Stargazing with a Telescope

By Robin Scagell

Book Overview

Reviews for the previous editions: Because it stays focused, it succeeds. When you read Stargazing, you feel as though you have a friend who's helping you think about the world of telescopes. --Sky and Telescope

A practical guide that demystifies the process of buying a telescope... valuable advice on how to instantly spot misleading labels on low-end telescopes. --Astronomical Society of the Pacific "Books of Note"

Buying a telescope is essential for the stargazer who wishes to progress from binocular sky watching. With so many choices in technology and price, how does one choose just the right one? Robin Scagell supplies an expert's objective advice to making a smart purchase.

Newly updated and revised with the latest technology, Stargazing with a Telescope demystifies the process of buying and using a telescope. The features and benefits of the different types of viewing instruments are evaluated in straightforward terms, and color illustrations help to clarify the choices.

Equipment covered includes: Binoculars: a range of choices for astronomers at any level Refractors: classic telescopes that are easy to use and maintain Reflectors: sophisticated instruments that allow night sky photography Catadioptrics: compact telescopes that are gaining popularity CCDs and webcams.

New to this edition is information and guidance on taking astro-images not only with a camera but by using CCDs (charge-coupled devices), which are better for capturing nebulae and fainter objects beyond the solar system. There is also new and exciting guidance on using webcams to capture objects moving in the night sky.

The book provides brand names and model numbers and the general advice applies to all brands, including recent model releases. Lens size, focal lengths, focal ratios and much more are explained with clear diagrams and non-scientific text. Also covered are accessories such as eyepieces, filters, mounts and supports, with suggestions for photography through the telescope, and choices of cameras and film types.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1770853294
• ISBN13: 9781770853294
• Release Date: January 2014
• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Informative and a great value

When I started thinking (at age 60) of fulfilling my boyhood dreams of stargazing, this was one of the books I purchased, and I have no regrets. It's written extraordinarily well, and anitcipates and addresses nearly all the questions a newbie who is thinking about getting a telescope would ask. Not only the text and the overall layout of the book, but also the backmatter, are extraordinarily helpful. My only gripe: In the introduction, the author states that the goal is not "to make assumptions about what [we] know already." That approach is fulfilled in about the first half of the book. Thereafter, that notion seems to have been forgotten, or at least was not articulated as well as it was in an earlier chapter. I'd recommend that the above would be fixed. I'd recommend that the next edition includes a glossary of common and pertinent terms. Nonetheless, a great book, a very helpful one; and the price is right.

The book got a look!

I bought this for my star gazing hubby. He liked it so well it is dog eared now!

Nifty little guide to buy before you buy your first scope

This is an appealing digest-sized guide that tells you everything you need to know before buying your first telescope. It presents the technical information you need to understand in plain English.What's more, it's profusely illustrated and up to date. It has info on the latest scopes and the advantages and disadvantages of the different types (refractor vs. reflector etc.).So why didn't it earn the fifth star? I wish the pages were larger. It's designed along the lines of a field guide but you're not going to read this book in the field. You're going to read it in your easy chair amidst a stack of Astronomy and Sky and Telescope magazines. In that venue a more traditional book size would be more appropriate.Don't let that put you off though. If you're contemplating buying a good scope and you don't have a knowledgeable friend to lean on for advice, buy this book.