The Amateur Astronomer's Introduction to the Celestial Sphere

Introduction to the night sky and the principles of naked-eye astronomy using only elementary mathematics.

William Millar (Author)

9780521671231, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 8 June 2006

316 pages, 127 b/w illus. 53 tables 55 exercises
24.6 x 18.9 x 1.7 cm, 0.707 kg

'This book covers co-ordinate systems, stars, the rotation and revolution of the Earth, the motion of the Moon, and eclipses. There is little mathematics beyond addition and subtraction. … a web page for the book … contains coloured versions of the figures. … Each chapter ends with questions and review problems, and the book concludes with observational projects and appendices with additional mathematical material, data, and a glossary.' The Observatory

This introduction to the night sky is for amateur astronomers who desire a deeper understanding of the principles and observations of naked-eye astronomy. It covers topics such as terrestrial and astronomical coordinate systems, stars and constellations, the relative motions of the sky, Sun, Moon and Earth leading to an understanding of the seasons, phases of the moon, and eclipses. Topics are discussed and compared for observers located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Written in a conversational style, only addition and subtraction are needed to understand the basic principles with a more advanced mathematical treatment available in the appendices. Each chapter contains a set of review questions and simple exercises to reinforce the reader's understanding of the material. The last chapter is a set of self-contained observation projects to get readers started with making observations about the concepts they have learned.

1. The lure of the sky
2. Location and coordinates
3. Stars and constellations
4. Motions of the Earth
5. The seasons
6. The phases of the Moon
7. Eclipses
8. Observation projects
Appendices.

Subject Areas: Popular astronomy & space [WNX]