Spectropolarimetry embraces the most complete and detailed measurement and analysis of light, as well as its interaction with matter. This book provides an introductory overview of the subject because it is playing an increasingly important role in modern solar observations. Chapters include a comprehensive description of the polarization state of polychromatic light and its measurement; an overview of astronomical polarimetry; and the formation of spectral lines in the presence of a magnetic field. The text is a valuable reference for graduates and researchers in astrophysics, solar physics and optics.

Astronomy was a popular and important part of Victorian science, and British astronomers carried telescopes and spectroscopes to remote areas of India, the Great Plains of North America, and islands in the Caribbean and Pacific to watch the sun eclipsed by the moon. Examining the rich interplay between science, culture, and British imperial society in the late nineteenth century, this book shows how the organization and conduct of scientific fieldwork was structured by contemporary politics and culture, and how rapid and profound changes in the organization of science, advances in photography, and new printing technology remade the character of scientific observation.
After introducing the field of Victorian science to the nonspecialist, the book examines the long periods of planning necessary for eclipse expeditions, and it recounts the day-to-day work of getting to field sites, setting up camp, and preparing for and observing eclipses. Operating behind the countless decisions made by scientists was a host of large-scale forces, including the professionalization and specialization of disciplines, the growth of service, and public funding for the sciences. Fieldwork also required close coordination with the many institutions and technological systems of British imperialism.
The development of imaging technologies was, of course, crucial to observations of the solar corona. Eclipse observation taxed astronomers and their cameras to their limits, and it raised new questions about the trustworthiness of imaging technologies. In the late nineteenth century, scientists shifted from drawing to photographing natural phenomena, but the shift occurred gradually, unevenly, and against resistance. Victorian astronomers had to weigh carefully the merits of human and mechanical observation, and the difficulties of solar photography highlight the inseparability of images from technologies of observation and printing.

Because today's amateur astronomical telescopes are both powerful and affordable, spectroscopy - once the province of professionals - is becoming more and more popular. Various spectroscopes, at prices to suit everyone, are now available "off the shelf". Practical Amateur Spectroscopy contains everything an amateur needs to grasp the basic principles, to begin observing, and to understand just what the spectra show. Contributions by leading practical amateurs from America and Europe cover a very wide range of amateur equipment and techniques. One even describes how an audio CD can be used to show solar emission and absorption lines!

Almost every serious amateur astronomer knows the benefit of having a fixed observatory of some sort - it saves a vast amount of time and effort during every observing session - and this book provides the necessary help. More Small Astronomical Observatories details the methods and techniques employed by non-professional astronomers from all over the world, providing a wonderful resource for anyone wishing to build a small observatory of almost any kind. It's a fun read, too. Not only that, but a free PC-format CD-ROM is included, containing the entire first book (now out of print) - you get two books for the price of one!

In 1996 Meade, the world's largest astronomical telescope manufacturer, introduced the ETX, a low-cost and genuinely portable instrument capable of results close to the theoretical limits of optical performance. Since then several different models have been introduced, most of them controlled by on-board computers that automatically point the telescope at objects selected from a database of 12,000. Unfortunately not all these objects are visible when looking through the ETX! (They are included because they can be imaged with special equipment.) Mike Weasner is a world expert on the ETX range, and describes the "best" 100 objects to start with, and offers hints and tips about using and looking after the telescope to get the best possible results.

Small telescopes have a lot to recommend them.Cost is of course a consideration, but their most positive feature is sheer portability. Some manufacturers have tried to make large telescopes more portable (with mixed success), but the opposite approach, that of making small telescopes more effective, is what this book is all about.Good 2-inch (60mm) telescopes are now available for beginners, and major American manufacturers now offer small, affordable computer-controlled instruments that are capable of superb results.Stephen Tonkin has gathered the experience of users of small telescopes to provide an insight into just what is possible - for newcomers to astronomy or experienced observers who simply want to use a small, really portable telescope.

This clear easy-to-understand book helps "new" amateur astronomers by answering the most frequently asked questions. The idea is to quickly take the reader to a level of expertise significantly higher than that provided by general books. Each chapter is on a different subject, from what to buy through to how to use it and what to look at. The tips and techniques are applicable to all telescope users.

Many satellites have recently been launched or are in preparation, which operate in the microwave to IR ranges, the main objective being to observe the earth's atmosphere or interstellar clouds. Analysis of the data they supply requires extensive laboratory work because we still only have sufficiently accurate data (line positions, intensities, and profiles) for only a few species. Furthermore, the observer community is making increasing calls for laboratory data, as new development open up new observational possibilities (such as submillimeter observation). Research on these subjects involves many different areas of specialisation in fields of research that generate a wealth of data. In Spectroscopy from Space the people responsible for field observations explain which results they are expecting from their measurements and how laboratory people can help them to analyse their satellite data. Laboratory spectroscopists explain why what they can do now, and what kinds of experiment and theoretical development that might undertake to meet the needs of the remote sensing community. The problems of distributing reliable laboratory data in a timely way are also addressed.

Masers are the microwave analogue of lasers; there are many astronomical sources of natural maser emission, including gas around forming and dying stars, and around supermassive black holes. These bright sources of microwaves are fascinating in their own right and provide unique abilities to probe details of astronomical sources. Molecular maser emission studies address important questions in the formation and evolution of stars, the structure of our Milky Way Galaxy, the characteristics of supermassive black holes, and fundamental parameters of cosmology. More than 100 astronomers from around the world gathered in Cagliari, Sardinia, for IAU Symposium 336 to discuss the latest findings related to masers. These proceedings summarize state of the art observations and theories pertaining to astrophysical masers and their environments, for graduate students and researchers. As new radio telescope facilities come online, observations of masers will continue to shed light on a broad range of important astrophysical problems.

The objects listed in the Caldwell Catalogue supplement Messier's famous catalogue of 110 non-stellar objects, and they include some of the most fascinating objects for amateur astronomers. This comprehensive guide to the Caldwell objects has been produced specially for observers. Each object is conveniently on a double-page spread (which can even be photocopied for field use). There is a photographic image of every object and full technical data including position (with the major Star Atlas chart numbers) and NGC number. It also includes a finder map showing TelradTM circles, a star-hopping guide, a visual description of what the object looks like through amateur telescopes, and a physical description of the object itself. There is a fold-out map showing the location of all the Caldwell objects in the sky. Every practical amateur astronomer will find this an essential guide to observing the Caldwell objects.

Are you an avid sky-watcher? Would you like to observe the changes in the moon’s surface? Predict the orbit of a satellite? Record sunspots?

Finally, here is the book you’ve been waiting for! From the longest-running column in Scientific American’s history comes this collection of fascinating projects for the amateur astronomer. Whether you’re interested in designing your own telescope or determining the chemical composition of faraway stars, this unique book will help you satisfy your passion for the skies. You’ll learn how to build and use astronomical tools that will help you better understand and appreciate the solar system, our galaxy, and the cosmos.

Here you’ll discover fascinating facts about astronomy along with helpful tips and clear instructions on how to build inexpensive astronomical instruments in home-based workshops using ordinary shop tools. From making a pendulum that detects the earth’s rotation, to observing Jupiter with a homemade telescope, to taking picture-perfect images of a comet, these projects will help you go deeper into space than you’ve ever imagined.

Amateur astronomy is becoming more and more popular, mostly because of the availability of relatively low-cost astronomical telescopes of superb quality - commercially-made Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutovs. Rod Mollise's book contains everything amateur astronomers need to know about these telescopes. Featuring (but not exclusively) the ubiquitous Meade and Celestron ranges, he describes what these instruments will do, how to use them, and which are the best to choose. This book includes everything! There are sections on accessories, observing techniques, and hints and tips gleaned from his 25 years experience with this type of telescope: cleaning, collimating, maintaining the telescope and mounting; using the telescope in various conditions; computer control; imaging (wet, digital and CCD). This is the perfect book for amateur astronomers who are about to invest in a new Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov telescope, or for those who already have one and want to get the best out of it.

Although transits of planets across the Sun are rare (only Mercury and Venus orbit the Sun closer than us, and so can transit the Sun's disc) amateur astronomers can observe, record and image other kinds of transit, which are very much more frequent. Transit is in two parts, the first telling the fascinating story of the early scientific expeditions to observe transits. The second part is for practical observers, and explains how to observe transits of all sorts - even transits of aircraft as they fly between the observer and the Sun!

Almost all amateur astronomers want to take photographs of the night sky. For all but the simplest star-trail pictures, this involves machinery - a telescope drive - to track the stars, essential to compensate for the rotation of the earth. The task becomes even more complicated when photographing very small or very faint objects that require high magnification or very long exposure times.Amateurs have many options according to their requirements, technical ability, and budget. Astrophotography for Amateurs looks at all the possibilities, including normal ("wet") photography, CCD imaging, and modern techniques of computer enhancement. There are sections about photographing different classes of astronomical object from the Moon to faint nebulae, as well as a thorough look at the equipment needed.

Telescopes - refractors and reflectors - are the main items of equipment used by almost every amateur astronomer. The purpose of astronomical telescopes is to collect and focus more light than the human eye can, forming an image that can be viewed, photographed, or analysed. Astronomical Equipment for Amateurs makes buying and using both telescopes and their ancillary instruments easy for astronomers of all abilities. It begins by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the basic types of refractors, reflectors, mountings and accessories. Observation techniques are also included, along with the use of filters, (colour, anti-pollution and nebula), types of photography (piggy-back, prime focus and eyepiece projection), and also CCD imaging (including types of CCD camera and their advantages and disadvantages compared to photography). Martin Mobberley provides a fascinating insight into astronomical software.

Did you know? . . .

• Russia’s October Revolution in 1917 actually occurred on November 7th
• For centuries, Britain and the colonies rang in the New Year on March 25th
• The Roman Empire originally observed an eight-day week
• The anno Domini (a.d.) year-counting system is wrong, and Jesus’ birth actually occurred some years before December 25, 1 b.c.

These are just a few of the little-known facts that you will find in acclaimed author Duncan Steel’s eye-opening chronicle of the evolution of the calendar, Marking Time: The Epic Quest to Invent the Perfect Calendar.

Steel takes you across the full span of recorded history, behind the seismic shifts within politics, religion, and science, and examines the ways in which people and events forged the calendar that we have today. Starting with Stonehenge and the first written records of the year and the day by the Sumerians around 3500 b.c., Marking Time charts the calendar’s ever-changing, erratic trajectory–from the Egyptians’ reliance on the star Sirius to the numbering of the years, linked to the celebration of Easter in Christian churches.

You will also gain insight into:

• The mystery of the missing ten days
• The Venerable Bede and the origins of the anno Domini dating system
• How and why comets have been used as clocks
• Julius Caesar’s 445-day-long Year of Confusion
• Why there is no year zero between 1 b.c. and 1 a.d.
• Whether the year 2100 should be a double-leap year

A provocative history lesson and a unique, entertaining read rolled into one, Marking Time will leave you with a sense of awe at the random, hit-or-miss nature of our calendar’s development–a quality that parallels the growth of civilization itself. What results is a truthful, and, above all, very human view of the calendar as we know it. After reading Marking Time, you will never look at the calendar the same way again.

What are the origins of the years, months, and days that give our lives their familiar rhythm?

In Marking Time: The Epic Quest to Invent the Perfect Calendar, astronomer and acclaimed author Duncan Steel marches through human history to deliver a fascinating, milestone-by-milestone look at how the modern-day calendar came to be. From the definition of the lunar month by Meton of Athens in 432 b.c., through present-day proposals to reform our calendar, Steel captures the often-flawed but always fascinating story of the calendar’s evolution.

Here, you will discover fun facts and surprising anecdotes as the author visits with some of the seminal figures of the past–Julius Caesar, William the Conqueror, and Benjamin Franklin among them–as well as some lesser-known names, all of whom left an indelible mark on how we record time. You will also gain an in-depth look at the role science, astronomy, religion, politics, and even war played in various calendrical systems, including the one hanging on your wall. Open up a copy of Marking Time and, as the author puts it, "read, puzzle, and enjoy."

"Guaranteed to satisfy the appetite of interested lay readers for all the facts. Gourmet reading!" – Library Journal on Steel’s Rogue Asteroids and Doomsday Comets

The Internet contains so much information and data for astronomers that just finding what you want is a daunting task, and downloading can take hours of computer and telephone time. This selection of "the best of the Internet" is accompanied by a free CD-ROM containing over 300 MB of downloaded material that will fascinate every astronomer. There is a fully registered version of SkyMap, an MPEG video player, Acrobat readers, massive deep-sky, double-star, comet and asteroid databases, some of the best images and videos from space, and of course lots of shareware programs. Several NASA eclipse guides are featured, including a 120-page guide to the 1999 total solar eclipse.

Large area sky surveys are now a reality in the radio, IR, optical and X-ray passbands. In the next few years, new surveys using optical, UV and IR mosaic cameras with high throughput digital detectors will expand the dynamic range and accuracy of photometry and astrometry of objects over a significant fraction of the entire sky. Parallel X-ray and radio surveys over the same areas will produce astronomical image and spectroscopic databases of unprecedented size and quality. The combined data sets will provide significant new constraints on star formation, stellar dynamics, Galactic structure, the evolution of galaxies and large scale structure, as well as new opportunities to identify rare objects in the solar system and the Galaxy. Large area surveys have formidable data acquisition, processing, archiving, and data distribution demands and this meeting provided a forum for sharing experiences amongst workers specializing in different wavebands as well as discussing how multiband observations can reveal fundamental relationships in our understanding of the Universe.

Many amateur astronomers make their own instruments, either because of financial considerations or because they are just interested. Amateur Telescope Making offers a variety of designs for telescopes, mounts and drives which are suitable for the home-constructor. The designs range from simple to advanced, but all are within the range of a moderately well-equipped home workshop. The book not only tells the reader what he can construct, but also what it is sensible to construct given what time is available commercially. Thus each chapter begins with reasons for undertaking the project, then looks at theoretical consideration before finishing with practical instructions and advice. An indication is given as to the skills required for the various projects. Appendices list reputable sources of (mail order) materials and components. The telescopes and mounts range from "shoestring" (very cheap) instruments to specialist devices that are unavailable commercially.

Eyes on the Universe is an illustrated history of the telescope, beginning with pre-telescopic observatories and the refractors of Galileo, Lippershey and Digges, and ending with the most modern instruments including - of course - the Hubble Space Telescope. Written by Dr Patrick Moore CBE, to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the world's longest-running television programme, the BBC's The Sky at Night, the book takes an enthusiastic look at the development of astronomical telescopes. It provides its readers with a fascinating overview of the way astronomical telescopes have evolved with technology during the past 450 years. Amateur and professional astronomers alike will find this book both entertaining and instructive.

FROM THE REVIEWS:

OPTIK
"...the book takes an enthusiastic look at the development of astronomical telescopes. It provides its readers with a fascinating overview of the way astronomical telescopes have evolved with technology during the past 450 years. The text is written in a very understandable style, for scientists as well as for amateurs. Many color photographs will illustrate the fantastic world of astronomical observation. Amateur and professional astronomers alike will find this book entertaining and instructive."

THE JOURNAL OF THE BRITISH ASTRONOMICAL ASSOCIATION
"...provides a first-class summary of the history of the telescope from Leonard Digges to Hubble. Patrick's unique style ensures readability, and numerous anecdotes spice the pages...Springer-Verlag are particularly to be congratulated on the production quality of this little book, which is beautifully illustrated with 64 spectacular color photographs of every major telescope and observatory in the world."

ASTRONOMY NOW
"...packed with interesting facts and anecdotes about the evolution of telescopes, and records the successes as well as the failures along the path to achieving the biggest and best...I thought that each chapter was extremely well thought out and that there was a pleasant flow from one topic to the next, each a major milestone in its own right. Superb color photographs of telescopes past and present and observatories around the world appear on almost every page...A worthwhile addition to your bookshelf."

Big Data in Radio Astronomy: Scientific Data Processing for Advanced Radio Telescopes provides the latest research developments in big data methods and techniques for radio astronomy. Providing examples from such projects as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), the world's largest radio telescope that generates over an Exabyte of data every day, the book offers solutions for coping with the challenges and opportunities presented by the exponential growth of astronomical data. Presenting state-of-the-art results and research, this book is a timely reference for both practitioners and researchers working in radio astronomy, as well as students looking for a basic understanding of big data in astronomy.

In Small Astronomical Observatories, Patrick Moore has collected descriptions of amateur and small professional observatories currently in use in Europe and America, showing how many astronomers have built their own observatory, often with effective and sometimes extraordinary improvisations to reduce the cost. There is a photograph of each, along with details of its construction and a foreword written by Patrick Moore. In addition to providing a fascinating study for its own sake, Small Astronomical Observatories offers a unique fund of ideas and practical details for anyone who wants to build an amateur or small professional observatory.

Charge-coupled Devices (CCDs) have revolutionised astronomy. Even affordable CCD cameras can be ten times a sensitive as photographic film, and they deliver a digitised image that is easy to enhance using a personal computer. David Ratledge has brought together contributions from twelve leading amateurs from around the world, people who are routinely producing astronomical images of a quality that rivals those of professional observatories only of 10 years ago. These experts describe their techniques and solutions, and offer essential tips and advice for anyone who is choosing or using a CCD camera. Now glance through the Colour Gallery at the back of this book to see just what they have done!

Here is a comprehensive guide for every amateur astronomer who hopes to do more than just star-gaze. If you already own an astronomical telescope and want to know how to use it to the best effect, or if you are thinking about buying one and are wondering where to start, then this is the book for you. Each chapter deals with a different topic, and each has been written by a professional or amateur astronomer who has been chosen by Patrick Moore as an expert in his speciality. Topics range from buying a telescope (or making your own), through electronic equipment and accessories, to more technical aspects such as spectroscopy and astrophotography. A companion book, "The Observational Amateur Astronomer," explains how to use a modest astronomical telescope for serious observing of the Moon, planets, stars and extragalactic objects.

Patrick Moore has pulled together a group of professional and amateur astronomers, each an expert in a particular field, to describe how to observe every category of object that is within reach of an astronomical telescope of modest size. Each chapter deals with a different class of object, covering the whole range of possibilities from the Moon, planets and stars to more specialised observations of comets, novae, and meteors. If you own - or are thinking of buying - an astronomical telescope, here is the book that will help you get the most enjoyment out of it. It also explains how best to use your telescope for proper scientific observations, for astronomy is one of the few remaining areas of science where a lot of useful work can be carried out by non-professionals. A companion book, "The " "Modern Amateur Astronomer," deals with the non-observational aspects of astronomy, from buying a telescope (or making your own), through electronic equipment and accessories, to more technical aspects such as spectroscopy and astrophotography.