David Levy's Guide to Eclipses, Transits, and Occultations

David Levy inspires readers to experience the wonder of eclipses for themselves in this guide for beginners and practised observers.

David H. Levy (Author)

9780521165518, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 19 August 2010

184 pages, 55 b/w illus.
24.6 x 17.4 x 0.8 cm, 0.4 kg

In this simple guide, David Levy inspires readers to experience the wonder of eclipses and other transient astronomical events for themselves. Covering both solar and lunar eclipses, he gives step-by-step instructions on how to observe and photograph eclipses. As well as explaining the science behind eclipses, the book also gives their historical background, discussing how they were observed in the past and what we have learned from them. This personal account contains examples from the 77 eclipses the author has witnessed himself. The guide also includes chapters on occultations of stars and planets by the Moon and of asteroids by stars, and the transits of Mercury and Venus. Tables of future eclipses make this invaluable for anyone, from beginners to practised observers, wanting to learn more about these fascinating events.

Introduction
Part I. The Magic and History of Eclipses: 1. Shakespeare, King Lear, and the Great Eclipse of 1605
2. Three centuries later: Einstein, relativity, and the solar eclipse of 1919
3. What causes solar and lunar eclipses
Part II. Observing Solar Eclipses: 4. Safety considerations
5. What to expect during a partial eclipse
6. Annular eclipses and what to see in them
7. Total eclipse of the Sun: introduction to the magic
8. The onset: temperature drop, Baily's Beads, Diamond Ring
9. Totality: Corona, Prominences, Chromosphere, and surrounding area
10. Photographing and imaging a solar eclipse
Part III. Observing Lunar Eclipses: 11. Don't forget the penumbral eclipses!
12. Partial lunar eclipses
13. Total lunar eclipses
14. Photographing and imaging lunar eclipses
Part IV. Occultations: 15. When the Moon occults a star
Part V. Transits: 16. When planets cross the Sun
Part VI. My Favorite Eclipses: 17. A personal canon of eclipses, occultations, and transits I have seen
Appendices
Index.

Subject Areas: Popular astronomy & space [WNX], Astronomy, space & time [PG]