New Amateur Astronomer (Softcover Reprint of the Original 1st 2004)

Amateur astronomy has changed beyond recognition in less than two decades. The reason is, of course, technology. Affordable high-quality telescopes, computer-controlled "go to" mountings, autoguiders, CCD cameras, video, and (as always) computers and the Internet, are just a few of the advances that have revolutionized astronomy for the twenty-first century. Martin Mobberley first looks at the basics before going into an in-depth study of what's available commercially. He then moves on to the revolutionary possibilities that are open to amateurs, from imaging, through spectroscopy and photometry, to patrolling for near-earth objects - the search for comets and asteroids that may come close to, or even hit, the Earth. The New Amateur Astronomer is a road map of the new astronomy, equally suitable for newcomers who wants an introduction, or old hands who needs to keep abreast of innovations.