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Amateur astronomy, often called back yard astronomy in the US, is a hobby whose participants enjoy observing celestial objects. It is usually associated with viewing the night sky when most celestial objects and events are visible, but sometimes amateur astronomers also operate during the day for events such as sunspots and solar eclipses. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Amateur astronomy. ...
A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ...
Amateur astronomy, often called back yard astronomy, is a hobby whose participants enjoy observing celestial objects. ...
A sunspot is a region on the Suns surface (photosphere) that is marked by a lower temperature than its surroundings and intense magnetic activity, which inhibits convection, forming areas of low surface temperature. ...
Photo taken during the 1999 eclipse. ...
Amateur astronomers often look at the sky using nothing more than their eyes, but common tools for amateur astronomy include portable telescopes and binoculars. An optical telescope is a telescope which is used to gather, and focus light, for directly viewing a magnified image, making a photograph, etc. ...
Binoculars Binocular telescopes, or binoculars, are two identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, one to be viewed through each of the users eyes. ...
 Most amateur astronomers start with observing the moon
 Comet Neat over Wellington NZ 2003 Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1482x1266, 112 KB) Summary Photographed by and copyright of (c) David Corby (User:Miskatonic, uploader) 2006 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Amateur astronomy Astrophotography Night sky User:Miskatonic ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1482x1266, 112 KB) Summary Photographed by and copyright of (c) David Corby (User:Miskatonic, uploader) 2006 Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Amateur astronomy Astrophotography Night sky User:Miskatonic ...
Bulk composition of the moons mantle and crust estimated, weight percent Oxygen 42. ...
Image File history File links CometNeat. ...
Image File history File links CometNeat. ...
Amateur astronomy and scientific research Unlike professional astronomy, scientific research is not always the main goal for many amateur astronomers. Work of scientific merit is certainly possible, however, and many amateurs contribute to the knowledge base of professional astronomers very successfully. Astronomy is often promoted as one of the few remaining sciences for which amateurs can still contribute useful data.
The majority of scientific contributions by amateur astronomers are in the area of data collection. In particular, this applies where large numbers of amateur astronomers with small telescopes are more effective than the relatively small number of large telescopes that are available to professional astronomers. Several organisations, such as the Center for Backyard Astrophysics [1], exist to help coordinate these contributions.
In particular, amateur astronomers often contribute toward activities such as monitoring the changes in brightness of variable stars, helping to track asteroids, and observing occultations to determine both the shape of asteroids and the shape of the terrain on the apparent edge of the Moon as seen from Earth. Most stars are of almost constant luminosity. ...
An asteroid is a small, solid object in our Solar System, orbiting the Sun. ...
In this July, 1997 still frame captured from video, the bright star Aldebaran has just reappeared on the dark limb of the waning crescent moon in this predawn occultation. ...
Bulk composition of the moons mantle and crust estimated, weight percent Oxygen 42. ...
In the past and present, amateur astronomers have also played a major role in discovering new comets. Recently however, funding of projects such as the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research and Near Earth Asteroid Tracking projects has meant that most comets are now discovered by automated systems, long before it is possible for amateurs to see them. Comet Hale-Bopp For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ...
The word linear comes from the Latin word linearis, which means created by lines. ...
Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) is a program run by NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory to discover near-Earth objects. ...
A newer role for amateurs is searching for overlooked phenomena (e.g. Kreutz Sungrazers) in the vast libraries of digital images and other data captured by Earth and space based observatories, much of which is available over the Internet. SOHO spots a Kreutz Sungrazer with a prominent tail, plunging towards the Sun The Kreutz Sungrazers are a family of comets characterized by orbits taking them extremely close to the Sun at perihelion. ...
Societies for amateur astronomy There are a large number of amateur astronomical societies around the world that serve as a meeting point for those interested in amateur astronomy, whether they be people who are actively interested in observing or "armchair astronomers" who may be simply interested in the topic. Societies range widely in their goals, depending on a variety of factors such as geographic spread, local circumstances, size and membership. For instance, a local society in the middle of a large city may have regular meetings with speakers, focusing less on observing the night sky if the membership is less able to observe due to factors such as light pollution. There are numerous groups devoted to promoting astronomy research and education. ...
This photo of New York City shows excessive Sky glow, one form of light pollution, partly caused by many unshielded lights. ...
It is common for local societies to hold regular meetings, which may include activities such as star parties. Other activities could include amateur telescope making, which was pioneered in America by Russell W. Porter, who later played a major role in design and construction of the Hale Telescope. A star party is a gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing the sky. ...
There is a strong tradition of amateur telescope making within the amateur astronomy community. ...
one of his designs Russell Williams Porter (1871 – 1949) was an American amateur astronomer and explorer. ...
The Hale Telescope is the largest telescope at the Palomar Observatory. ...
Approaches to using amateur telescopes Amateur telescopes come in many shapes and sizes, both commercial and home-built. The preferences of people who use them often differ.
Star hopping Some amateur astronomers prefer to learn the sky as accurately as they can, using maps to find their way between the stars. In this case a common approach is to use binoculars or a manually driven telescope, combined with star maps, to locate items of interest in the sky. The normal technique for doing this, by locating landmark stars and "hopping" between them, is called star hopping. Star hopping is a technique that is often used by amateur astronomers to locate items of interest in the night sky. ...
GOTO telescopes More recently as technology has improved and prices have come down, automated "GOTO" telescopes have also become a popular choice. With these computer-driven telescopes, the user typically enters the name of the item they wish to look at, and the telescope finds it in the sky automatically with comparatively little further effort required by the user.
The main advantage of a "GOTO" telescope for an experienced amateur astronomer is the reduction of "wasted" time that may have otherwise been used in trying to find a particular object. This time can therefore be used more effectively for studying the object.
Comparing methodologies There is significant (though usually light-hearted) debate within the hobby about which method is better. Promoters of the star hopping approach for finding items in the sky usually argue that they know the sky much better as a result. The manual method also tends to require simpler equipment with less calibration and setup time, and is therefore more versatile. Promoters of "GOTO" telescopes often argue that they are more interested in studying objects, and the reward of finding them or learning exactly where they are is not as important to them. Star hopping is a technique that is often used by amateur astronomers to locate items of interest in the night sky. ...
It may also be argued that the money spent on complex electronics and mounting systems might be better spent on higher quality optics.
Additional tools and activities In addition to optical equipment, amateur astronomers use a variety of other tools such as celestial maps, and specialised computer software. There is a range of astronomy software available, from planetarium programs that simulate the sky to programs used to do various kinds of calculations pertaining to astronomical phenomena.
Most amateur astronomers also keep a record of their observations. This can take the form of an observing log, in which they record details about which objects were observed and describing the details that were seen. Astrophotography and sketching are also popularly used to record observations. Astrophotography is a specialised type of photography that entails making photographs of astronomical objects in the night sky such as planets, stars, and deep sky objects such as star clusters and galaxies. ...
Beginning in amateur astronomy There are a many ways for people to become involved in amateur astronomy and study the night sky. One option is to join a local astronomical society, the members of which will often be very happy to help a newcomer take a more active part. Some people also prefer to simply teach themselves, in which case there are likely to be a large amount of books in the local library. There are numerous groups devoted to promoting astronomy research and education. ...
Common objects that are observed early are the Moon and planets. Another thing that most newcomers to amateur astronomy become acquainted with are the more prominent constellations in the night sky. When reading maps and interpreting instructions for future star hopping, constellations are good starting points for identifying locations in the night sky. They are frequently referred to by amateur astronomers when discussing the location of items of interest when looked at with binoculars and telescopes. Bulk composition of the moons mantle and crust estimated, weight percent Oxygen 42. ...
A planet is generally considered to be a relatively large mass of accreted matter in orbit around a star that is not a star itself. ...
Pierce this website is not very reliable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Some well-known constellations contain striking and familiar patterns of bright stars. ...
Star hopping is a technique that is often used by amateur astronomers to locate items of interest in the night sky. ...
Beginning with a GOTO telescope A relatively new type of beginning amateur astronomer, brought about by the increased affordability of powerful "GOTO" telescopes, is one who begins with such a telescope. It is possible for an inexperienced person to immediately look at a large amount of deep sky objects in the night sky without necessarily having any prior experience or training.
There is currently some debate among amateur astronomers about the merits of this approach to becoming involved in the hobby, and the effects that low-priced GOTO telescopes may be having. Amateur astronomy is exposed to more people, as an individual is less likely to be discouraged by the need to learn how to locate objects in the night sky before being able to see them. Some are concerned, however, that newcomers may become bored very quickly. A GOTO telescope does not distinguish between objects that are easy and hard to see, and newcomers may therefore begin with objects that require large amounts of experience or understanding to properly appreciate.
Becoming acquainted with the night sky Most tutors agree that it is very important to know one's way around the sky by means of the constellations. This ability forms a platform from which deeper explorations of the sky are then possible.
A planisphere can be used to find and identify the constellations. These devises show the location of the constellations for any time of the night or time of the year. An observer will also need a red flashlight to read star charts or the planisphere. Use of a red light helps preserve the dark adaptation of the eyes.
Having learned the main constellations, a beginner may want to extend their hobby and buy a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Using binoculars With binoculars it is possible to see many deep sky objects (DSOs). Holding the binoculars can produce a shaky image. One way to improve the view is with the aid of a sturdy tripod mount to steady the view through the binoculars. Binoculars are still limited in range, although most of the Messier catalogue should be visible, as well as a great many NGC's, especially near the Milky Way. An advantage of binoculars is that they allow more complete wide field views of the larger open clusters such as the Pleiades, the Hyades, the Coma Berenices cluster and Praesepe, for example, of which only portions are usually observable in one field of view at higher magnifications. Binoculars Binocular telescopes, or binoculars, are two identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, one to be viewed through each of the users eyes. ...
Deep sky object (DSO) is a term used often in amateur astronomy to denote objects in the night sky other than solar system objects (such as planets, comets and asteroids), single stars and multiple star systems. ...
Charles Messier Charles Messier (1730-06-26 - 1817-04-12) was a French astronomer who in 1774 published a catalogue of 45 deep sky objects such as nebulae and star clusters. ...
The New General Catalogue (NGC) is the most well-known catalogue of deep sky objects in amateur astronomy. ...
Note: This article contains special characters. ...
An open cluster is a group of stars (star cluster) that were born at the same time from a molecular cloud, and are still near to each other. ...
Pleiades refers to: Pleiades (star cluster) an open cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus. ...
Hyades can refer to the mythological Hyades the open star cluster Hyades the italian thrash metal band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Coma Berenices (Latin for Berenices Hair) is a traditional asterism that has since become a constellation. ...
The Beehive Cluster (also known as The Beehive, Praesepe, Open Cluster M44, Messier Object 44, Messier 44, M44, or NGC 2632) is an open cluster in the Cancer constellation. ...
The field of view is the part of the observable world that is seen at any given moment. ...
Using a telescope With a telescope, the sky really comes alive, especially one that has an aperture of six inches or more. Some amateur telescopes are built by their owners from scratch, but many good quality telescopes can be purchased from reputable companies. Thousands of DSOs are visible in a telescope and the determined amateur with a large (about 41 cm) telescope can push this to tens of thousands or more. In optics, an aperture is something which restricts the diameter of the light path through one plane in an optical system. ...
There is a strong tradition of amateur telescope making within the amateur astronomy community. ...
Deep sky object (DSO) is a term used often in amateur astronomy to denote objects in the night sky other than solar system objects (such as planets, comets and asteroids), single stars and multiple star systems. ...
Another type of telescope to consider, especially if the amateur is observing with children, is a wide-field telescope, such as Edmund Scientific's f/4 Astroscan compact reflector. This type of telescope is typically a short tube reflector and has an aperture of only 80 to 120 mm (3 1/4 to 4 3/4 inches), but is easier to target an object, since it offers a much wider field of view. With the aid of high power lenses (i.e. eyepieces), the amateur can zoom in on planets and some of the closer DSOs. It is the best of a blend of a telescope's narrow long range light gathering ability with a binocular's wider field of view. Ritchey 24 reflecting telescope A reflecting telescope (reflector) is an optical telescope which uses mirrors to reflect light, rather than lenses to pass light. ...
Ritchey 24 reflecting telescope A reflecting telescope (reflector) is an optical telescope which uses mirrors, rather than lenses, to reflect light. ...
In optics, an aperture is something which restricts the diameter of the light path through one plane in an optical system. ...
Those who are particularly interested in observing the moon and planets may prefer a high-power design such as the Maksutov telescope. Invented by the Russian optician Dmitri Maksutov (1896-1964), the Maksutov reflecting telescope is a type of catadioptric telescope that uses a spherical primary mirror in conjunction with a meniscus-shaped corrector plate at the entrance pupil in order to correct spherical aberration. ...
With any telescope, though, the mount is the most important feature. A tripod that doesn't shake every time one uses it is a must. Too many amateur astronomers give up because they have a hard time targeting an object. If the mounting tripod is rock solid, the amateur can enjoy their time observing the heavens instead of fighting with the telescope.
Astrophotography
 A photo taken of Comet Hale Bopp using a standard 35 mm camera with a 50 mm lens and 400 ISO film. The exposure was taken for 10 seconds on a tripod using a shutter cable release. The next step in an amateur astronomer's quest for more space adventure could be the purchase of a good camera for Astrophotography. Starting out with a good 35 mm camera with a 50 mm lens mounted on a tripod and using a cable release and 400 or faster speed film, the amateur can capture some nice pictures of the planets and some larger nebula, like the Orion Nebula. Some of the larger comets and prolific meteor showers can be photographed this way as well. This is an astrophoto I took of the comet Hale Bopp added to the Wikipedia as an example of amateur astrophotography File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
This is an astrophoto I took of the comet Hale Bopp added to the Wikipedia as an example of amateur astrophotography File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Simulated 35 mm film with soundtracks - The outermost strips (on either side) contain the SDDS soundtrack as an image of a digital signal. ...
Astrophotography is a specialised type of photography that entails making photographs of astronomical objects in the night sky such as planets, stars, and deep sky objects such as star clusters and galaxies. ...
The entire Orion Nebula in visible light Optical images reveal clouds of gas and dust in the Orion Nebula; an infrared image (right) reveals the new stars shining within. ...
As one progresses, cameras can be mounted directly on to telescopes, capturing on film many DSOs. Special films and even the technique of hypering the film has been employed by the amateur. Many publications accept these astrophotos in their magazines, i.e., Astronomy and Sky & Telescope. This article is about the magazine as a published medium. ...
This page includes English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations such as . ...
Astronomy is a monthly American magazine dealing with issues about astronomy. ...
Sky & Telescope is a monthly magazine providing articles and information on all aspects of astronomy, space exploration, telescope equipment, and amateur telescope making and use. ...
A more recent development is the use of webcams to do speckle imaging (also known as video astronomy). The resulting short exposure frames can be stacked using the shift-and-add method of speckle imaging or selected to do lucky imaging, all using commercially available astronomy software. A Creative webcam A web camera (or webcam) is a real time camera whose images can be accessed using the World Wide Web, instant messaging, or a PC video calling application. ...
Typical short-exposure image of a binary star (Zeta Bootis in this case) as seen through atmospheric seeing. ...
The shift-and-add method (more recently image-stacking method) is a form of speckle imaging commonly used for obtaining high quality images from a number of short exposures with varying image shifts. ...
Typical short-exposure image of a binary star (Zeta Bootis in this case) as seen through atmospheric seeing. ...
The best 1% of exposures of the 0. ...
Sketching As an alternative to photography in order to make a record of observations, amateurs also use sketching. Sketching does not require the use of any specialized equipment and is therefore suitable for beginners as well as advanced amateur observers. There are different approaches to sketching that require different tools, simple pencil sketches can sometimes be used to make accurate renditions of what the observer sees through binoculars or a telescope. As the experience of the observer increases, more advanced drawing tools and techniques can be employed.
Sketching has the advantage of helping the observer scrutinize the object that is seen and can help bring out details that otherwise might have been overlooked.
Suggested reading Some good books for amateur astronomers to start with are: - The Stars: A New Way to See Them, by Hans Augusto Rey, ISBN 0-395-081211
- NightWatch: An Equinox Guide to Viewing the Universe, by Terence Dickinson, ISBN 0-920-656897
- The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, by Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer, ISBN 0-921-820119
- Turn Left at Orion, by Guy Consolmagno, ISBN 0-521-34090-X
- Skywatching, by David H. Levy and John O'Byrne, ISBN 0-707-8354751-X
- Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers Are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanetary Peril, by Timothy Ferris, ISBN 0-684-865793
- The Complete Manual Of Amateur Astronomy, by P. Clay Sherrod
- Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System (3 vols.), by Robert Burnham, Jr., (Vol 1) ISBN 048623567X, (Vol 2) ISBN 0486235688, (Vol 3) ISBN 0486236730
Terrence Dickinson is a leading amateur astronomer and science writer who lives near the rural town of Yarker, Ontario. ...
Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, SJ (born September 19, 1952 in Detroit, Michigan), is an astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. ...
Robert Burnham, Jr. ...
See also There is a strong tradition of amateur telescope making within the amateur astronomy community. ...
See also Lists of astronomical objects Category: ...
Lunar astronomy: the large crater is Daedalus, photographed by the crew of Apollo 11 as they circled the Moon in 1969. ...
Observation is an activity of an intelligent living being, to sense and assimiliate the knowledge of a phenomenon in its framework of previous knowledge and ideas. ...
Observational astronomy is a division of astronomy concerned with getting data, in contrast with theoretical astrophysics which is mainly concerned with finding out the visional implications of physical models. ...
It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Amateur astronomy. ...
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