Download or read book The Observer s Guide to Planetary Motion written by Dominic Ford and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To the naked eye, the most evident defining feature of the planets is their motion across the night sky. It was this motion that allowed ancient civilizations to single them out as different from fixed stars. “The Observer’s Guide to Planetary Motion” takes each planet and its moons (if it has them) in turn and describes how the geometry of the Solar System gives rise to its observed motions. Although the motions of the planets may be described as simple elliptical orbits around the Sun, we have to observe them from a particular vantage point: the Earth, which spins daily on its axis and circles around the Sun each year. The motions of the planets as observed relative to this spinning observatory take on more complicated patterns. Periodically, objects become prominent in the night sky for a few weeks or months, while at other times they pass too close to the Sun to be observed. “The Observer’s Guide to Planetary Motion” provides accurate tables of the best time for observing each planet, together with other notable events in their orbits, helping amateur astronomers plan when and what to observe. Uniquely each of the chapters includes extensive explanatory text, relating the events listed to the physical geometry of the Solar System. Along the way, many questions are answered: Why does Mars take over two years between apparitions (the times when it is visible from Earth) in the night sky, while Uranus and Neptune take almost exactly a year? Why do planets appear higher in the night sky when they’re visible in the winter months? Why do Saturn’s rings appear to open and close every 15 years? This book places seemingly disparate astronomical events into an understandable three-dimensional structure, enabling an appreciation that, for example, very good apparitions of Mars come around roughly every 15 years and that those in 2018 and 2035 will be nearly as good as that seen in 2003. Events are listed for the time period 2010-2030 and in the case of rarer events (such as eclipses and apparitions of Mars) even longer time periods are covered. A short closing chapter describes the seasonal appearance of deep sky objects, which follow an annual cycle as a result of Earth’s orbital motion around the Sun.
Download or read book The Sky Observer s Guide written by R. Newton Mayall and published by Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2014-02-25 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This eBook is best viewed on a color device. Filled with practical information for the amateur astronomer, this Sky Observer's Golden Guide explains: -How to select and use binoculars and telescopes -How to best observe stars, the moon, planets, comets, meteors, and other celestial objects -How to use star charts Profusely illustrated with photographs, diagrams, charts, and tables, this guide is recommended by leading astronomers.
Download or read book The Observer s Guide to Astronomy Volume 2 written by Patrick Martinez and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-09-22 with total page 574 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How can you find new minor planets, comets and novae? How can you use photoelectric detectors to derive the temperatures of stars? And how can you predict future eclipses and occultations of stars by minor planets? The questions asked by serious amateur astronomers are answered in this authoritative and wide-ranging guide, first published in 1994. For each topic, sound practical methods of observation and the scientific background are given to lead you to better observations. Guidelines also show you how to record and catalogue your observations using the recognised professional terminology and classification schemes. From the simplest pencil drawings of the moon to observations of the most distant galaxies with state-of-the-art CCD cameras and photoelectric photometers, this guide is packed with practical tips for all types of amateur observations. It will develop the observational skills of the keen novice and satisfy the more demanding needs of the experienced amateur astronomer.
Download or read book The Planet Observer s Handbook written by Fred W. Price and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2000-10-26 with total page 452 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an informative, up-to-date and well-illustrated guide to planetary observations for amateurs. After a brief description of the solar system and a chapter on the celestial sphere, readers are shown how to choose, test and use a telescope with various accessories and how to make observations and record results. For each planet and the asteroids, details are given of observational techniques, together with suggestions for how to make contributions of scientific value. From a general description and detailed observational history of each planet, observers can anticipate what they should see and assess their own observations. The chapter on planetary photography includes the revolutionary use of videography, charge coupled devices and video-assisted drawing. There are also chapters on making maps and planispheres and on photoelectric photometry.
Download or read book A Student s Guide to the Mathematics of Astronomy written by Daniel Fleisch and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-08-29 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of astronomy offers an unlimited opportunity for us to gain a deeper understanding of our planet, the Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy and the known Universe. Using the plain-language approach that has proven highly popular in Fleisch's other Student's Guides, this book is ideal for non-science majors taking introductory astronomy courses. The authors address topics that students find most troublesome, on subjects ranging from stars and light to gravity and black holes. Dozens of fully worked examples and over 150 exercises and homework problems help readers get to grips with the concepts in each chapter. An accompanying website features a host of supporting materials, including interactive solutions for every exercise and problem in the text and a series of video podcasts in which the authors explain the important concepts of every section of the book.
Download or read book The Observer s Guide to Astronomy written by Patrick Martinez and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994 with total page 618 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Planetary Motion written by P. Andrew Karam and published by Infobase Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-14 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thousands of years ago, people looked at the sky in wonder, fascinated by the motions of a few wandering stars. Nobody understood where these wandering objects--now named Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn--came from, why they moved, or what drove their motions through the sky. Today, people know these objects are planets, but the quest to reach this understanding took thousands of years, and the consequences were profound. Famous scientists Johannes Kepler, Edmund Halley, Isaac Newton, and others discovered the laws of gravity and planetary motion, using these laws to explain the workings of the solar system. Their findings allowed the human race to find its way from planet to planet with unmanned probes and eventually allowed people to reach the moon. In "Planetary Motion," learn how scientists have found new planets outside the solar system, and continue their search for planets like Earth.
Download or read book Observer s Guide to Variable Stars written by Martin Griffiths and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-12-06 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book contains everything you need to know about variable stars -- stars whose brightness varies noticeably over time. The study of variable stars has been a particularly popular area of research for amateurs for many years; the material contained herein serves as both an introduction to amateur astronomers and a useful reference source for seasoned variable star observers. With its thorough, non-mathematical descriptions of variable stars and tips for how to see them, this book enables novices and experts alike to set off into the field and observe a wide range of delightful sights. It strikes a balance between easily visible objects that can be seen in any telescope or binoculars, and variable stars that are a direct challenge to those with large aperture equipment or access to photometric tools and methods. After helping the observer differentiate between variable star types, the author goes on to explain the skills needed to operate a telescope and other equipment, as well as how to couple filters to a CCD camera or digital SLR camera in order to photometrically record these celestial objects. Further, the book includes an observational guide to 50 objects for study, with finder charts and data about light curves for ease of identification, along with the stars’ celestial coordinates, magnitudes, and other pertinent information.
Download or read book The Ballet of the Planets written by Donald Benson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-03-01 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ballet of the Planets unravels the beautiful mystery of planetary motion, revealing how our understanding of astronomy evolved from Archimedes and Ptolemy to Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. Mathematician Donald Benson shows that ancient theories of planetary motion were based on the assumptions that the Earth was the center of the universe and the planets moved in a uniform circular motion. Since ancient astronomers noted that occasionally a planet would exhibit retrograde motion--would seem to reverse its direction and move briefly westward--they concluded that the planets moved in epicyclic curves, circles with smaller interior loops, similar to the patterns of a child's Spirograph. With the coming of the Copernican revolution, the retrograde motion was seen to be apparent rather than real, leading to the idea that the planets moved in ellipses. This laid the ground for Newton's great achievement--integrating the concepts of astronomy and mechanics--which revealed not only how the planets moved, but also why. Throughout, Benson focuses on naked-eye astronomy, which makes it easy for the novice to grasp the work of these pioneers of astronomy.
Download or read book Mars Observer s Guide written by Neil Bone and published by Taylor & Francis US. This book was released on 2003 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to observe Mars and the various methods of recording observations from sketches to advanced imaging. Also includes the history of the observation of Mars, the planet's structure and physical features.
Download or read book Stargazing Under Suburban Skies written by Malcolm Zack and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-08-20 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anyone interested in astronomy battles with the conveniences of modern living – street lights, advertising and security lighting, tall buildings, and even the occasional tree. More than 85% of the population now lives in crowded and light-polluted towns and cities. This book is for those who live in or near towns and cities and own relatively modest equipment, although observers with larger instruments will still find many of the target objects of interest. The book encourages the use of star-hopping techniques to find objects in the night sky. Included is a list of 100 popular deep sky objects, ranked according to how difficult they are to find. Each object is described and has companion star-hopping charts, images and sometimes sketches. As a result, readers can gain a sense of their own backyard view from Earth. There is also a top 30 list of lunar objects, a section on planetary observing, annotated lists of popular astronomy apps and software, and tips on how to make the most of your location. Stargazing Under Suburban Skies: A Star-Hopper’s Guide is the essential companion to what can be seen and how, regardless of the obstacles.
Download or read book Practical Astronomy being a guide to the scenery of the heavens the planetary movements and the practical use of instruments written by Hugh BREEN (the Younger.) and published by . This book was released on 1856 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Universe written by DK and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marvel at the wonders of the universe, from stars and planets to black holes and nebulae, in this exploration of our solar system and beyond. Universe opens with a look at astronomy and the history of the Universe, using 3D artworks to provide a comprehensive grounding in the fundamental concepts of astronomy, including the basic techniques of practical astronomy. The core of the book is a tour of the cosmos covering the Solar System, the Milky Way, and galaxies beyond our own. Explanatory pages introduce different celestial phenomena, such as galaxies, and are followed by catalogs that profile the most interesting and important examples. A comprehensive star atlas completes the picture, with entries on each of the 88 constellations and a monthly sky guide showing the night sky as it appears throughout the year as viewed from both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Download or read book Observing the Solar System written by Gerald North and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012-10-25 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by a well-known and experienced amateur astronomer, this is a practical primer for all aspiring observers of the planets and other Solar System objects. Whether you are a beginner or more advanced astronomer, you will find all you need in this book to help develop your knowledge and skills and move on to the next level of observing. This up-to-date, self-contained guide provides a detailed and wide-ranging background to Solar System astronomy, along with extensive practical advice and resources. Topics covered include: traditional visual observing techniques using telescopes and ancillary equipment; how to go about imaging astronomical bodies; how to conduct measurements and research of scientifically useful quality; the latest observing and imaging techniques. Whether your interests lie in observing aurorae, meteors, the Sun, the Moon, asteroids, comets, or any of the major planets, you will find all you need here to help you get started.
Download or read book Planetary Motion written by Gerald Kopache and published by Ceshore Publishing Company. This book was released on 2003-06 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive, accurate guide for anyone interested the planets, this book is the final authority on navigating by means of the positions of the heavenly bodies. The motions and characteristics of the planets, as well as some comets and the moon, are discussed in great detail. The author explains how to perform important celestial calculations, including how to derive the center of mass of one or more bodies in space and calculate the motion of the planets.
Download or read book The Sky Observer s Guide written by Robert Newton Mayall and published by Golden Guides from Saint Martin's Press. This book was released on 1985 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discusses how to select and use binoculars and telescopes, how to observe planets, meteors, comets, and other celestial bodies, and how to use star charts.
Download or read book The Rough Guide to the Universe written by John Scalzi and published by Rough Guides. This book was released on 2003 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whether you're a novice or an experienced amateur astronomer, The Rough Guide to the Universe is an indispensable book. Giving both a guide to the universe and an accessible overview of the science of astronomy, the Rough Guide features: bull; Concise information on every planet in the solar system, as well as the sun, moon, asteroids and comets. bull; Practical advice on observing the planets and stars, with binoculars, telescopes and the naked eye. bull; Incisive explanations of the latest theories about how the universe began and how it might end, the formation of galaxies and galaxy clusters, and weird concepts such as dark matter, worm holes and superstrings. bull; Dozens of photographs, plus star charts of every constellation, showing the night sky in the Northern and the Southern hemispheres. bull; Detailed listings of star clubs, planetariums, "deep sky " sites and Internet resources. John Scalzi is a writer and backyard astronomer who views the universe from the dark skies of Ohio's Amish Country.
