Book Details

Internet Resource: Please Login to download book

In less than two decades, amateur astronomy has changed its face. The reason, of course, is technological progress. Cheap but high-quality telescopes, computer-controlled "go-to" mounts, autoguiders, CCD cameras, video cameras and (as always) computers and the Internet are just some of the elements that revolutionized 21st century astronomy. Not only have they made amateur astronomy more "friendly" and fun, but they have also greatly expanded the potential of the amateur astronomer. Martin Mobberley first tackles the basic issues and then analyzes in depth what tools are available on the market. From here he starts to review the revolutionary possibilities that open up for amateur astronomers, from imaging, to spectroscopy, to photometry, to the surveillance of Near-Earth objects - comets and asteroids that can come dangerously close to the Earth.