The Study of Variable Stars Using Small Telescopes

Book Description

R.N. Wilson's two-volume treatise on reflecting telescope optics has become a classic in its own right. It is intended to give a complete treatment of the subject, addressing professionals in research and industry as well as students of astronomy and amateur astronomers. This first volume, Basic Design Theory and its Historical Development, is devoted to the theory of reflecting telescope optics and systematically recounts the historical progress. The author's approach is morphological, with strong emphasis on the historical development. The book is richly illustrated including spot-diagrams analysing special systems in modern form. In this second edition, the historical section has been revised. Also, various improvements to the text have been made, and new systems such as the 4-lens corrector of Delabre and the LADS corrector are now covered. The concluding Part II treats manufacture, testing, alignment, and modern techniques.

Customer Reviews:

A superb and most complete reference about telescope optics.......1998-01-01

Since the mid-19th century and the application by Foucault of chemical silvering to glass mirrors, reflecting telescopes have gradually taken over from refracting ones, to eventually become the dominant telescope concept over the entire 20th century. Reflecting Telescope Optics I (RTO I) is an unequaled reference for those who have interest in the field, be they students, telescope designers, professional or amateur astronomers. In Chapter 1 the author takes us on a short, fascinating and at times surprising, journey through the history of telescope design. A delightful story of men, ideas and fascinating machines. It stems from the account by the author that optics is one of those sciences whose progress is inescapably tied to the progress of experimentation and technology. Chapter I tells about great ideas which, sometimes, had to wait for centuries before being understood and recognized. The second and third chapters deal with Gaussian optics and aberration theory, respectively. Fundamental aspects of Gaussian optics are reviewed in a concise manner, albeit to a level of detail sufficient to make the book a valuable reference for an advanced course on geometrical optics. The same comment applies to the third chapter, which deals with aberration theory of telescopes -in the broadest sense. All relations necessary to set up a design, understand and evaluate its first order (paraxial) properties and third order aberrations are clearly demonstrated and their implications thoroughly analyzed. Section 2.2.5.2, in particular, will be invaluable to set up the basis for a two-mirror telescope design, while section 3.2.4 provides all necessary information to evaluate its aberrations. Tables and practical examples provide most useful illustrations to the theory, and serve as well for quick reference when reviewing properties of existing designs. A thorough review of one- and two-mirror design solutions is provided in sections 3.2.6 and 3.2.7, together with detailed illustrations and numerical examples. Section 3.3 provides much detailed and useful information on third order aberrations. A unique and most complete review of wide-field telescope designs, from Schmidt and Maksutov solutions to less known three- and four-mirror designs, is proposed in section 3.6; off-axis designs are addressed in section 3.7, together with a detailed analysis of the effects of decentering of 2-mirror telescopes. Even if this is certainly not its main purpose, there is little doubt that these sections will retain the attention of amateur telescope makers as well. Elaborating on a generalization of the Schwarzschild Theorem, the author demonstrates the relation between the number of optical surfaces and the achievable compensation of third order aberrations. The four-mirror designs with spherical primary and secondary mirrors derived in section 3.6.5.3 pave the way for giant telescopes beyond the 10-m range. Despace effects are reviewed in much detail (section 3.8), unfortunately in the restricted case of two-mirror designs only. As such effects can be of utmost importance with regards to preservation of optical quality and may come to play a role in a trade-off between otherwise equivalent designs, it seems to me that a broader -and, in view of its tremendous complexity, simplified- account would have usefully complemented the review of three- and four mirror designs of section 3.6. A brief but quite complete account of diffraction theory and its relation to aberrations is provided in section 3.10. This section is essential to the completeness of RTO I; it provides the key to understanding image formation and properties, and appeals to the broadest range of readers. Chapter 4 covers field correctors and focal extenders/reducers in great detail, and provides a brief account of atmospheric dispersion correctors, thereby adding to the completeness of RTO I. Finally, theory meets reality in chapter 5, which provides a delectable and most instructive account of major telescope projects -and ideas related to them- from the early 19th century until the mid-1980's. It should be pointed out that, although RTO I deals with telescope optics in a largely theoretical manner, realistic constraints and limitations are given due regard, a consequence of the author's impressive experience in telescope design and fabrication. This review would be incomplete if no acknowledgment were made to the rigorous and consistent formalism of the author, as well as to the useful indices, list of symbols, tables and figures, the most complete bibliography, and the unique portrait gallery of major figures in the field. Indeed, a unique reference in a superb presentation.

Average customer rating:

Hubble review
Beautiful imagery from the world's premier astronomical instrument
Fantastic voyage
Latest Hubble book
Fun Picture Book

Hubble: 15 Years of Discovery
Lars Lindberg Christensen , and Robert A. Fosbury
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Aeronautics & Astronautics | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Science | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 0387285997

Book Description

Hubble: 15 Years of Discovery forms a key element of the European Space Agency's 15th anniversary celebration activities for the 1990 launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

As an observatory in space, Hubble is one of the most successful scientific projects of all time, both in terms of scientific output and its immediate public appeal.

Hubble continues to have an enormous impact by exploiting a unique scientific niche where no other instruments can compete. It consistently delivers super-sharp images and clean, uncontaminated spectra over the entire near-infrared and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This has opened up new scientific territory and resulted in many paradigm-breaking discoveries.

To mark the 15th anniversary on 24 April 2005, the European Space Agency presented a series of unique activities in collaboration with partners all over Europe. This included an exclusive, full-length DVD film (one of the most widely distributed documentary films ever); please see the link to info about the film below:

ttp://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/anniversary/

Customer Reviews:

Hubble review.......2007-06-02

The pictures are stunning, as one would expect. The naritive is pretty good but a bit basic. Not only is it a good coffee table book it is a nice reference book to have on the shelf.

Beautiful imagery from the world's premier astronomical instrument.......2007-05-07

I can't say if fifteen years seems like a long or short time. In one sense, it doesn't seem like that long ago that Hubble went up. In another, it seems as if Hubble has been a fixture in American life, as if it's always been there. It's hard to remember a time when fantastic Hubble imagery didn't come down every few weeks or so.

And of course that's what Hubble is known and, someday, will be remembered for. The astronomers know it as a fantastically useful tool, but everyone else knows it for the stunning imagery. And that's about the way this book handles it. Coffee-table-sized, it contains all the breathtaking photos you could ask for, with text explaining the science behind the photos. But you're going to remember the book - and want it - for the photos, not the text. But that's reason enough.

Fantastic voyage.......2007-03-10

One of most beautifull pictura that I ver seen. If you can travell to the unverse this is the guide.

Latest Hubble book.......2007-01-08

I bought Postcards from Mars and this Hubble book right before Christmas. Both were pretty fascinating to read and were well written. I gave this book 4 stars because I thought the pictures should have been larger to emphasize the grandeur. More pages and more text would justify the price.

Fun Picture Book.......2007-01-04

While undertaking a graduate-level course recently to understand big science project development using the Hubble Space Telescope as a classic example, I ran across this book. The images from HST are as meaningful to me as the Apollo 8 Earthrise. In fact, the younger generations will probably give me awe to the HST images than those stunning first pictures of Earth from Apollo 8 and Apollo 17 published so frequently around the globe. The profound images from the HST are many. This book captures much of the soul-searching visualizations that the HST science team has provided us. It is not a full-blown text of the technical aspects of the HST, but it is a high-qaulity picture book of results of BIG science.

New Cosmic Horizons: Space Astronomy from the V2 to the Hubble Space Telescope

Average customer rating:

The fascinating history of space-based astronomy

New Cosmic Horizons: Space Astronomy from the V2 to the Hubble Space Telescope
David Leverington
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Cosmology | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

Cosmology | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Life on Other Worlds: The 20th-Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate

ASIN: 0521658330

Book Description

New Cosmic Horizons tells the extraordinary story of space-based astronomy since the Second World War. Starting with the launch of the V2 rocket in 1946, this book explores the triumphs of space experiments and spacecraft designs and the amazing astronomical results that they have produced. David Leverington examines the fascinating way in which the changing political imperatives of the United States, USSR/Russia and Western Europe have modified their space astronomy programs. He covers all major astronomy missions of the first fifty years of space research: the Soviet Sputnik and American Explorer projects, the subsequent race to the moon, solar and planetary missions, and the wonders of modern astrophysics culminating in the exciting results of the Hubble Space Telescope. Extensively illustrated, New Cosmic Horizons offers amateur and professional astronomers an unusual perspective on the history of astronomy in our time. David Leverington was Design Manager of the GEOS Spacecraft and Meteosat Program Manager for ESA in the 1970s. During his tenure as Engineering Director at British Aerospace in the 1980s, he was responsible for the Giotto spacecraft that intercepted Halley's comet, and the Photon Detector Assembly and solar arrays for the Hubble Space Telescope. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He lives in Essex, England.

Customer Reviews:

The fascinating history of space-based astronomy.......2001-09-12

In New Cosmic Horizons: Space Astronomy From The V2 To The Hubble Space Telescope, David Leverington reveals the fascinating history of space-based astronomy from the launching of the V! rocket in 1946 down to the present day. Here are all the triumphs of the space experiments and spacecraft designs that have produced the spectacular astronomical results in the last half of the twentieth century. Profusely illustrated and with a comprehensive, "reader friendly" text ideal for both astronomy students, astronomy professionals, and the interested non-specialist general reader, New Cosmic Horizons will prove to be an essential, core addition to any personal, academic or community library reference collection.

Reflecting Telescope Optics II: Manufacture, Testing, Alignment, Modern Techniques (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)

Average customer rating:

Reflecting Telescope Optics II: Manufacture, Testing, Alignment, Modern Techniques (Astronomy and Astrophysics Library)
Raymond N. Wilson
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Sciences | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Engineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 3540603565

Book Description

This volume is concerned essentially with the modern developments in reflecting telescope optics. In the last twenty years, modern technology has revolutionized not only manufacturing and test procedures but also the whole area of quality specification with the introduction of active control into the functioning telescope. Other subjects covered here are alignment of telescope optics, atmospheric optics, including adaptive optics, reflecting coatings and ancillary equipment (adapters and baffles). Although an independent work, Vol. II is heavily cross-referenced with Vol. I. It is richly illustrated and gives, together with Vol. I, the most complete list of references available; it can also therefore be regarded as a source book.

Average customer rating:

really good book for nexstar owners!
Good book but limited on Celetron ASGT
Invaluable companion for "Little NexStar" users
The NexStar User's Guide
Nextstar Users Guide.....

The NexStar User's Guide
Michael Swanson
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Scientific Instruments | Experiments, Instruments & Measurement | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 1852337141

Book Description

Celestron’s NexStar telescopes were introduced in 1999, beginning with their first computer controlled “go to” model, a 5-inch. More models appeared in quick succession, and Celestron’s new range made it one of the two dominant manufacturers of affordable “go to” telescopes. Michael Swanson’s online discussions with literally thousands of NexStar owners made it clear that there was a desperate need for a book such as this - one that provides a complete, detailed guide to buying, using and maintaining NexStar telescopes. Although this book is highly comprehensive, it is suitable for beginners - there is a chapter on “Astronomy Basics” - and experts alike.

Customer Reviews:

really good book for nexstar owners!.......2007-09-27

I am from Holland and I love this book. I own a nexstar se 5 and could not find so much technical information or user's tips about this scope on the internet. The user's guide deliverd with the scope isn't so good. So when I bought this book I was happy to get so much useful information about how to use my nexstar and all the things you can do with it. The user's tips are great and after reading this book you know that using a go- to -telescope isn't so easy as being advertised. This book gives you the answers you need to really enjoy your nexstar instead of getting frustrated and losing the motivation to use it. This book inspires you to try different thing with your nexstar and is honest about the accesoires that you can buy next to your type of nexstar ( such as eyepieces, filters, telrad, focal reducer, etc ) that are really useful.
Just read the book and find out for yourself...........

Good book but limited on Celetron ASGT.......2007-08-23

I found that the NexStar User's Guide was not very helpful to me since I purchased the Celestron ASGT Advanced Series mount with a 9.25 SCT, which uses the NexStar system. The book did not address this specific configuration, its 3-star alignment programming, or the alignment bug that currently plagues the ASGT system. Also, I had already spent so much time trying to solve the go-to alignment bug that a forced learning curve made the book of marginal value. Therefore, I ended up returning it. I will say that it is otherwise a good book, but it really does not address all NexStar applications. Therefore, I would not necessarily recommend the Guide to ASGT owners until the book as been updated to include the Celestron ASGT Advanced Series mount and the alingment problems.

Invaluable companion for "Little NexStar" users.......2007-08-20

I recently purchased a NexStar 130 SLT telescope and NexImage CCD imager to progress fifty years of armchair interest in amateur astronomy toward observing the southern skies more effectively from rural Australia. Before buying, I had downloaded the Celestron manual for this scope, and thought that would be enough. Wrong! I rapidly discovered that I had to know more to get anywhere. This book arrived within ten days of ordering it from Amazon. It is magnificent, like having a friendly, patient yet enthusiastic, expert on hand to guide me. Published in 2004 (2nd printing 2005), it doesn't have the NexStar 130 in, but since the only difference from the NexStar 114 which is included is aperture, that's not a problem. Very highly recommended.

The NexStar User's Guide.......2007-02-24

If you own a Celestron NexStar telescope and you are not "GoTo" savvy
like most of us, this book will walk you through it and then some.
I have the SLT 102, which is not covered in this book because the three SLT
models are new and did not come to market until after this book was
published. Nevertheless, it does cover the former models which operate
almost identically. I had no problem following his explanations of
operating my scope. There are many tips and illustrations on the NexStar
line of scopes to give you the confidence needed to get the most out
of your investment. There are trouble shooting guides, suggested acessories,
software reccomendations, power sources, and what you can see in the sky
with your scope. The author has a web site for the most recent information
and tips on the NexStars. You will never feel like you are alone. Mr. Swanson
will answer your questions directly or via the Yahoo NexStar newsgroup
pages. It is a good investment and resource for your telescope.

Nextstar Users Guide............2007-01-04

While I am an experienced user of a Nexstar telescope and found some of the information to be a little basic, over all it is a very good book and worth having, especially for a new to the Nexstar telescope owner.

The Design and Construction of Large Optical Telescopes

Average customer rating:

Excellent book on large telescopes

The Design and Construction of Large Optical Telescopes

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Optics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Telescopes | Experiments, Instruments & Measurement | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Engineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 0387955127

Book Description

This book assembles for the first time in a single text the full range of astronomical and engineering principles used in the design and construction of large telescopes. It aims to cover all aspects of the field, from the fundamentals of astronomical observation, to optics, control systems, and structural, mechanical, and thermal engineering, as well as such specialized topics as site selection and program management. The book is the result of the collaboration of many leading astronomers, engineers, and project managers. Their contributions have been edited to provide a consistent approach and treatment: for example, ground- and space-based telescopes are treated from a common perspective. Topics covered include: - Design Methods and Project Management - Telescope Optics - Stray Light Control - Structure and Mechanisms - Pointing and Control - Active and Adaptive Optics - Thermal Control - Integration and Verification - Observatory Enclosure and Siting

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book on large telescopes.......2007-09-04

Since I work for a privately held observatory engaged in the construction of a new telescope and facility, this book is extremely useful. I have found its treatment of all the subjects related to large telescopes very helpful and just the right level of depth for my situation.

Real Astronomy with Small Telescopes: Step-by-Step Activities for Discovery (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)

Average customer rating:

Real Astronomy with Small Telescopes: Step-by-Step Activities for Discovery (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)
Michael K. Gainer
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 1846284783

Book Description

This book is about using an 80mm refractor / 90mm Maksutov (such as a Helios 80 or Meade ETX90) as more than a "quick look" instrument, but rather something capable of use as an introduction to scientific observations. Emphasis is on measurement and discovery activities rather than on casual observing. There are two objectives to these activities: to re-enact the process of discovery and to provide amateur observers with the knowledge and skill that will help them make genuine contributions to the field of astronomy.

It is often said that users of small telescopes can conduct worthwhile scientific work, but ‘how’ is seldom explained except in the context of observations carried out by the most advanced amateur astronomers. This book provides the necessary introduction – derived from the author’s many year of experience in teaching the subject – that will be the starting point for serious work.

Users will find many activities and projects suitable for an 80mm refractor or 90mm reflector or Maksutov that have not been published elsewhere.

The Dark Universe: Matter, Energy and Gravity (Space Telescope Science Institute Symposium Series)

Average customer rating:

The Dark Universe: Matter, Energy and Gravity (Space Telescope Science Institute Symposium Series)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Cosmology | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This timely volume presents specially written articles by world experts at an international conference at the Space Telescope Science Institute. The goal of the meeting was to assemble physicists and astronomers working on all aspects of dark matter and theories of gravity. Topics covered include Nucleosynthesis, Hot Gas in Clusters, MACHOs, WIMPs, Rotation Curves, Gravitational Lensing Neutrinos, Large Scale Flows, Dwarf Spheroidals, Cosmological Parameters from Supernovae, the Cosmic Microwave Background, the Cosmological Constant, and Theories of Gravity.

Average customer rating:

Our first clear view of the Universe
Poorly Executed
The Best Images of the Universe at your Fingertips!!!
Chapters also cover the science and astronomy involved
Good Coffee Table Material

Hubble: The Mirror on the Universe
Robin Kerrod
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Star-Gazing | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1552977811

Book Description

Dramatic images never before published in a single volume.

High above the dirty window of Earth's atmosphere, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) enjoys a clear view of the universe. Hubble uses hundreds of the latest, most spectacular images from the HST to illustrate a comprehensive astronomy reference. Stargazers will be astonished to see in color pictures what were once fuzzy photographs, dots on a star map or words in a textbook.

Hubble explains how new discoveries are revising scientific understanding of the Universe. Detailed images of the Eagle Nebula show several fingers rising above a massive gas cloud. At the end of each fingertip -- the width of our solar system -- is the birth of a star.

The book covers the observable universe in six sections:

Stars in the Firmament
Stellar Death and Destruction
Gregarious Galaxies
The Expansive Universe
Solar Systems
The Heavenly Wanderers

Clear and concise text explains the fascinating history of astronomy and the development of the HST. Hubble transports readers to the planets of our solar system and on to galaxies millions -- even billions -- of light years away. These dramatic, unforgettable images will bring into sharp focus how the Universe is unfolding in new and astonishing ways.

Customer Reviews:

Our first clear view of the Universe.......2006-02-27

Circling a few hundred miles overhead is one of the engineering marvels of the late twentieth century: humanity's very own mirror on the universe, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Now that we have seen such wonders reflected through its glass, what can we do but venture out into the universe for a closer look?

English astronomer, Robin Kerrod supplies enough explanatory text so that this isn't just another book of beautiful photographs. Among other wonders, we learn about the origins and deaths of stars, cometary knots (which have nothing to do with comets), gaseous stalagmites that have been dubbed 'the pillars of creation,' and protoplanetary disks in the Orion Nebula.

Hubble lets us peer through Titan's atmosphere and into clusters of millions of stars. The planetary nebulae such as the Butterfly and the Spirograph may yield the most beautiful photographs in this book, but it is always the photographs of the vast starfields such as those in the Tarantula Nebula that stop me dead. To think that a few hundred years ago, we were able to count around six thousand stars in the night sky, and now a single photograph yields a million stars in a small pond of gas and dust.

Cosmological theories explode into nonexistence because of these photographs. Others, even stranger are born. The Hubble Deep Field photograph of a small region just north of the Big Dipper (a 120 hour exposure) shows infant galaxies, only a few billion years older than the Universe itself. What will theorists do with this single photograph of a small square of space?

Everyone should own a copy of this book, especially those who are arrogant enough to believe human beings are the center of the Universe. My only problem with some of the double-page photographs is that their most interesting objects are hidden in the book's stitching. This is a very small complaint in the midst of such wonder.

Poorly Executed.......2004-03-24

I just received the book and was fairly disappointed by the overall quality. Except for the cover jacket and the first three double-page photos, the majority of the image reproductions are of poor quality. First, many of the photos look like they were scanned from prints rather than digitally reproduced directly from the original data and show defects like scratches. The photos suffer from a poor selection of dithering pattern used to reproduce the many colors. This gives the overall impression of a grainy photo. Quite a few of the images are displayed at too large a size and have excessive pixellation. A few pages of text were marred with stains or bleed through from the printing process. Finally, about half of the images at the end of the book dealing with the planets are not from Hubble at all. Having seen most of the images in this book in either their native FITS or tif formats I do know what the quality of these should be - and this book ain't it!

The Best Images of the Universe at your Fingertips!!!.......2004-01-13

+++++

The author, Robin Kerrod, an astronomer and accomplished astronomy writer, states in this book's preface the following:

"This book reveals the wonderful, mysterious, and awesome universe of ours...You don't have to be an astronomer to appreciate the...breathtakingly, hauntingly beautiful [colour] images [or pictures], which chronicle frozen moments in the life of the cosmos [or universe]--from the Martian dust storms to...planetary systems [other than our own]; from the birth pangs of young stars to the death throes of ancient ones; from [a very high rate of star formation] in neighbouring galaxies to catastrophic collisions in remote [galaxies]."

Thus, it is the visually stunning and dramatic images that grace all of the 190 pages of this book (published in October 2003) that make it so remarkable. I counted approximately 300 images. Note that of these, about 25 are non-space pictures. My favourite non-space picture is a cutaway diagram of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) that shows its essential features. Each image or picture is accompanied by an excellent description of what's going on in the picture.

This book's title implies that all the space images have come from the HST (named after the foremost U.S. astronomer Edwin Hubble, 1889-1953). Actually, as the picture credits section reveals, the majority of this book's space images do come from the HST but a small minority of them come from other sources such as Earth-based observatories, artificial satellites (for example, the COsmic Background Explorer or COBE), and space probes (such as Voyager 2).

This book is divided into six chapters that deal respectively with star birth, star death, galaxies, the expanding universe, solar systems, and our solar system's planets. The appropriate pictures are put into each chapter. For example, the first chapter on star birth contains about 35 pictures that deal with star birth.

This is not only a picture book! This book also gives an overview of astronomy. That is, each chapter is accompanied by text that is concise, comprehensive, and well-written. I learned much from the combination of Kerrod's lucid text and the magnificant pictures.

This book also has a seventh section that is divided into two parts. The first part explains details about telescopes in general while the second part discusses details about the HST in particular. Both parts include informative pictures.

What significant space event occurred in 1957? When was the HST put into orbit? The answers to these and other similar questions can be found in the section called "Landmarks in Astronomy." This section lists major astronomical landmarks that occurred between 585 BC and 2010 AD.

Need to find the definition of an astronomical/space/telescope term in a hurry? Then use this book's "Glossary of Terms." Such recent terms as "COSTAR", "proplyd", and "WIMP" are given excellent, concise definitions.

There are two obvious problems I found with this book. First, the text on page 162 is duplicated on page 168. Second, there are no references/notes for the book's text. Some of this text information is very recent and very factual. Thus, it seems to me that this information should be properly referenced. All of the pictures, however, do give credit to their sources.

In conclusion, if you want to learn about the universe and see its glorious wonders, then don't go out and buy an expensive telescope or pay the very large amount to be a tourist on the next Space Shuttle flight. Instead, get this relatively inexpensive book and have the universe at your fingertips!!!

+++++

Chapters also cover the science and astronomy involved.......2004-01-09

Robin Kerrod's Hubble gathers some of the most important, breathtaking images from the Hubble system, from the birthplace of stars and the deaths of massive red stars to planets in the making and documentation supporting the collision of galaxies. This isn't just a picturebook: chapters also cover the science and astronomy involved, making this a perfect choice for any who would learn about the latest findings via Hubble.

Good Coffee Table Material.......2004-01-06

This book is worth a spot on the coffee table (or bookshelf even). It is more than a "pretty face" in that it goes into depth in quite a few areas considered very current research in Astronomy such as MACHOS, WIMPS, and galactic cannibalization (with illustrations, of course). Other than a few glaring mistakes they missed in the editing (like saying the Virgo Supercluster of Galaxies is only 100 light years across - pg. 105) it does a good job. Just keep in mind it is long on great photos and a little brief on some topics. Excellent layout that will please both deep sky explorers and planetary "nuts" alike. Divided into 6 chapters each with its focus on one area (ie. Galaxies, Solar System, Cosmology) and the afterwards about the Hubble Space Telescope history was very interesting and replete with pictures also. What I liked best was how the text with the pictures added rather than detracted from the whole reading experience. The text allowed me to stare at the picture even longer and say "wow" more often when I knew more about what I was looking at.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books