images and also pictures of the observers and the equipment discussed - all designed to spur the astronomer in to this exciting and innovative field! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

1000+ Amateur Astronomers Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing
Great Book! Every Amateur Astronomer should get one! I'm very happy I was able to obtain my copy at a Great Price. I hope that they come out with a Second Edition.

A fine book that will leave you wanting more
Please demand the reprinting of this excellent book. The author desperately needs the money. I should know, I happen to be related to him.
If you do not want the book, do not hesitate to send truckloads of cash to him instead. You don't want his children to grow up and become computer security analysts or EMTs, do you? ... Read more

Product Description
Comprehensive guide for every amateur astronomer who hopes to do more than just star-gaze. Paper. DLC: Astronomical instruments. ... Read more

Product Description
With Forty Diagrams Of The Constellations And Eight Of The Moon. ... Read more