Roth G.D. (Ed.) Compendium of Practical Astronomy. Volume 1: Instrumentation and Reduction Techniques

Springer, 1994. — 556 p. — ISBN13: 9783540535966.The ability to employ objective techniques to appreciate the wide variety of cosmic phenomena quantitatively is not restricted to professional astronomers. It is the principal aim of the Handbuch for Sternfreunde to provide the astronomically interested public-amateur observers as well as teachers-with instruction and guidance in practical astronomical activities. This goal has remained unchanged since the first edition, which appeared in 1960.
What has changed is the technical content and organizational structure in various areas. Larger and more effective telescopes are currently within the reach of non-professionals. The professional accessories used in photography, photometry, and spectroscopy are now being operated by amateurs; schools and private observatories own electronic equipment. Thus equipped, the amateur can now engage in observational tasks ranging from photoelectric photometry of planets and variable stars to studies of high-resolution photographs of distant galaxies.
These developments are reflected in every chapter of the present work. The presentation of new tools, techniques, and tasks has required a significant expansion, so that the Handbuchfor Sternfreunde now appears in two volumes.
Volume 1 provides the technical basis for astronomical observations and measurements with amateur equipment. These include fundamental methods for recording and processing light intensities in photography, photometry, and spectroscopy. The optical range is augmented by radio-astronomical observations, whose instrumental basics are described. Also included within
this volume are instructions on how to organize astronomical observations and subsequently process the results by mathematical methods, a guide to the literature, and a brief history of astronomy.Contents of Volume 1
Introduction to Astronomical Literature and Nomenclature
Fundamentals of Spherical Astronomy
Applied Mathematics and Error Theory
Optical Telescopes and Instrumentation
Telescope Mountings, Drives, and Electrical Equipment
Astrophotography
Fundamentals of Spectral Analysis
Principles of Photometry
Fundamentals of Radio Astronomy
Modern Sundials
An Historical Exploration of Modern Astronomy
Astronomy Education and Instructional Aids
Appendix: Educational Resources in Astronomy
Contents of Volume 2
The Sun
Observations of Total Solar Eclipses
The Moon
Lunar Eclipses
Occultations of Stars by the Moon
Artificial Earth Satellites
Observations of the Planets
Comets
Meteors and Bolides
Noctilucent Clouds, Polar Aurorae, and the Zodiacal Light
The Terrestrial Atmosphere and Its Effects on Astronomical Observations
Contents of Volume 3
The Stars
Variable Stars
Binary Stars
The Milky Way Galaxy and the Objects Composing It
Extragalactic Objects
Appendix: Astronomical Data