Backyard Astronomy

8/13/2019 Backyard Astronomy

1/7

Picking up a telescope

https://www.astronomics.com/how-to-pick-a-telescope_t.aspx

Greetings,

Presented for your edification and enjoyment are the following tips that may provide some assistance tothose who are just starting out in amateur astronomy.

Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universeby Terence Dickinson is considered by many to bethe single best book for novice amateur astronomers. As far as other beginning observing guides areconcerned, I highly recommend Phillip S. Harrington's Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide toFinding, Observing, and Learning About over 125 Celestial Objectsand Turn Left at Orion: A HundredNight Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Themby Dan M. Davis and GuyConsolmagno. One of the finest books, in my opinion, on learning how to star-hop is Alan MacRobert's

Star-Hopping for Backyard Astronomers, which, unfortunately, is no longer in print.

http://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdeta...=9781554071470

http://www.philharrington.net/swtch.htm

http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledg...e_locale=en_GB

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Hopping-Backyard-Astronomers-Alan-MacRobert/dp/093...

At a more advanced level, The Backyard Astronomer's Guideby Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer is an

excellent guide to astronomy and amateur astronomy. Another very good, yet inexpensive, source ofgeneral information isA Field Guide to the Stars and Planets (Peterson Field Guides)by Jay M. Pasachoff.

http://www.backyardastronomy.com/Backyard_Astronomy/Backyard_Astronomers_Guid...

http://www.hmhbooks.com/hmh/site/hmh...=9780395934319

As far as books on astronomy gear are concerned, look no further than Phil Harrington's excellent StarWare: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories.Astronomy Hacksby Robert Thompson and Barbara Thompson is another highly-recommended book fullof great tips on equipment and the art of observing.

http://www.philharrington.net/sw2.htm

http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596100605.do

Information on planispheres, or star wheels, which portray the locations of the constellations and brightstars at a given time and date, is posted athttp://www.skymaps.com/store/cat04.htmlandhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto...g/3303986.html

An online planisphere is available athttp://www.topastronomer.com/StarCha...anisphere.aspx
http://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&ean=9781554071470http://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&ean=9781554071470http://www.philharrington.net/swtch.htmhttp://www.philharrington.net/swtch.htmhttp://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item1111941/?site_locale=en_GBhttp://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item1111941/?site_locale=en_GBhttp://www.amazon.com/Star-Hopping-Backyard-Astronomers-Alan-MacRobert/dp/0933346689/http://www.amazon.com/Star-Hopping-Backyard-Astronomers-Alan-MacRobert/dp/0933346689/http://www.backyardastronomy.com/Backyard_Astronomy/Backyard_Astronomers_Guide.htmlhttp://www.backyardastronomy.com/Backyard_Astronomy/Backyard_Astronomers_Guide.htmlhttp://www.hmhbooks.com/hmh/site/hmhbooks/bookdetails?isbn=9780395934319http://www.hmhbooks.com/hmh/site/hmhbooks/bookdetails?isbn=9780395934319http://www.philharrington.net/sw2.htmhttp://www.philharrington.net/sw2.htmhttp://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596100605.dohttp://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596100605.dohttp://www.skymaps.com/store/cat04.htmlhttp://www.skymaps.com/store/cat04.htmlhttp://www.skymaps.com/store/cat04.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/3303986.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/3303986.htmlhttp://www.topastronomer.com/StarCharts/Planisphere.aspxhttp://www.topastronomer.com/StarCharts/Planisphere.aspxhttp://www.topastronomer.com/StarCharts/Planisphere.aspxhttp://www.amazon.com/Star-Hopping-Backyard-Astronomers-Alan-MacRobert/dp/0933346689/http://www.topastronomer.com/StarCharts/Planisphere.aspxhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/3303986.htmlhttp://www.skymaps.com/store/cat04.htmlhttp://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596100605.dohttp://www.philharrington.net/sw2.htmhttp://www.hmhbooks.com/hmh/site/hmhbooks/bookdetails?isbn=9780395934319http://www.backyardastronomy.com/Backyard_Astronomy/Backyard_Astronomers_Guide.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/Star-Hopping-Backyard-Astronomers-Alan-MacRobert/dp/0933346689/http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item1111941/?site_locale=en_GBhttp://www.philharrington.net/swtch.htmhttp://www.fireflybooks.com/bookdetail&ean=9781554071470


2/7

Weekly updates on astronomical events are available at these sites:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/videos/skyweek/

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

http://stardate.org/nightsky

Browsehereorherefor a free monthly star chart. There's a video on how to read a simple star chart at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTO11vNMRJg

An informative video discussing astronomical objects worthy of observing each month can be found athttp://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/tonights_sky/

The major planets all orbit close to the ecliptic, the plane of the solar system. Their positions and that ofthe dwarf planet Pluto can be ascertained by consultinghttp://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/

Useful information on observing some of the planets and their satellites is available at

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser...cts/javascriptand a solar system simulator athttp://space.jpl.nasa.gov/

Recognition quizzes on some of the major constellations can be found at the following URLs:

http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/constellations/

http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/cou...ava/index.html

http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/arny_3e_update/constellation_quiz/index...

A rudimentary tutorial on star-hopping from Ursa Major and Orion is posted athttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/starting.html

Click onhttp://www.robhawley.net/sh101/index.htmfor an excellent video tutorial on the technique ofstar-hopping. Some excellent seasonal star-hops are presented athttp://www.rocketmime.com/astronomy/index.html

Active observers will eventually need a good beginning star atlas in order to locate various stars anddeep-sky objectsor DSOs. Paper star atlases run the gamut from the simple and inexpensive to thecomplex and costly. Here are a few to consider: Orion's DeepMap 600, Norton's Star Atlas and ReferenceHandbook, 20th Editionby Ian Ridpath (Editor), The Edmund Mag 6 Star Atlasby Terence Dickinson, Sky& Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlasby Roger W. Sinnott, The Bright Star Atlas 2000.0by Wil Tirion and Roger

W. Sinnott, and The Cambridge Star Atlasby Wil Tirion. The Sky Atlas 2000.0by Wil Tirion is a moreadvanced and expensive atlas. The two volume Uranometria 2000.0goes even "deeper" in stellarmagnitude and displays the positions of a greater number of deep-sky objects.

http://www.telescope.com/Accessories/Astronomical-Maps-Charts/Orion-DeepMap-6...

http://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/astronomics/category...

http://www.scientificsonline.com/edm...tar-atlas.html
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/videos/skyweek/http://www.skyandtelescope.com/videos/skyweek/http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglancehttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglancehttp://stardate.org/nightskyhttp://stardate.org/nightskyhttp://skymaps.com/downloads.htmlhttp://skymaps.com/downloads.htmlhttp://skymaps.com/downloads.htmlhttp://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=Monthly-Star-Charthttp://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=Monthly-Star-Charthttp://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=Monthly-Star-Charthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTO11vNMRJghttp://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/tonights_sky/http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/tonights_sky/http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascripthttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascripthttp://space.jpl.nasa.gov/http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/constellations/http://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/constellations/http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/constellations/java/index.htmlhttp://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/constellations/java/index.htmlhttp://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/arny_3e_update/constellation_quiz/index.htmhttp://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/arny_3e_update/constellation_quiz/index.htmhttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/starting.htmlhttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/starting.htmlhttp://www.robhawley.net/sh101/index.htmhttp://www.robhawley.net/sh101/index.htmhttp://www.robhawley.net/sh101/index.htmhttp://www.rocketmime.com/astronomy/index.htmlhttp://www.rocketmime.com/astronomy/index.htmlhttp://www.skyhound.com/sh/dso_guide.htmlhttp://www.skyhound.com/sh/dso_guide.htmlhttp://www.telescope.com/Accessories/Astronomical-Maps-Charts/Orion-DeepMap-600-Folding-Star-Chart/c/3/sc/52/p/4150.utshttp://www.telescope.com/Accessories/Astronomical-Maps-Charts/Orion-DeepMap-600-Folding-Star-Chart/c/3/sc/52/p/4150.utshttp://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/astronomics/category_name/TB5BRV2RBUB18J2B6LMR8X71K2/product_id/ANORTONhttp://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/astronomics/category_name/TB5BRV2RBUB18J2B6LMR8X71K2/product_id/ANORTONhttp://www.scientificsonline.com/edmund-mag-6-star-atlas.htmlhttp://www.scientificsonline.com/edmund-mag-6-star-atlas.htmlhttp://www.scientificsonline.com/edmund-mag-6-star-atlas.htmlhttp://www.astronomics.com/main/product.asp/catalog_name/astronomics/category_name/TB5BRV2RBUB18J2B6LMR8X71K2/product_id/ANORTONhttp://www.telescope.com/Accessories/Astronomical-Maps-Charts/Orion-DeepMap-600-Folding-Star-Chart/c/3/sc/52/p/4150.utshttp://www.skyhound.com/sh/dso_guide.htmlhttp://www.rocketmime.com/astronomy/index.htmlhttp://www.robhawley.net/sh101/index.htmhttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/starting.htmlhttp://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/arny_3e_update/constellation_quiz/index.htmhttp://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/constellations/java/index.htmlhttp://www.physics.csbsju.edu/astro/constellations/http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascripthttp://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/tonights_sky/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTO11vNMRJghttp://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=Monthly-Star-Charthttp://skymaps.com/downloads.htmlhttp://stardate.org/nightskyhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglancehttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/videos/skyweek/


3/7

http://www.shopatsky.com/product/Poc...as/sky-atlases

http://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas1.htm

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cambridge-Star-Atlas-Tirion/dp/B0073JWOXW/ref=sr_1_...

http://www.shopatsky.com/product/Sky...ed/sky-atlases

http://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas4.htm

Finder charts for various deep-sky objects can be found athttp://astronomylogs.com/pages/finderchart.html

Videos by professional astronomers on theMessier objectsand other astronomical topics can be seen athttp://www.deepskyvideos.com/

TheTelradis a very handy 1x (non-magnifying) reflex sight finder. Telrad finder charts for the Messierobjects are posted at these web sites:

http://www.atmob.org/library/member/skymaps_jsmall.html

http://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articl...essier_finders

http://www.astro-tom.com/messier/mes...ssier_maps.htm

http://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/mes...dFrameSet.html

Binoculars are a great way to get started in amateur astronomy. Binocular astronomy is rather easy tocarry out and is also a lot of fun. Binoculars are relatively inexpensive and are eminently portable.

Employing both eyes simultaneously definitely adds to the visual experience.

Binoculars are ideal for showing the "big picture". These instruments can readily display objects that aretoo large to fit into the fields of view of most telescopes. In addition, binoculars can often be useful in

"surveying" the area where an object is located prior to conducting a telescopic star-hop.

A surprising number of celestial objects, including many binary stars, open and globular star clusters,nebulae, and some of the brighter galaxies, can be detected with binoculars. Scanning through the heartof the Milky Way with a binocular from a dark site is a very memorable experience.

I recommend purchasing a 10x50 (i.e., 10 power and 50mm aperture) binocular for astronomical use. A10x50 binocular is usually not overly heavy for most people to hand-hold and provides a 5mmexit pupilthat will be appropriate for most observers when age and observing site darkness are taken into account.

People who must wear eyeglasses while observing may want to look for a binocular with at least 14mmof eye relief. Browsehttp://kingston.rasc.ca/Library/rasc-binoculars.pdfandhttp://binocularsky.com/binoc_basics.phpfor tips on choosing binoculars.

There's more on binocular performance athttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astr...werbinocs.html

A chart showing the effects of magnification and aperture on binocular performance is posted at

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/astr...ges/pabin2.gif
http://www.shopatsky.com/product/Pocket-Sky-Atlas/sky-atlaseshttp://www.shopatsky.com/product/Pocket-Sky-Atlas/sky-atlaseshttp://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas1.htmhttp://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas1.htmhttp://www.amazon.com/The-Cambridge-Star-Atlas-Tirion/dp/B0073JWOXW/http://www.amazon.com/The-Cambridge-Star-Atlas-Tirion/dp/B0073JWOXW/http://www.shopatsky.com/product/Sky-Atlas-2000-Deluxe-Unlaminated/sky-atlaseshttp://www.shopatsky.com/product/Sky-Atlas-2000-Deluxe-Unlaminated/sky-atlaseshttp://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas4.htmhttp://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas4.htmhttp://astronomylogs.com/pages/finderchart.htmlhttp://astronomylogs.com/pages/finderchart.htmlhttp://astro.nineplanets.org/dssm/messier.htmlhttp://astro.nineplanets.org/dssm/messier.htmlhttp://astro.nineplanets.org/dssm/messier.htmlhttp://www.deepskyvideos.com/http://www.deepskyvideos.com/http://www.eaas.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:telrad-finder-review&catid=10:equipment-reviews&Itemid=16http://www.eaas.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:telrad-finder-review&catid=10:equipment-reviews&Itemid=16http://www.eaas.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:telrad-finder-review&catid=10:equipment-reviews&Itemid=16http://www.atmob.org/library/member/skymaps_jsmall.htmlhttp://www.atmob.org/library/member/skymaps_jsmall.htmlhttp://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articles/dbArticle.aspx?artid=messier_findershttp://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articles/dbArticle.aspx?artid=messier_findershttp://www.astro-tom.com/messier/messier_finder_charts/messier_maps.htmhttp://www.astro-tom.com/messier/messier_finder_charts/messier_maps.htmhttp://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/messier/charts/messierTelradFrameSet.htmlhttp://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/messier/charts/messierTelradFrameSet.htmlhttp://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/how_to/guide/binoculars/basic/basic_05.htmhttp://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/how_to/guide/binoculars/basic/basic_05.htmhttp://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/how_to/guide/binoculars/basic/basic_05.htmhttp://kingston.rasc.ca/Library/rasc-binoculars.pdfhttp://kingston.rasc.ca/Library/rasc-binoculars.pdfhttp://kingston.rasc.ca/Library/rasc-binoculars.pdfhttp://binocularsky.com/binoc_basics.phphttp://binocularsky.com/binoc_basics.phphttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/powerbinocs.htmlhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/powerbinocs.htmlhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/powerbinocs.htmlhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/images/pabin2.gifhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/images/pabin2.gifhttp://www.amazon.com/The-Cambridge-Star-Atlas-Tirion/dp/B0073JWOXW/http://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/images/pabin2.gifhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/powerbinocs.htmlhttp://binocularsky.com/binoc_basics.phphttp://kingston.rasc.ca/Library/rasc-binoculars.pdfhttp://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/how_to/guide/binoculars/basic/basic_05.htmhttp://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/messier/charts/messierTelradFrameSet.htmlhttp://www.astro-tom.com/messier/messier_finder_charts/messier_maps.htmhttp://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articles/dbArticle.aspx?artid=messier_findershttp://www.atmob.org/library/member/skymaps_jsmall.htmlhttp://www.eaas.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73:telrad-finder-review&catid=10:equipment-reviews&Itemid=16http://www.deepskyvideos.com/http://astro.nineplanets.org/dssm/messier.htmlhttp://astronomylogs.com/pages/finderchart.htmlhttp://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas4.htmhttp://www.shopatsky.com/product/Sky-Atlas-2000-Deluxe-Unlaminated/sky-atlaseshttp://www.amazon.com/The-Cambridge-Star-Atlas-Tirion/dp/B0073JWOXW/http://www.willbell.com/atlas/atlas1.htmhttp://www.shopatsky.com/product/Pocket-Sky-Atlas/sky-atlases


4/7

A three part evaluation of three different binocular apertures can be found at the following URLs:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/commu...e/7151386.html



In my opinion, the best binocular observing guides available are Touring the Universe through Binocularsby Phil Harrington, Binocular Astronomyby Graig Crossen & Wil Tirion, Binocular Highlights: 99 CelestialSights for Binocular Usersby Gary Seronik, and Observing the Night Sky with Binocularsby StephenO'Meara.

http://www.philharrington.net/sw8.htm

http://www.willbell.com/handbook/HAND2.htm

http://www.shopatsky.com/product/Bin...ghlights/books

http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogu...=9780521721707

Phil Harrington discusses various targets monthly in his Cloudy Nights Binocular Universe column at

http://cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=182and in a quarterly column in Astronomy. Heoffers an excellent freeware planetarium program known as TUBA (Touring the Universe throughBinoculars Atlas), which also includes information on purchasing binoculars, at

http://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htm

A number of articles on observing with binoculars are posted athttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/commu.../86589452.html

Tips on binocular astronomy are available at the following sites:

http://binocularsky.com/

http://www.stargazing.net/david/binoculars/

http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/pages/binoculars.html

A video on observing with binoculars is posted at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAnAZz-ZPJ0

Thiswebsitediscusses a number of deep-sky objects that can be seen through binoculars. Seehttp://astrogeek.wordpress.com/2007/...cular-objects/for a long list of binocular targets. Other lists

include the ones athttp://www.starman.co.uk/book/database/database.htmland

http://www.deepsky.info/other/Binocular%20Targets.PDF.A few more good objects are mentioned at

http://www.backyard-astro.com/deepsky/bino/homeb.html

My monthly lists of binocular deep-sky objects are posted at

http://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/t/48393.aspx
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7151386.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7151386.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7172141.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7172141.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7272326.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7272326.htmlhttp://www.philharrington.net/sw8.htmhttp://www.philharrington.net/sw8.htmhttp://www.willbell.com/handbook/HAND2.htmhttp://www.willbell.com/handbook/HAND2.htmhttp://www.shopatsky.com/product/Binocular-Highlights/bookshttp://www.shopatsky.com/product/Binocular-Highlights/bookshttp://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521721707http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521721707http://cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=182http://cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=182http://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htmhttp://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htmhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/stargazing/86589452.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/stargazing/86589452.htmlhttp://binocularsky.com/http://binocularsky.com/http://www.stargazing.net/david/binoculars/http://www.stargazing.net/david/binoculars/http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/pages/binoculars.htmlhttp://www.skynewsmagazine.com/pages/binoculars.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAnAZz-ZPJ0http://www.lightandmatter.com/binosky/binosky.htmlhttp://www.lightandmatter.com/binosky/binosky.htmlhttp://www.lightandmatter.com/binosky/binosky.htmlhttp://astrogeek.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/binocular-objects/http://astrogeek.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/binocular-objects/http://www.starman.co.uk/book/database/database.htmlhttp://www.starman.co.uk/book/database/database.htmlhttp://www.starman.co.uk/book/database/database.htmlhttp://www.deepsky.info/other/Binocular%20Targets.PDFhttp://www.deepsky.info/other/Binocular%20Targets.PDFhttp://www.backyard-astro.com/deepsky/bino/homeb.htmlhttp://www.backyard-astro.com/deepsky/bino/homeb.htmlhttp://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/t/48393.aspxhttp://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/t/48393.aspxhttp://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/t/48393.aspxhttp://www.backyard-astro.com/deepsky/bino/homeb.htmlhttp://www.deepsky.info/other/Binocular%20Targets.PDFhttp://www.starman.co.uk/book/database/database.htmlhttp://astrogeek.wordpress.com/2007/07/18/binocular-objects/http://www.lightandmatter.com/binosky/binosky.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAnAZz-ZPJ0http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/pages/binoculars.htmlhttp://www.stargazing.net/david/binoculars/http://binocularsky.com/http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/stargazing/86589452.htmlhttp://www.philharrington.net/tuba.htmhttp://cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=182http://www.cambridge.org/us/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521721707http://www.shopatsky.com/product/Binocular-Highlights/bookshttp://www.willbell.com/handbook/HAND2.htmhttp://www.philharrington.net/sw8.htmhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7272326.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7172141.htmlhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/home/7151386.html


5/7

A list of binocular objects is included with each monthly Evening Sky Map at

http://skymaps.com/downloads.html

The Astronomical League's Binocular Messier, Deep Sky Binocular, and Southern Sky Binocular lists

include many of the best binocular deep-sky objects:

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclu.../binomesb.html

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclu...c/dsbnlist.htm

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclu.../ssbinoc1.html

Sketches of a number of deep-sky objects as seen through binoculars can be found at

http://rodelaet.xtreemhost.com/binocular_astronomy.html

Mounting a binocular on a tripod, or better still, a dedicated binocular mount (guider) will improve viewsmarkedly. An informative pdf on binocular mounts is posted at

http://www.cloudynights.com/documents/thoughts.pdf

The vast majority of deep-sky objects visible in amateur telescopes are quite faint and are best seen from

a dark location. However, there are a number of DSOs that can be seen by urban observers. For further

information on urban astronomy, see my post at

http://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums...07.aspx#487707

A wealth of good astronomy freeware is listedhereandhere.Stellarium,Celestia,andCartes du Cielare

all fine freeware planetarium programs. There are also many excellent commercial programs available,

including MegaStar, SkyMap, Sky Tools, Starry Night, and TheSky.

These online planetarium programs may prove useful:

http://www.sky-map.org/

http://www.skymaponline.net/

http://neave.com/planetarium/

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/

http://www.shallowsky.com/sky.html

http://www.skyviewcafe.com/skyview.php

http://staratlas.com/index.html#topofpage

http://www.astronomy.com/stardome.aspx
http://skymaps.com/downloads.htmlhttp://skymaps.com/downloads.htmlhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesb.htmlhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesb.htmlhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dsbinoc/dsbnlist.htmhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dsbinoc/dsbnlist.htmhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/sskybino/ssbinoc1.htmlhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/sskybino/ssbinoc1.htmlhttp://rodelaet.xtreemhost.com/binocular_astronomy.htmlhttp://rodelaet.xtreemhost.com/binocular_astronomy.htmlhttp://www.cloudynights.com/documents/thoughts.pdfhttp://www.cloudynights.com/documents/thoughts.pdfhttp://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/p/52886/487707.aspx#487707http://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/p/52886/487707.aspx#487707http://freeware.intrastar.net/astronmy.htmhttp://freeware.intrastar.net/astronmy.htmhttp://freeware.intrastar.net/astronmy.htmhttp://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-astronomy-software.htmhttp://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-astronomy-software.htmhttp://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-astronomy-software.htmhttp://www.stellarium.org/http://www.stellarium.org/http://www.stellarium.org/http://www.shatters.net/celestia/http://www.shatters.net/celestia/http://www.shatters.net/celestia/http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/starthttp://www.ap-i.net/skychart/starthttp://www.ap-i.net/skychart/starthttp://www.sky-map.org/http://www.sky-map.org/http://www.skymaponline.net/http://www.skymaponline.net/http://neave.com/planetarium/http://neave.com/planetarium/http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/http://www.shallowsky.com/sky.htmlhttp://www.shallowsky.com/sky.htmlhttp://www.skyviewcafe.com/skyview.phphttp://www.skyviewcafe.com/skyview.phphttp://staratlas.com/index.html#topofpagehttp://staratlas.com/index.html#topofpagehttp://www.astronomy.com/stardome.aspxhttp://www.astronomy.com/stardome.aspxhttp://www.astronomy.com/stardome.aspxhttp://staratlas.com/index.html#topofpagehttp://www.skyviewcafe.com/skyview.phphttp://www.shallowsky.com/sky.htmlhttp://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/http://neave.com/planetarium/http://www.skymaponline.net/http://www.sky-map.org/http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/starthttp://www.shatters.net/celestia/http://www.stellarium.org/http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-astronomy-software.htmhttp://freeware.intrastar.net/astronmy.htmhttp://cs.astronomy.com/asycs/forums/p/52886/487707.aspx#487707http://www.cloudynights.com/documents/thoughts.pdfhttp://rodelaet.xtreemhost.com/binocular_astronomy.htmlhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/sskybino/ssbinoc1.htmlhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dsbinoc/dsbnlist.htmhttp://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesb.htmlhttp://skymaps.com/downloads.html


6/7

http://www.wunderground.com/sky/index.asp

http://skychart.skyandtelescope.com/skychart.php

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1052

http://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki...5/atlas_85.htm

http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/e...y-tonight.html

http://www.heavens-above.com/skychart.aspx?SL=1&SN=1&lat=0&lng=0&...

The following web sites contain worthwhile information on many different aspects of astronomy and

amateur astronomy:

http://www.astronomy.com/en/News-Obs...tro%20Sky.aspxhttp://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News.aspx

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basics

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving

http://www.ovas.org/alinks.htm

http://www.hobbyspace.com/Astronomy/index.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/sub...nomy/glossary/

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides...star_guide.pdf

http://www.astromax.org/astrocourse/history.htm

http://www.daviddarling.info/index.html

http://nineplanets.org/

http://stardate.org/radio

http://stardate.org/astro-guide

http://earthsky.org/tonight
http://www.wunderground.com/sky/index.asphttp://www.wunderground.com/sky/index.asphttp://skychart.skyandtelescope.com/skychart.phphttp://skychart.skyandtelescope.com/skychart.phphttp://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1052http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1052http://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/atlas_85/atlas_85.htmhttp://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/atlas_85/atlas_85.htmhttp://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/explore-the-sky/your-sky-tonight.htmlhttp://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/explore-the-sky/your-sky-tonight.htmlhttp://www.heavens-above.com/skychart.aspx?SL=1&SN=1&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=CEThttp://www.heavens-above.com/skychart.aspx?SL=1&SN=1&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=CEThttp://www.astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/Intro%20Sky.aspxhttp://www.astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/Intro%20Sky.aspxhttp://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News.aspxhttp://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News.aspxhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgohttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgohttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basicshttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basicshttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objectshttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objectshttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobservinghttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobservinghttp://www.ovas.org/alinks.htmhttp://www.ovas.org/alinks.htmhttp://www.hobbyspace.com/Astronomy/index.htmlhttp://www.hobbyspace.com/Astronomy/index.htmlhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/glossary/http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/glossary/http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides/bbc_stargazing_live_star_guide.pdfhttp://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides/bbc_stargazing_live_star_guide.pdfhttp://www.astromax.org/astrocourse/history.htmhttp://www.astromax.org/astrocourse/history.htmhttp://www.daviddarling.info/index.htmlhttp://www.daviddarling.info/index.htmlhttp://nineplanets.org/http://nineplanets.org/http://stardate.org/radiohttp://stardate.org/radiohttp://stardate.org/astro-guidehttp://stardate.org/astro-guidehttp://earthsky.org/tonighthttp://earthsky.org/tonighthttp://earthsky.org/tonighthttp://stardate.org/astro-guidehttp://stardate.org/radiohttp://nineplanets.org/http://www.daviddarling.info/index.htmlhttp://www.astromax.org/astrocourse/history.htmhttp://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides/bbc_stargazing_live_star_guide.pdfhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/glossary/http://www.hobbyspace.com/Astronomy/index.htmlhttp://www.ovas.org/alinks.htmhttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobservinghttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objectshttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/basicshttp://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgohttp://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News.aspxhttp://www.astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/Intro%20Sky.aspxhttp://www.heavens-above.com/skychart.aspx?SL=1&SN=1&lat=0&lng=0&loc=Unspecified&alt=0&tz=CEThttp://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/explore-the-sky/your-sky-tonight.htmlhttp://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/atlas_85/atlas_85.htmhttp://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1052http://skychart.skyandtelescope.com/skychart.phphttp://www.wunderground.com/sky/index.asp


7/7

http://www.calsky.com/

http://www.space.com/

http://www.oneminuteastronomer.com/

http://www.nightskyobserver.com/the-sky-this-month/

http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.php

http://www.spaceweather.com/

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/

http://heavens-above.com/

http://www.observingsites.com/

http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/sowlist.html

http://seds.org/messier/

http://messier45.com/guide/objects.html

http://www.deepskyobserving.com/index.htm

http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/index.html

http://www.observers.org/beginner/

http://beginnersguide.com/astronomy/

http://www.skynews.ca/pages/backyard.html

http://www.astrocentral.co.uk/beginners.html

http://www.gcadventure.com/cosmic-vo...beginners.html

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/astr...ingscopes.html

http://www.opticsplanet.net/dozen-te...ving-tips.html
http://www.calsky.com/http://www.calsky.com/http://www.space.com/http://www.space.com/http://www.oneminuteastronomer.com/http://www.oneminuteastronomer.com/http://www.nightskyobserver.com/the-sky-this-month/http://www.nightskyobserver.com/the-sky-this-month/http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.phphttp://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.phphttp://www.spaceweather.com/http://www.spaceweather.com/http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/http://heavens-above.com/http://heavens-above.com/http://www.observingsites.com/http://www.observingsites.com/http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/sowlist.htmlhttp://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/sowlist.htmlhttp://seds.org/messier/http://seds.org/messier/http://messier45.com/guide/objects.htmlhttp://messier45.com/guide/objects.htmlhttp://www.deepskyobserving.com/index.htmhttp://www.deepskyobserving.com/index.htmhttp://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/index.htmlhttp://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/index.htmlhttp://www.observers.org/beginner/http://www.observers.org/beginner/http://beginnersguide.com/astronomy/http://beginnersguide.com/astronomy/http://www.skynews.ca/pages/backyard.htmlhttp://www.skynews.ca/pages/backyard.htmlhttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/beginners.htmlhttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/beginners.htmlhttp://www.gcadventure.com/cosmic-voyage.net/beginners.htmlhttp://www.gcadventure.com/cosmic-voyage.net/beginners.htmlhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/usingscopes.htmlhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/usingscopes.htmlhttp://www.opticsplanet.net/dozen-telescope-observing-tips.htmlhttp://www.opticsplanet.net/dozen-telescope-observing-tips.htmlhttp://www.opticsplanet.net/dozen-telescope-observing-tips.htmlhttp://www.wwnorton.com/college/astronomy/astro21/sandt/usingscopes.htmlhttp://www.gcadventure.com/cosmic-voyage.net/beginners.htmlhttp://www.astrocentral.co.uk/beginners.htmlhttp://www.skynews.ca/pages/backyard.htmlhttp://beginnersguide.com/astronomy/http://www.observers.org/beginner/http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/index.htmlhttp://www.deepskyobserving.com/index.htmhttp://messier45.com/guide/objects.htmlhttp://seds.org/messier/http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/sowlist.htmlhttp://www.observingsites.com/http://heavens-above.com/http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/http://www.spaceweather.com/http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/nightskynotes/index.phphttp://www.nightskyobserver.com/the-sky-this-month/http://www.oneminuteastronomer.com/http://www.space.com/http://www.calsky.com/

Backyard Astronomy

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