This handbook by George Frederick Chambers (1841 1915), a young and enthusiastic amateur astronomer, became a best-seller soon after its publication in 1861 and made Chambers' reputation as a popular astronomy writer. The work is divided into ten parts covering the following topics: the planets of our solar system; eclipses; gravity and tides; phenomena including aberration and refraction; comets; chronological astronomy; stars; astronomical instruments; the history of astronomy; and meteoric astronomy. It is richly illustrated with photographs and woodcuts depicting a wide variety of astronomical phenomena. Chambers went on to become one of the leading amateur astronomers of the nineteenth century. The usefulness and accessibility of his practical advice ensured that his published works became indispensable for thousands of less famous amateurs. The Handbook, reissued in many editions, remains his most popular work and is a key text in the history of Victorian popular astronomical writing.

Over the past decade, modelling the panchromatic emission of galaxies has become one of the key tools in measuring their properties. As new and next-generation facilities progressively herald a new era in observational astronomy, we face new and specific challenges: LSST (recently named the Vera C. Rubin Observatory) and SKA will provide us with an avalanche of data; the advent of e-ROSITA and the preparation for Athena make it ever more pressing to include X-ray emission into the standard UV to radio panchromatic models; JWST will observe the first galaxies with extreme stellar populations; and, in the meantime, ALMA is already starting to provide us with remarkable dust and metal observations at high redshift. The proceedings of IAU Symposium 341 offer a broad overview of the state of the field from theoreticians, modellers, and observers to present and discuss the current frontier in the panchromatic modelling of galaxies.

First published in 1989, this book provides a comprehensive review of the detection techniques that are used in X-ray astronomy. Since the first discovery of a cosmic X-ray source in 1962, there has been rapid growth in X-ray astronomy, which has largely been made possible by enormous advances in the capabilities of photon counting instrumentation. The book describes the first 25 years of astronomical X-ray instrumentation and summarises the areas of current detector research, giving particular emphasis to imaging devices and to non-dispersive devices of high spectral resolution. It is the first book to give such a comprehensive treatment of the subject, and will provide astronomers with a valuable summary of detection techniques.

When can you see fireballs and who should you contact if you spot one? When is it best to hunt for comets and meteors and whereabouts? How do you gauge the size of the coma in the head of a comet and estimate its degree of condensation? Clear and easy to use, this guide shows you how to make successful and valuable observations and records of comets, asteroids, meteors and the zodiacal light. For each topic the historical background and current scientific understanding support a wealth of observational techniques. Comet observers are shown techniques for search and discovery. They can learn how to make visual estimates of brightness and size, and how to make photographic studies of cometary heads and tails. Asteroid hunters will find a 'life list' of quarry and guidelines on how to search for these objects and then how to photograph or electronically image them. Fruitful photographic and electronic methods for studying meteors and meteor showers are provided. Visual and photographic techniques show you how to examine the often elusive zodiacal light.

This book presents the amateur with fine examples of astronomical sketches and step-by-step tutorials in each medium, including pencil, pen and ink, chalks and pastels, painting and computer graphics programs. This unique book can teach almost anyone to create beautiful sketches of celestial objects by following simple, illustrated, step-by-step instructions. Readers can select a chapter related to their preferred class of object, and rapidly learn techniques in several media. Each chapter contains useful information regarding equipment, techniques for preserving and archiving sketches, and suggestions for accurate record keeping.

This text describes the development of astronomy in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, from the first rocket-based experiments in the late 1960s through to the latest satellite missions. Discussions of the results from the most important space projects are followed by an analysis of the contributions made by EUV astronomy to the study of specific groups of astronomical objects. Within this framework, the book provides detailed material on the tools of EUV astronomy, dealing with the instrumentation, observational techniques, and modelling tools for the interpretation of data. Prospects for future EUV missions are discussed, and a catalogue of the known EUV sources is included. This timely book will be of great value to graduate students and researchers. It is the first to give a complete overview of Extreme Ultraviolet Astronomy, and comes at the end of a major phase of discovery in the field.

As one of the oldest scientific institutions in the United States, the US Naval Observatory has a rich and colourful history. This volume is, first and foremost, a story of the relations between space, time and navigation, from the rise of the chronometer in the United States to the Global Positioning System of satellites, for which the Naval Observatory provides the time to a billionth of a second per day. It is a story of the history of technology, in the form of telescopes, lenses, detectors, calculators, clocks and computers over 170 years. It describes how one scientific institution under government and military patronage has contributed, through all the vagaries of history, to almost two centuries of unparalleled progress in astronomy. Sky and Ocean Joined will appeal to historians of science, technology, scientific institutions and American science, as well as astronomers, meteorologists and physicists.

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 area, which plays 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 (solar) polarimetry, the radiative transfer equation for polarized light, and the formation of spectral lines in the presence of a magnetic field. Most topics are dealt with within the realm of classical physics, although a small amount of quantum mechanics is introduced where necessary. This text will be a valuable reference for graduates and researchers in astrophysics, solar physics and optics.

This book presents readers with the latest research in interferometry. Chapters include research done on an approach that can be used to identify the performance of coherence scanning interferometers in the presence of vibration; the permeability engineering of semiconductor photonic devices; several interferometric structures based on bulk optics to achieving optical interleaving; interference lithography; recent results on laser surface patterning using interferometers and femtosecond laser radiation; the realisation of the optical interferometers with the optical MEMS technology; a simple two-ray interferometer tuned by rotation; tuning of interference pattern period by rotation of an interferometer itself; the characteristics of a two-ray interferometer with fixed mirrors; the detection of acoustic fields from bounded ultrasonic beams by using laser interferometry techniques; and the use of lateral shearing interferometry as an important area of general interferometry.

Alien worlds have long been a staple of science fiction. But today, thanks to modern astronomical instrumentation and the achievements of many enterprising observational astronomers, the existence of planets outside our solar system--also known as exoplanets--has moved into the realm of science fact. With planet hunters finding ever smaller, more Earth-like worlds, our understanding of the cosmos is forever changed, yet the question of how astronomers make these discoveries often goes unanswered. How Do You Find an Exoplanet? is an authoritative primer on the four key techniques that today's planet hunters use to detect the feeble signals of planets orbiting distant stars. John Johnson provides you with an insider's perspective on this exciting cutting-edge science, showing how astronomers detect the wobble of stars caused by the gravitational tug of an orbiting planet, the slight diminution of light caused by a planet eclipsing its star, and the bending of space-time by stars and their planets, and how astronomers even directly take pictures of planets next to their bright central stars. Accessible to anyone with a basic foundation in college-level physics, How Do You Find an Exoplanet? sheds new light on the prospect of finding life outside our solar system, how surprising new observations suggest that we may not fully understand how planets form, and much more.

In the last few years, cheap webcams have revolutionized amateur astronomy, by providing a very inexpensive alternative to purpose-made astronomical CCD cameras, which use refrigerated imaging chips and are thus extremely expensive. Webcams are capable of more advanced work than 'normal' digital cameras because their simple construction makes it easy to remove the webcam's lens, allowing it to be interfaced directly to a telescope. Using a webcam is not difficult, but most amateur astronomers who have tried to do this do not achieve the finest results, despite the webcam's potential. There are numerous imaging and image processing tricks and techniques, and all of them are needed to get the best results. Along with webcam technology has come simple-to-use image processing and enhancement using a PC: the most powerful technique is, 'stacking' in which the best images (out of hundreds) are selected and summed automatically to provide startlingly good results. Lunar and Planetary Webcam User's Guide de-mystifies the jargon of webcams and computer processing, and provides detailed hints and tips for imaging the Sun, Moon and planets with a webcam. specialised techniques in context. Glance through the images in this book to see just how much you can - easily - achieve by using a webcam with your telescope

The spectacular collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in July 1994 was a unique event in the history of observational astronomy. With a year's advance warning, astronomers and planetary scientists around the world were able to co-ordinate an observing campaign to track the event in unprecedented detail. A year after the event, a workshop at the Space Telescope Science Institute provided the first opportunity for them to bring together their observations and found a new understanding of the impact. Based on this meeting, sixteen invited reviews from authors selected as international leaders in the study of the impact and its aftermath are presented in this volume. The chapters have been edited and arranged to provide a thorough and comprehensive overview of our knowledge of the event. While our understanding of the impact will evolve with future work, this book provides a solid foundation for new insights that will follow. It will be a standard reference for graduate students and researchers in astronomy and planetary science.

The interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas set a new high standard for modern celestial cartography. The same team now presents the interstellarum Deep Sky Guide, its unique observing companion. Taking an intuitive visual approach, for each spread of the Atlas, the Guide focuses on carefully selected objects, either as colored composite POSS plates or through the authors' own eyepiece sketches. They allow you to estimate the visibility of features in the telescope while planning observations. Stars and other objects in the vicinity are highlighted, so they also serve as finder charts at night. An index map on each spread allows you to quickly find each object's location in the Atlas. The interstellarum Deep Sky Guide takes all the hassle out of preparing for observing sessions - there's no need to print star charts or photos. Simply grab your Atlas and your Guide, and go observe! This Field Edition is produced using waterproof materials.

This 1990 book is the official history of the Anglo-Australian Telescope which started to be built at Coonabarabran in New South Wales in 1968 and came into operation in 1974. The telescope is part of the Anglo-Australian Observatory which provides facilities for research in optical astronomy for scientists from Britain and Australia. The authors of this book were all involved in different capacities throughout the development of the telescope. As such it gives a detailed and personal record of the scientific, administrative and political developments from the moment negotiations began to the present day. The AAT has been, and continues to be, an outstanding success and can lay claim to being the best instrumented telescope in the world, with a very wide capability and high sensitivity. This is a unique and important book.

A new source of funding for astronomy stemmed from the creation of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1950. Astronomers were quick to take advantage of the opportunities this provided to found new observatories. In this 1997 book, the science and politics of the establishment, funding, construction and operation of the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) are seen from the unique perspective of Frank K. Edmondson, a former member of the AURA board of directors. AURA was asked to manage the Sacramento Peak Observatory (SPO) in 1976, and in 1983 the National Solar Observatory (NSO) was formed by merging the SPO and the KPNO solar programs. In 1981 NASA chose AURA to establish and operate the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). This is a personal account of a period of major innovation in American optical astronomy.

Radio astronomy has revolutionized the course of modern astronomy. Marking the fiftieth anniversary of Jansky??'s discovery in 1933 of extraterrestrial radio emission, Professor Sullivan asked many of the pioneers in the field to set down their versions of events and the people who made them. Each of the score of contributors seeks to give a good ???feeling??? for the times to the great majority of readers who will not have experienced them. Over 150 illustrations, mostly historical photographs of men and machines, enliven the various recollections and reflections. The list of contributors includes many of the key personalities and covers all the major laboratories and countries involved in radio astronomy before 1960. In addition to the radio astronomers themselves, there are contributions from optical astronomers and theorists closely related to the field, as well as historians of twentieth century astronomy.

Radiation from astronomical objects generally shows some degree of polarization. Although this polarized radiation is usually only a small fraction of the total radiation, it often carries a wealth of information on the physical state and geometry of the emitting object and intervening material. Measurement of this polarized radiation is central to much modern astrophysical research. This handy volume provides a clear, comprehensive and concise introduction to astronomical polarimetry at all wavelengths. Starting from first principles and a simple physical picture of polarized radiation, the reader is introduced to all the key topics, including Stokes parameters, applications of polarimetry in astronomy, polarization algebra, polarization errors and calibration methods, and a selection of instruments (from radio to X-ray). The book is rounded off with a number of useful case studies, a collection of exercises, an extensive list of further reading and an informative index. This review of all aspects of astronomical polarization provides both an essential introduction for graduate students, and a valuable reference for practising astronomers.

What can emission lines tell us about an astrophysical object? A workshop at the Space Telescope Science Institute was dedicated to address just this question - for a host of objects (including planetary nebulae and active galactic nuclei) across a broad range of wavelengths (from the infrared through to gamma-rays). Thirteen review articles from internationally renowned experts are presented in this volume. They provide an edited and coherent overview of the latest technical data, techniques in and applications of the study of emission lines from a variety of objects. Chapters include the theory of radiative transfer, photoionising shocks, and emission lines from stellar winds, as well as useful summaries of abundance determinations, atomic data, and diagnostics for IR, UV, gamma-ray and molecular lines. Together these review articles provide an overview of the analysis of emission lines. They summarise current knowledge, highlight outstanding problems and provide focus for fruitful future research. In this way they provide an excellent introduction for graduate students and reference for professionals.

These contributions by recognized authorities originate from a Royal Society discussion meeting held to review the most recent results obtained from the current generation of X-ray telescope research. The launch of Chandra and XMM-Newton has revolutionized research in X-ray astronomy over the past few years, and high quality X-ray observations now being made have had a major impact on topics ranging from protostars to cosmology. This book is a valuable reference for research astronomers and graduate students.

What do we understand of the birth and death of stars? What is the nature of the tiny dust grains that permeate our Galaxy and other galaxies? And how likely is the existence of brown dwarfs, extrasolar planets or other sub-stellar mass objects? These are just a few of the questions that can now be addressed in a new era of infrared observations. IR astronomy has been revolutionised over the past few years by the widespread availability of large, very sensitive IR arrays and the success of IR satellites (IRAS in particular). Several IR space missions due for launch over the next few years promise an exciting future too. For these reasons, the IV Canary Islands Winter School of Astrophysics was dedicated to this burgeoning field. Its primary goal was to introduce graduate students and researchers from other areas to the important new observations and physical ideas that are emerging in this wide-ranging field of research. Lectures from nine leading researchers, renowned for their teaching abilities, are gathered in this volume. These nine chapters provide an excellent introduction as well as a thorough and up-to-date review of developments - essential reading for graduate students entering IR astronomy, and professionals from other areas who realise the importance that IR astronomy may have on their research.

Electromagnetic scintillation describes the phase and amplitude fluctuations imposed on signals that travel through the atmosphere. Providing a modern reference and comprehensive tutorial for this subject, two volumes cover optical and microwave propagation, integrating measurements and predictions at each step of development. The first volume (published September 2001) dealt with phase and angle-of-arrival measurement errors, which are accurately described by geometrical optics. This second volume concentrates on amplitude and intensity fluctuations of the received signal. Also available...Volume I 0-521-80198-2 Hardback $110.00 C

David Levy has held a lifelong passion for comets, and is one of the most successful comet discoverers in history. In this book he describes the observing techniques that have been developed over the years--from visual observations and searching, to photography, through to electronic charge-coupled devices (CCDs). He combines the history of comet hunting with the latest techniques, showing how our understanding of comets has evolved over time. This practical handbook is suitable for amateur astronomers, from those who are casually interested in comets and how to observe them, to those who want to begin and expand an observing program of their own. Drawing widely from his own extensive experience, Levy describes how enthusiastic amateurs can observe comets and try to make new discoveries themselves. David H. Levy is one of the word's foremost amateur astronomers. He has discovered seventeen comets, seven using a telescope in his own backyard, and had a minor planet, Asteroid 3673 Levy named in his honor. He is best known as the co-discoverer of the famous 1994 Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet. Levy is frequently interviewed in the media and succeeded Carl Sagan as science columnist for Parade magazine. He has written and contributed to a number of books, most recently David Levy's Guide to the Night Sky (Cambridge, 2001).

This book describes the development of astronomy in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, from the first rocket-based experiments in the late 1960s through to the latest satellite missions. It provides detailed material on the tools of EUV astronomy, dealing with the instrumentation, observational techniques, and modelling tools for the interpretation of data. Prospects for future EUV missions are discussed, and a catalog of known EUV sources is included.

This is a remarkable story of the building of the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton in California. Helen Wright's informative account vividly describes the founding of the observatory by the millionaire James Lick, as well as the pioneering role that Captain Richard Floyd played in its eight-year construction. The author details the personalities, the many unique circumstances, and the extraordinary production obstacles that were involved in the building of the first high-altitude astronomical observatory, which was finally opened as part of the University of California on June 1, 1888. Based on exhaustive research, this work makes a valuable contribution to the history of astronomy. The volume is enhanced by a fascinating collection of original photographs from the period that are of great historical interest. James Lick's Monument will appeal to a wide audience, including professional and amateur astronomers, historians of science, and all other readers interested in astronomy and its history.

This volume is, first and foremost, a story of the relations between space, time and navigation, from the rise of the chronometer in the U.S. to the Global Positioning System of satellites, for which the Naval Observatory provides the time to a billionth of a second per day. It is a story of the history of technology, in the form of telescopes, lenses, detectors, calculators, clocks and computers over 170 years. It describes how one scientific institution under government and military patronage has contributed, through all the vagaries of history, to almost two centuries of unparalleled progress in astronomy.