Stockport Binocular & Telescope Centre. Springer Astronomy titles

Creating and enhancing digital astro images
Grant Privett
ISBN: 978-1-84628-580-6
Paperback
142 pages
Patrick Moores Practical Astronomy series
Price: £24.99

Practical Astronomer's Deep sky companion
Jess K.Gilmour
ISBN: 1-85233-474-6
Paperback with plastic water resistant
cover for field use
Patrick Moores Practical astronomy series
140 Pages
Price: £29.00

Supernovae and how to observe them
Martin Mobberley
ISBN:0-387-35257-0
Paperback
207 Pages
Price: £19.00

Nebulae and how to observe them
Steven R. Coe
ISBN: 1-84628-482-1
156 Pages
Paperback
Price: £19.50

Binocular Astronomy

This book contains everything an astronomer needs to know about binocular observing. The book takes an in-depth look at the instruments themselves. It has sections on evaluating and buying binoculars and binocular telescopes, their care, mounting, and accessories. In addition there is a selection of fifty fine objects to be seen with 50mm and 100mm binoculars.

The advantages of using both eyes for astronomical observing are many and considerable, largely because of the way the human brain processes visual information. This book enables the astronomer to maximize those advantages.
ISBN-10: 1-84628-308-6

Price: £19.50

Observing Variable Stars.
Observing variable stars is one of the major contributions amateur astronomers make to science. There are 36,000 variable stars listed in the General Catalogue of Variable Stars, so it is clearly impossible for the limited number of professional observatories to target even the majority of them. That's where amateur astronomers come in - thousands of them turning their telescopes to the sky every night. Variable star observing is the most popular of "real science" activities for amateurs, and Gerry Good's book provides everything needed. The first part of the book provides a highly detailed account of the various classes of variable star, with examples, illustrations and physical descriptions. The second section covers practical aspects of observing, everything from preparation and planning, through observing techniques, to data management and reduction.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers
ISBN: 1-85233-498-3

Price: £25.50

Telescopes and Techniques.An Introduction to Practical Astronomy.
This second - completely revised - edition of Chris Kitchin's easy-to-read book provides a carefully structured introduction to the tools of astronomy. Beginning with an in-depth look at astronomical telescopes, it progresses through a coverage of positions and motions of astronomical objects, to observing instruments and techniques. New to this edition are sections on modern small telescopes and their design, revised material on the computer processing of data, and extended appendices. Like the first edition, questions (with answers) are given so that students and enthusiastic amateur astronomers can check their progress.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers
ISBN: 1-85233-725-7

Price: £23.00

Astronomy with Small Telescopes
Small telescopes have a lot to recommend them.
Cost is of course a consideration, but their most positive feature is sheer portability. Some manufacturers have tried to make large telescopes more portable (with mixed success), but the opposite approach, that of making small telescopes more effective, is what this book is all about.
Good 2-inch (60mm) telescopes are now available for beginners, and major American manufacturers now offer small, affordable computer-controlled instruments that are capable of superb results.
Stephen Tonkin has gathered the experience of users of small telescopes to provide an insight into just what is possible - for newcomers to astronomy or experienced observers who simply want to use a small, really portable telescope.
Written for: Amateur astronomers, astronomy students
ISBN: 1-85233-629-3

Price: £19.00

Choosing and Using a Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope.
Amateur astronomy is becoming more and more popular, mostly because of the availability of relatively low-cost astronomical telescopes of superb quality - commercially-made Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutovs. Rod Mollise's book contains everything amateur astronomers need to know about these telescopes. Featuring (but not exclusively) the ubiquitous Meade and Celestron ranges, he describes what these instruments will do, how to use them, and which are the best to choose. This book includes everything! There are sections on accessories, observing techniques, and hints and tips gleaned from his 25 years experience with this type of telescope: cleaning, collimating, maintaining the telescope and mounting; using the telescope in various conditions; computer control; imaging (wet, digital and CCD). This is the perfect book for amateur astronomers who are about to invest in a new Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov telescope, or for those who already have one and want to get the best out of it.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers, would-be amateur astronomers
ISBN: 1-85233-631-5

Price: £25.50

3-D Atlas of Stars and Galaxies.
This Astronomical Atlas features conventional star and galaxy maps, along with spectacular three-dimensional stereographs. These 3-D images are viewed with the red/green spectacles provided with the book, to show the stars and galaxies in three-dimensional space. This book contains three sets of comprehensive full-sky maps and 3-D stereographs. They cover local space, regional space, (the naked-eye stars) and distant space (with more than 20,000 galaxies). All the stereographs have been derived from the most accurate data available, including the results produced by the Hipparcos satellite. They can be used to directly measure approximate distances of the objects they show, as well as for viewing in 3-D. The distant space maps represent probably the most complete mappings of the galaxies available to amateur astronomers, and their accompanying three-dimensional views provide tantalising glimpses of structure at the largest scale of the universe.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers, astronomy students
ISBN: 1-85233-189-5

Price: £27.00

Astronomy with a budget telescope.
Sir Patrick Moore, CBE, FRS has long been the scourge of those people selling low-cost astronomical telescopes via mail-order catalogues and non-specialist stores. Ten years ago the quality was appalling and disappointment would have been almost guaranteed - but times have changed. The first part of the book provides reports on some available models along with detailed and essential hints and tips about what to look for when buying. The second part describes how best to use the telescope, which celestial objects to observe (with full-page star charts to help find them), what you can expect to see, and how to take and even computer enhance astronomical photographs. -Explains what to look for when you buy a low-cost telescope. -Lists and describes the best celestial objects to observe. -Includes a detailed full-page star chart for every object listed, showing where to find it. -Illustrates what you can expect to see. -Includes a section on how to photograph and computer-enhance astronomical images. -Full colour throughout.

Written for:
Amateur astronomers
ISBN: 1-85233-586-6

Price: £14.00

How to observe the sun safely.
The Sun is the closest star to Earth, and the only one we can observe in any sort of detail. As such it is a fascinating field of study. It also has the practical advantage, unlike every other astronomical object, of being visible in the daytime! After an introduction to the Sun as a star, the book concentrates entirely on practical aspects for amateur observers: the equipment needed, how to set it up, how to record observations, and how to image the Sun with conventional or digital cameras.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers
ISBN: 1-85233-527-0

Price: £19.50

Observing the Moon.
Written by Peter Wlasuk, an astronomer at the Florida International University, Observing the Moon is a definitive work. An invaluable reference book for anyone seriously interested in the Moon and its geology, it is also a perfect companion for practical amateur astronomers. Detailed and extensively illustrated chapters catalog most of the interesting lunar features visible in modest telescopes. They are preceded by a crash course in modern lunar geology and followed by chapters on photographic and CCD imaging, drawing and lunar topography. A CD-ROM accompanies the book and contains a gallery of lunar images.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers, astronomy students
ISBN: 1-85233-193-3

Price: £25.50

Using the Meade ETX.100 Objects You Can Really See with the Mighty ETX
In 1996 Meade, the world's largest astronomical telescope manufacturer, introduced the ETX, a low-cost and genuinely portable instrument capable of results close to the theoretical limits of optical performance. Since then several different models have been introduced, most of them controlled by on-board computers that automatically point the telescope at objects selected from a database of 12,000. Unfortunately not all these objects are visible when looking through the ETX! (They are included because they can be imaged with special equipment.) Mike Weasner is a world expert on the ETX range, and describes the "best" 100 objects to start with, and offers hints and tips about using and looking after the telescope to get the best possible results.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers
ISBN: 1-85233-351-0

Price: £19.50

Practical astrophotography.
Almost all amateur astronomers want to take photographs of the night sky. For all but the simplest star-trail pictures, this involves machinery - a telescope drive - to track the stars, essential to compensate for the rotation of the earth. The task becomes even more complicated when photographing very small or very faint objects that require high magnification or very long exposure times.
Amateurs have many options according to their requirements, technical ability, and budget. Astrophotography for Amateurs looks at all the possibilities, including normal ("wet") photography, CCD imaging, and modern techniques of computer enhancement. There are sections about photographing different classes of astronomical object from the Moon to faint nebulae, as well as a thorough look at the equipment needed.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers, practitioners, astronomy students
ISBN: 1-85233-023-6

Price: £23.00

Amatuer telescope making.
Many amateur astronomers make their own instruments, either because of financial considerations or because they are just interested. Amateur Telescope Making offers a variety of designs for telescopes, mounts and drives which are suitable for the home-constructor. The designs range from simple to advanced, but all are within the range of a moderately well-equipped home workshop. The book not only tells the reader what he can construct, but also what it is sensible to construct given what time is available commercially. Thus each chapter begins with reasons for undertaking the project, then looks at theoretical consideration before finishing with practical instructions and advice. An indication is given as to the skills required for the various projects. Appendices list reputable sources of (mail order) materials and components. The telescopes and mounts range from "shoestring" (very cheap) instruments to specialist devices that are unavailable commercially.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers, practitioners, university students (1st year)
ISBN: 1-85233-000-7

Price: £29.00

Astronomical equipment for amatuers.
Telescopes - refractors and reflectors - are the main items of equipment used by almost every amateur astronomer. The purpose of astronomical telescopes is to collect and focus more light than the human eye can, forming an image that can be viewed, photographed, or analysed. Astronomical Equipment for Amateurs makes buying and using both telescopes and their ancillary instruments easy for astronomers of all abilities. It begins by looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the basic types of refractors, reflectors, mountings and accessories. Observation techniques are also included, along with the use of filters, (colour, anti-pollution and nebula), types of photography (piggy-back, prime focus and eyepiece projection), and also CCD imaging (including types of CCD camera and their advantages and disadvantages compared to photography). Martin Mobberley provides a fascinating insight into astronomical software.
Written for:
Amateur astronomers, practitioners, astronomy students
ISBN: 1-85233-019-8

Price: £29.00