Celestial Objects for Modern Telescopes: Practical Amateur Astronomy Volume 2 (Paperback)

~ Michael A. Covington (Author) "This is a handbook for the modern amateur astronomer..." (more)
Key Phrases: wide double star, computerized telescopes, bright planetary nebula, Ursae Majoris, Milky Way, Sir William Herschel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Altogether, one of the best field guides available. Highly recommended." Choice

"This book is highly recommmended for all public, college and university libraries. The modest price would also make it an attractive purchase for private collections as well." E-STREAMS

Product Description

Based on field notes made by Michael Covington throughout his career as an amateur astronomer, this guide covers both the traditional and novel approaches to studying the night sky. In addition to the more standard techniques, it discusses the latest modern resources available to today's astronomer, such as personal computers, the internet, and computerized telescopes. Covington includes practical advice on site selection and weather; detailed instructions for observing the Sun, Moon, planets, and deep-sky objects; and newer specialities such as satellite observing and the use of astronomical databases. Written to complement How to Use a Computerized Telescope, this book appeals to astronomers with more traditional equipment. Michael A. Covington is an associate research scientist at the University of Georgia. He is a computational linguist trained in the computer processing of human languages and the computer modeling of human logical reasoning, and a widely recognized expert on the Prolog programming language. He is the author of nine books including Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms, Seventh Edition (Barron's, 2000), Astrophotography for the Amateur (Cambridge, 1999), PROLOG Programming in Depth (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Cambridge Eclipse Photography Guide (1993), and Syntactic Theory in the High Middle Ages (Cambridge, 1985). A senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Covington is a Contributing Editor to, and former "Q&A" columnist of Poptronics magazine.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521524199
• ISBN-13: 978-0521524193
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #457,467 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've got a "Go To" scope, now what?, January 9, 2003

By	Taras R. Hnatyshyn (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Looking for objects to look at with your computerized "Go To" telescope? Michael Covington, author of "Astrophotography for the Amateur" and "How to Use a Computerized Telescope" has a few suggestions. In this second volume of Cambridge's Practical Amateur Astronomy series he suggests various targets and observing programs. But that is not all. Also are tips on how to get the most out of various sources to identify the object of interest from various catalogs or atlases and to be able to tell a "Go To" telescope how to point to it. Probably the most useful pages in the book are the Bayer/Flamsteed to SAO cross-index and the GVCS constellation codes and star numbers.

Chapters:
PART I - Amatuer astronomy
1. Using this book effectively
2. Observing sites and conditions
3. The Moon, the Sun, and eclipses
4. The planets
5. Comets, asteroids (minor planets), and artificial satellites
6. Constellations
7. Stars - identification, nomenclature, and maps
8. Stars - physical properties
9. Double and multiple stars
10. Variable stars
11. Clusters, nebulae, and galaxies
PART II - 200 interesting stars and deep-sky objects
12. How these objects were chosen
13. The January-February sky (R.A. 6h-10h)
14. The March-April sky (R.A. 10h-14h)
15. The May-June sky (R.A. 14h-18h)
16. The July-August sky (R.A. 18h-22h)
17. The September-October sky (R.A. 22h-2h)
18. The November-December sky (R.A. 2h-6h)
Appendices
A. Converting decimal minutes to seconds
B. Precession from 1950 to 2000
C. Julian date, 2001-2015

The logical follow up for "How to Use a Computerized Telescope", this volume shows one how to use the various sources available to find the objects one is interested in studying. If I had this book when I first bought my LX200, I would have developed better habits in planning my observing sessions by being able to identify objects in the manner that the telescope has them identified in its database to find them quicker to allow more time for study and or imaging.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just "Very Good" , not Perfect!, January 7, 2004

By	Rodger Raubach (Converse County ,WY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

I have been buying alot of astronomy and telescope books of late--primarily to augment my new telescope. This is one of the better ones , since it is really much more substantive than the "cheerleading" books that are more useful at gracing the coffee table than the accessory tray of a telescope in use. The major plus feature for me is the format of the illustrations , which show the objects through a mirror type diagonal. Most , if not all , observations by amateur astronomers use this convention these days. The author goes into adequate detail on double star observing : measurement of position angle and seperation are very well explained.

My only criticism is the assumption that all users will be using computerized telescopes , and completely ignores those of us who "star hop" by choice , and not necessity. The lack of star hopping descriptions downgrades my rating to a strong 4 stars.

Highly recommended.