Observing Variable Stars (Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)
Edition: 1 edition
Publisher: Springer
Published: January 31, 2003
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9781852334987
Subjects: Stars, interstellar matter; Science; Practical And Spherical Astronomy; Stars; Science/Mathematics; Variable stars; Astronomy - Star Guides; Astrophysics & Space Science; Science / Astronomy; astronomy; observational; Astronomy - General; Cosmology; Manuels d'observation; Observers' manuals; âEtoiles variables
Description: 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.