Visual Astronomy in the Suburbs. A Guide to Spectacular Viewing PDF
Preview Visual Astronomy in the Suburbs. A Guide to Spectacular Viewing
Patrick Moore’s Practical Astronomy Series Springer London Berlin Heidelberg New York Hong Kong Milan Paris Tokyo Other titles in this series Telescopes and Techniques Chris Kitchin The Art and Science of CCD Astronomy David Ratledge (Ed.) The Observer’s Year Patrick Moore Seeing Stars Chris Kitchin and Robert W. Forrest Photo-guide to the Constellations Chris Kitchin The Sun in Eclipse Michael Maunder and Patrick Moore Software and Data for Practical Astronomers David Ratledge Amateur Telescope Making Stephen F. Tonkin Observing Meteors, Comets, Supernovae and other Transient Phenomena Neil Bone Astronomical Equipment for Amateurs Martin Mobberley Transit: When Planets Cross the Sun Michael Maunder and Patrick Moore Practical Astrophotography Jeffrey R. Charles Observing the Moon Peter T. Wlasuk Deep-Sky Observing Steven R. Coe AstroFAQs Stephen F. Tonkin The Deep-Sky Observer’s Year Grant Privett and Paul Parsons Field Guide to the Deep Sky Objects Mike Inglis Choosing and Using a Schmidt–Cassegrain Telescope Rod Mollise Astronomy with Small Telescopes Stephen F. Tonkin (Ed.) Solar Observing Techniques Chris Kitchin Observing the Planets Peter T. Wlasuk Light Pollution Bob Mizon Using the Meade ETX Mike Weasner Practical Amateur Spectroscopy Stephen F. Tonkin (Ed.) More Small Astronomical Observatories Patrick Moore (Ed.) Observer’s Guide to Stellar Evolution Mike Inglis How to Observe the Sun Safely Lee Macdonald The Practical Astronomer’s Deep-sky Companion Jess K. Gilmour Observing Comets Nick James and Gerald North Observing Variable Stars Gerry A. Good Visual Astronomy in the Suburbs A Guide to Spectacular Viewing Antony Cooke With 143 Figures, including 16 in color 123 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Cooke, Antony Visual astronomy in the suburbs : a guide to spectacular viewing. – (Patrick Moore’s practical astronomy series) 1. Astronomy 2. Charge coupled devices 3. Image intensifiers 4. Video astronomy I. Title 522.6 ISBN 1852337079 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cooke, Antony, 1948– Visual astronomy in the suburbs: a guide to spectacular viewing / Antony Cooke. p. cm. – (Patrick Moore’s practical astronomy series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-85233-707-9 (alk. paper) 1. Astronomy–Amateurs’ manuals. I. Title. II. Series. QB63.C694 2003 520–dc21 2003042426 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be repro- duced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of repro- graphic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduc- tion outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. Patrick Moore’s Practical Astronomy Series ISSN 1617–7185 ISBN 1–85233–707–9 Springer-Verlag London Berlin Heidelberg a member of BertelsmannSpringer Science+Business Media GmbH http://www.springer.co.uk © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2003 Printed in Singapore The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Observing the Sun, along with a few other aspects of astronomy, can be dangerous. Neither the publisher nor the author accept any legal responsibility or liability for personal loss or injury caused, or alleged to have been caused, by any inform- ation or recommendation contained in this book. Typeset by EXPO Holdings, Malaysia 58/3830-543210 Printed on acid-free paper SPIN 10896631 Dedication Dedicated to my dad, Nelson Cooke, great cellist and pedagogue, who nurtured my life and career, and only recently discovered for himself the wonders of amateur astronomy. As a small token of my esteem and affec- tion, may this book inspire and guide him. Special thanks to Jim Corley for helping me prepare the final draft of this book. The author and his 18” JMI Newtonian Reflector on his viewing deck v Foreword Suburban astronomy presents both a challenge and an opportunity to the amateur astronomer. The challenge lies in overcoming the obstacles of light pollution, haze and smog. The opportunity is in obtaining results that in the not-so-distant past would rival those of profes- sional astronomers. This revolution in amateur astron- omy is being led by the availability of CCD, video and image intensifier systems that perform at levels undreamed of by amateurs only a decade or two ago. In the case of CCD cameras, the equipment available actually outperforms that used by professional obser- vatories less than a decade ago. Image intensifier systems offered to amateurs today, the Generation 3 Omni 4 product, is identical to the devices used regu- larly by professional astronomers. In fact, the Generation 3 system of today is actually superior in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, resolution, and photo response compared to professional systems used just a few years ago. Image intensifiers for astronomical applications fill a unique role. No other product available to amateurs in the US provides the capability to view or image deep sky objects in true, real time (with no image accumula- tion time required). The increase in effective light gath- ering ability is improved on any given telescope by two to four plus magnitudes. There are, of course, “purists” in amateur astronomy, who refuse to use any electronic aid, be it a CCD video camera or image intensifier to assist in their observing. The rest of us can take a tip from the pros and use every device within our means to improve and enhance our ability to see deep sky objects. Tony’s book should prove to be a valuable resource to those amateurs seeking guidance in their use of electronic aids, and especially suburban observ- ing of deep sky objects with image intensifiers. When configured for intensified video using frame averaging and a 7-inch refractor, an image intensified system such as the I Cubed is capable of resolving stars vii viii Visual Astronomy in the Suburbs past 16th magnitude and galaxies to 15th magnitude in suburban (visual magnitude 4–4.5) skies. Amateurs should take note that the identical image intensifier system now available to them is used regularly on some of the world’s largest telescopes at Mauna Kea and elsewhere. Astrophotography is also greatly enhanced with image intensification. The photos I supplied Tony for this book were made using my 7-inch Astro-Physics refractor and a Canon D30 digital camera in conjunc- tion with my I Cubed (I ) system. With the ISO speed at 3 400, the exposure time was 6 seconds! While CCD cameras are capable of imaging to deeper magnitudes with a given telescope, one must not lose sight of the issue of exposure time. A skilled amateur, using a CCD camera, can usually obtain good results on only a handful of deep sky objects in a night of observing. A Generation 3 image intensifier, however, combined with a digital camera, can image a sky full of Messier and other deep sky objects in just a few hours. Many amateurs, using the I Cubed system, report that in average-to-poor suburban observing conditions, they are able to see many deep sky objects for the first time, compared to simple visual observing using the same telescope. The value of being able to point a telescope anywhere in the sky and instantly see to greater magni- tudes cannot be overstated. Even some of the unas- sisted “visual only” observers find the utility of image intensified viewing to be a great assistance in locating “faint fuzzies”, stars, asteroids or nebulae. Allow me to share one of my own memorable observing experiences. About a year ago, I was observ- ing in the region of M82 when, quite accidentally, I happened upon a very faint galaxy a few arc minutes across. I adjusted the contrast and brightness controls on the monitor and optimized the control box settings for the Astrovid CCD video camera. There, in the comfort of my home, I saw a tiny smudge of light whose photons had traveled for millions of years to arrive at the aperture of my telescope. I wondered for a few minutes about all the Solar Systems and perhaps civilizations that may have flourished within the borders of that small “island universe” and felt blessed to be observing at that fleeting moment in time. The experience seemed to me what astronomy, be it profes- sional or amateur, is all about. I am fortunate indeed to be associated with the fine people who pursue amateur and professional astronomy, and particularly Tony Foreword ix Cooke, who has taken the time and effort to present such valuable experience-based information to amateur astronomers who seek the insight that this book provides. Bill Collins April 2003 Contents 1 Purpose and Fundamentals . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 Practical Applications and Viewing Aids . . . . 15 3 Techniques for Seeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 4 Introduction to Drawings and Real Time Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 5 The Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 6 The Planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 7 Deep Space – Visual Impressions and Expectations: The Primary Catalog . . . . . . 125 8 Second Viewing Catalog. . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 9 Supplementary Catalog for the Southern Hemisphere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 10 Postscript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Appendix A Recommended Equipment Manufacturers for Amateur Astronomers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Appendix B Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Appendix C Real Time Observation of Stellar and Galactic Sources using a Third Generation Image Intensified Optical System W. J. Collins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 xi
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