Customer Reviews

All About Telescopes (Popular Optics Library)

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I want to second what the Fair Oaks reviewer wrote about this book. In my case I bought it 32 years ago at the tender age of 11, right after it came out in 1967. As I've related to my older sister, I've made use of it pretty nearly every week since then, and *aat*, as I refer to it, continues to provide food for thought to this day. It has a real appeal to amateur astronomy. For example, just a couple of days ago, I was wondering how small a field could fit Saturn's major moons in it, and I knew where to find out in *aat*, on the planets page. This is just 1 example of the numerous tidbits that are hardly in other books.

This book contains a surprising amount of information. While not greatly detailed, it does contain enough information for a beginner to build a small Newtonian from scratch, including doing the mirror grinding and diagonal flattening. I used it as my only reference on my first mirror. While the results were only a bit better than 1/4 wave - that may have been as much due to lack of experience and impatience than anything else.

I whish I had this book when I first got my telescope.

Still available new from Edmund Scientifics for $12.95.

This book was perfect for me as a high school student with an interest in astronomy. It had all the information I needed to grind my first telescope mirror and build my first telescope plus plenty to get me started on observing and celestial photography. This is one of my favorite books and I still use it today, 30 years after I purchased it.

This has got to be the best all-around book on telescopes and astronomy ever written. It covers everything from the very basics to fairly advanced optics, mirror grinding and telescope construction. I bought my first copy back in 1969 when I was a junior in high school. I have worn out two copies and was ecstatic when I found it was back in print. Bought my third copy immediately. I still use it on a regular basis and would recommend it to anyone at any level of expertise.

This was my first book about building telescopes. My dad gave it to me in the early 1970's with my first telescope kit. Published and sold by Edmunds Scientific in Barrington, NJ. This superbly illustrated book describes in detail the steps necessary to make your own telescope or how to use the completed telescope that you bought.

This work features telescopes and kits sold by Edmunds Scientifics, however the principles ennunciated apply to almost all telescopes.

All about telescopes has a decidedly 1960's flavor, however the material is truly timeless. It is a worthy addition to any telescope maker or amateur astronomer's library. I highly recommend it.

Francis J. O'Reilly

This book has to be the best and most illustrative book for the beginning mirror and telescope maker. I was given a copy by my wife's uncle 30 years ago and though it's been through the wringer, stained with cat urine (when a friend borrowed it), for instance, I still have it. It is not for the advanced mirror maker, but for any beginner, you can't go wrong, despite some erroneous information, as one other reviewer pointed out. However, it is the first book that laid out a table of how to figure a mirror's correction by its focal length if left spherical. It clearly illustrates how the focal length can affect the depth and need for a paraboloid. For those wishing to get by with a spherical mirror, just make sure the focal length is long enough that the correction would be at least 1/4 wave. For a 3" mirror, for instance, it would be an f/9 or so, if I remember right. However, as another reviewer pointed out, the way they rated 1/4 wave was not quite accurate so it would be better to go for what he says is 1/8 wave to be safe. However, if you have an 8" or 10" mirror or larger, the focal ratio would have to be f/12 or higher and your tube would be ten to fifteen feet long! (Excuse my fuzzy memory on exact details, but it should give you the picture.)

There are sections on mounts, finders, eyepieces, and even observing. Though mostly outdated, this info could still apply even today.

I love this book for its simplicity and excellent illustrations. Today, it might be titled "Telescope Making For Dummies." Highly recommended.

If you are interested in getting or own a telescope this book should be your first purchase

If you dable in telescopes, astronomy, DIY type, you MUST have this classic book. While over the years I have advanced to pretty fancy scopes, I still reach for my ragged, old AAT regularly. They can add fancy graphics, but they cannot improve on Brown's treatise and collection of optic math made simple.

Original copy purchased in 60's. I used this to help build my first telscope in high school. I lived on a farm a hundred miles from anyone with the same interest. Enough information to get me through that stage of timidy. That copy has since moldered away on some forgotton book shelf.

In the seventies I purchased another copy which I still have. After doing undergrad, graduate school and a degree in physics. I have since ground and assemble several scopes some using information from this copy. It is taped, burned and falling apart but I use it as a reference for the groups I work with on Kitt Peak. There is enough data there to keep the average Advanced Amateur going for years. Just explaining sideral, solar mean time, and local will keep the conversation going with most educated Amateur Astronomiers.