The Cambridge Guide to Stargazing with your Telescope [Paperback]

Robin Scagell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2000

The Cambridge Guide to Stargazing with Your Telescope is an indispensable guide to telescopes and how to choose the right one for your needs. It gives straighforward explanations of how they work, and how to progress from first-time user to skilled observer. It gives practical help for setting up and using any telescope, and provides lists of objects to look at with different sizes of telescope, from both town and country, including the Sun, Moon and planets, comets, asteroids, star clusters, variable and double stars, supernovae, nebulae and galaxies. Aimed principally at newcomers to astronomy, of all ages, this book describes the full range of telescopes that are internationally available, with examples of objects to observe taken from both hemispheres, appropriate for all observing conditions. It also gives advice about accessories, such as eye-pieces and filters, plus suggestions for photography through the telescope and choice of camera and film type.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A new astronomer will likely find the wide range of choices in astronomical equipment daunting, but this slim guide attempts to clear the fog. There are guidelines for selecting a telescope and accessories and, more significant, how to use them effectively, including maintenance and troubleshooting tips." Sky and Telescope.

Book Description

Cambridge Guide to Stargazing with Your Telescope is an indispensable guide to telescopes and how to choose the right one for your needs. It gives straighforward explanations of how they work, how to set them up, what to look at and how to progress from first-time user to skilled observer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521784484
• ISBN-13: 978-0521784481
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,968,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Astronomy & Space Science > Telescopes

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nifty little guide to buy before you buy your first scope, December 5, 2000

By 

Rocketeer (Westchester County, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cambridge Guide to Stargazing with your Telescope (Paperback)

This is an appealing digest-sized guide that tells you everything you need to know before buying your first telescope. It presents the technical information you need to understand in plain English.

What's more, it's profusely illustrated and up to date. It has info on the latest scopes and the advantages and disadvantages of the different types (refractor vs. reflector etc.).

So why didn't it earn the fifth star? I wish the pages were larger. It's designed along the lines of a field guide but you're not going to read this book in the field. You're going to read it in your easy chair amidst a stack of Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines. In that venue a more traditional book size would be more appropriate.

Don't let that put you off though. If you're contemplating buying a good scope and you don't have a knowledgeable friend to lean on for advice, buy this book.