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Go-To Telescopes Under Suburban Skies is the first book specifically written for amateur astronomers who own, or who are about to purchase, a computer-controlled 'go-to' telescope. The advantage of the 'go-to' capability is enormous - the telescope can be aimed at any object in the sky with great speed and accuracy - which is why these instruments are so popular.Making the realistic assumption that the observer is using a relatively small telescope and is observing from a backyard in a suburban area, this book provides literally hundreds more targets beyond those offered by the built-in 'nightly tours' that feature on the telescope's computer tours. And instead of wasting many pages on maps and coordinates, it leads the computer to locate the targets, and so has room to suggest many more fascinating deep-sky objects and provide detailed observing lists and information about what's being viewed.
List of contents
Introduction.- Go-To Telescopes.- Using a Go-To Telescope: Setting Up; Alignment; Maintenance.- Winter Objects.- Spring Objects.- Summer Objects.- Autumn Objects.- Appendices: Light Pollution Reduction Filters; Nebular Filters; Go-To Telescope manufacturers; Useful Books; Useful Websites.
About the author
Neale Monks is a scientist, writer, and teacher, and the author of another book in the Practical Astronomy Series, Astronomy with a Home Computer. After completing his zoology degree at Aberdeen University he worked briefly as a marine zoologist before moving to London, where he earned his Ph.D. while working at the Natural History Museum. He then spent a few years as a post-doctoral researcher studying the effects of astronomical events on sea level and mass extinctions before leaving research to spend more time teaching and writing. Since 2002 he has taught a history of science class for Pepperdine University as well as various science classes for the WEA. At different times he's lived in England, Scotland, and the Midwestern United States.
Summary
Go-To Telescopes Under Suburban Skies is the first book specifically written for amateur astronomers who own, or who are about to purchase, a computer-controlled ‘go-to’ telescope. The advantage of the ‘go-to’ capability is enormous – the telescope can be aimed at any object in the sky with great speed and accuracy – which is why these instruments are so popular.
Making the realistic assumption that the observer is using a relatively small telescope and is observing from a backyard in a suburban area, this book provides literally hundreds more targets beyond those offered by the built-in ‘nightly tours’ that feature on the telescope’s computer tours. And instead of wasting many pages on maps and coordinates, it leads the computer to locate the targets, and so has room to suggest many more fascinating deep-sky objects and provide detailed observing lists and information about what's being viewed.
Report
From the reviews:
"It is an excellent guide. ... gives useful and sometimes detailed information about the objects ... . As such it is an excellent, handy and easy-to-use guide, and I'm happy to recommend it." (Robin Scagell, The Observatory, Vol. 131 (1225), December, 2011)
