Observing variable stars : a guide for the beginner
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Observing variable stars : a guide for the beginner
Cambridge University Press, 1998
1st pbk. ed. (with corrections)
- pbk.
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-187) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
David Levy's entertaining, well-researched book is aimed at the amateur enthusiast who likes to learn enjoyably. Beginning with advice on binoculars and telescopes, and how to observe the night sky effectively, the author goes on to describe thoroughly the field of variable star observation, a field in which amateurs have made important contributions. He shows how to interpret variations in light output in terms of the life of a star, from birth through to sometimes violent death. All of the major variable stars are described and classified, as well as other variable objects such as active galaxies, asteroids, comets and the sun. The book also contains a guide to the seasonal night sky. Throughout, practical observations serve to complement the text, producing an exciting, very readable introduction to this fascinating subject.
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Opening thoughts
- Acknowledgments
- Part I. Getting To Know The Sky: 1. Beginning with the Big Dipper
- 2. Magnitude, color, and distance
- 3. A word on binoculars and telescopes
- 4. Learning to see
- Part II. Getting To Know The Variables: 5. Meeting the family
- 6. Getting started with Cepheids
- 7. Algol, the demon of autumn
- 8. How to estimate a variable
- 9. Names and records
- 10. Observing hints
- 11. Stately and wonderful
- 12. Stars of challenge
- 13. Bright, easy, and interesting
- 14. Betelgeuse: easy and hard
- 15. Not too regular
- 16. Nova? What nova?
- 17. Supernovae
- 18. Three stars for all seasons
- 19. A nova in reverse
- 20. RU Lupi?
- 21. Orion, the star factory
- 22. Other variable things
- 23. The Sun
- Part III. Suggested Variables For Observation Throughout The Year: Introduction: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, Southern sky notes
- Part IV. A Miscellany: 24. Stars and people
- 25. The next generation
- 26. Going further
- Glossary and abbreviations
- Index.
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