Handbook of Practical Astronomy PDF
Preview Handbook of Practical Astronomy
Handbook of Practical Astronomy Günter D. Roth (Editor) Handbook of Practical Astronomy Extrason www.springer.com/978-3-540-76377-2 123 GünterD.Roth Ulrichstraße43a Irschenhausen 82057Icking/Isartal Germany ThisbookisacompletelyrevisedandupdatededitionoftheCompendiumofPracticalAstronomy,published in1994atSpringer-Verlag. Coverphoto:CopyrightbyFranzXaverKohlhauf. ISBN 978-3-540-76377-2 e-ISBN 978-3-540-76379-6 DOI10.1007/978-3-540-76379-6 SpringerDordrechtHeidelbergLondonNewYork LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2008944087 ©Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2009 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.Allrightsarereserved,whetherthewholeorpartofthematerialisconcerned, specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation,broadcasting,reproductionon microfilmorinanyotherway,andstorageindatabanks.Duplicationofthispublicationorpartsthereofis permittedonlyundertheprovisionsoftheGermanCopyrightLawofSeptember9,1965,initscurrentversion, andpermissionforusemustalwaysbeobtainedfromSpringer.Violationsareliableforprosecutionunderthe GermanCopyrightLaw. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,etc.inthispublicationdoesnotimply, evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevantprotectivelawsand regulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. TypesettingandProduction:le-texpublishingservicesGmbH,Leipzig,Germany CoverDesign:WMXDesign,Heidelberg Printedonacid-freepaper SpringerispartofSpringerScience+BusinessMedia(www.springer.com) Preface Withamateurs,studentsandteachersofastronomyinhighschoolsandcollegespartic- ularly inmind, the Handbookof Practical Astronomy comprises an essential sourceof currenttrendsinastronomyandexamines thebroadvariety ofastronomical observa- tions. Methods used by amateur astronomers have changed significantly in recent years. ClassicalphotographyhasbeensupersededbyvideoastronomyandCCD-systems.Tele- scopesarenowcomputer-controlled.TheInternethasbecomethebasisforexchanging knowledgeand experience, evenproviding amateur observerswith accesstoscientific datafiles.Personalcontactcannowbemadeworldwidewithoutdelay. Astronomyonlineforusersofthishandbook:Toaccessastronomydata,physicalcon- stants,catalogues,maps,andobjectsearchvisitwww.springer.com/----. ThefirsteditionofthisbookwaspublishedininGermanywiththetitleHand- buchfürSternfreunde, followed byfurther editions in,and.Thecurrent edition has two English forerunners, Astronomy: a Handbook, published in , and CompendiumofPracticalAstronomy,publishedin. As the Editor, I wish to thank sincerely all authors for their understanding and friendlycooperationduringtheplanningstagesandexecutionofthiswork.Iwouldlike toaddawordofgratefulremembranceofProfessorDr.FelixSchmeidleroftheUniver- sity Observatory at Munich, hehad beenan author inall editions since and had fromtheverybeginningwarmlysupportedthisproject,butwhosedeathinthemiddle ofthecurrenteditionendedhiscollaborationprematurely. I gratefully acknowledge the helpfulness of Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, where Dr.T.Schneidergaveeverypossibleconsiderationtotheauthors’andmysuggestions. Irschenhausen,March GünterD.Roth TableofContents . WhyAstronomy? .................................................. 1 G.D.Roth . Introduction ..................................................... 1 . AstronomyandtheObserver ...................................... 1 . SpecializedInstruments,MethodsandObjects...................... 2 . MajorObjectsfortheAmateur .................................... 3 . “TheUniverse,YourstoDiscover” ................................. 4 . FundamentalsofSphericalAstronomy................................ 5 M.Gottwald . Introduction ..................................................... 5 . TheCoordinates.................................................. 5 .. GeographicCoordinates ................................... 5 .. HorizontalCoordinates .................................... 7 .. TheEquatorialSystem,VernalEquinox,andSiderealTime ... 9 .. TransformationofHorizontalCoordinates intoEquatorialCoordinatesandViceVersa.................. 11 .. OtherCoordinateSystems ................................. 11 ... TheSystemoftheEcliptic ......................... 12 ... TheGalacticCoordinateSystem ................... 12 . TimeandthePhenomenaofDailyMotion.......................... 13 .. TrueandMeanSolarTime ................................. 13 .. TheRelationBetweenSiderealTimeandMeanTime......... 14 .. OtherPhenomenaofDiurnalMotion ....................... 15 . ChangesintheCoordinatesofaStar ............................... 16 .. ProperMotion ............................................ 16 .. PrecessionandNutation ................................... 16 .. Aberration ................................................ 19 .. Parallax................................................... 20 .. ReductionofMeanPositiontoApparentPosition ............ 20 References.............................................................. 21 VIII TableofContents . AppliedMathematicsandtheComputer .............................. 23 M.Gottwald . Introduction ..................................................... 23 . TheTheoryofErrors.............................................. 23 .. DirectObservations ....................................... 24 .. IndirectObservations...................................... 25 . PhotographicAstrometry ......................................... 29 . DeterminationofthePositionandBrightnessofPlanets andofthePlanetographicCoordinates ............................. 33 . StarOccultationsandGrazeswiththeComputer.................... 36 .. PredictionsofStarOccultationsandGrazes ................. 36 .. TheReductionofStellarOccultations ....................... 36 References.............................................................. 39 . OpticsandTelescopes .............................................. 41 B.Weisheit . Introduction ..................................................... 41 . PupilsandStops .................................................. 41 . ImagingErrors ................................................... 43 .. SeidelTheory ............................................. 43 .. ThePrimaryAberrations................................... 43 .. ChromaticAberration ..................................... 46 . MethodsofOpticalTesting........................................ 47 .. DeterminationofFocalLength ............................. 47 .. TheHartmannTest ........................................ 48 .. Foucault’sKnife-EdgeTest.................................. 49 .. InterferometricTests....................................... 51 .. TheRonchiTest ........................................... 52 .. StarTestingaTelescope .................................... 52 . TelescopeSystems ................................................ 55 .. Refractors................................................. 55 .. TheNewtonianReflector................................... 57 .. TheCassegrainTelescope .................................. 59 .. TheRitchey–ChrétienSystem .............................. 61 .. TheSchiefspiegler ......................................... 61 .. TheSchmidtCamera ...................................... 63 .. Schmidt–CassegrainSystems............................... 65 .. MaksutovSystems ......................................... 66 .. InstrumentsforSolarObservations ......................... 68 .. Binoculars ................................................ 69 . TelescopePerformance............................................ 70 .. ResolvingPower........................................... 70 .. MagnificationandFieldofView ............................ 73 .. ImageBrightnessandLimitingMagnitude................... 74 . CollimatingaTelescope ........................................... 75 .. CollimationTools ......................................... 76 TableofContents IX .. Refractor ................................................. 76 .. NewtonianTelescope ...................................... 77 .. OtherOpticalSystems ..................................... 78 . Accessories....................................................... 78 .. Eyepieces ................................................. 78 .. TheBarlowLens........................................... 81 .. TubeConstruction ........................................ 82 .. FindingandGuiding....................................... 83 .. EyepieceMicrometers(cid:2)CCDAstrometry ................... 84 .. ThePhotometer ........................................... 85 .. TheSpectrographandtheSpectroscope ..................... 86 .. SunProjectionScreens..................................... 87 .. TimeSignals .............................................. 87 . VisualObservations............................................... 88 .. TheEye................................................... 88 .. SketchingWhatYouSee.................................... 89 . ServicesforTelescopesandAccessories............................. 91 . FurtherReading .................................................. 91 References.............................................................. 91 . TelescopeMountings,Drives,andElectricalEquipment ................ 95 B.Weisheit . Introduction ..................................................... 95 . TypesofMountings............................................... 95 .. TheAlt-AzimuthalorDobsonianMount .................... 96 .. TheParallacticorEquatorialMount......................... 97 .. ChoosingaMount......................................... 102 . MechanicsofTelescopeMounting ................................. 104 .. Stiffness................................................... 104 .. ShaftsandBearings ........................................ 106 .. FoundationandStability ................................... 111 .. TelescopeVibrations....................................... 112 . DriversforMountings ............................................ 114 .. DrivesinRightAscensionandDeclination .................. 115 .. ConnectingMountandComputer .......................... 120 .. GoToMountings .......................................... 122 .. GuidingSystems........................................... 124 . BasicAdjustments ................................................ 126 .. DirectandOff-AxisGuiding ............................... 126 .. PolarAlignment........................................... 127 .. TheSettingCircles......................................... 129 . FurtherReading .................................................. 131
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