David Levy's Guide to Observing and Discovering Comets

Capa
Cambridge University Press, 15 de mai. de 2003 - 177 páginas
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).

De dentro do livro

Conteúdo

Of history superstition magic and science
9
Comet science progresses
17
Discovering comets
23
Comet searching begins
25
Tails and trails
35
Comet searching in the twentieth century
43
How I search for comets
51
Searching for comets photographically
61
When comets hit planets
95
The future of visual comet hunting
105
How to observe comets
109
An introduction to comet origins and characteristics
111
Visual observing of comets
119
Estimating the magnitude of a comet
131
Taking a picture of a comet
139
Measuring where a comet is in the sky
145

Searching for comets with CCDs
71
Comet hunting on paper
77
Hunting for sungrazers over the Internet
81
What to do when you think you have found a comet
87
A new way of looking at comets
93
Closing notes
151
My passion for comets
153
Appendix
159
Index
173
Direitos autorais

Outras edições - Ver todos

Termos e frases comuns

Sobre o autor (2003)

David Levy is an amateur astronomer who has become one of the most successful comet discoverers in history.

Informações bibliográficas