How to Use a Computerized Telescope

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Do you have a computerized telescope?
Are you thinking of getting one (new or secondhand)?
This book is for you!

PRACTICAL AMATEUR ASTRONOMY:
How to Use a Computerized Telescope

by Michael A. Covington

Published September 26, 2002, by Cambridge University Press
ISBN 0-521-00790-9 (paperback)
Available from Amazon.Com and other fine booksellers

Full ordering information
Outline and sample pages
Updates and additional information

A guide for the perplexed...

This is the first book on the market that tells you how to get your computerized telescope up and running. Here are some things it covers:

How the sky moves and how telescopes track it
Coordinate systems explained
Factors that affect pointing accuracy
Altazimuth and equatorial mounts
How to test your telescope's optics
Eyepieces (including the newest designs) and optical accessories
Basic astrophotography with film and digital cameras
Detailed instructions for Meade LX200, Celestron NexStar 5/8, and Meade Autostar
Troubleshooting -- what to do when it doesn't work!

Contents and sample pages...

Part I - Telescopes in General

1     Welcome to Amateur Astronomy!    Sample pages
2     How the Sky Moves    Sample page
3     How Telescopes Track the Stars    Sample pages
4     Using Equatorial Mounts and Wedges    Sample page
5     Telescope Optics    Sample page
6     Eyepieces and Optical Accessories    Sample page
7     Astrophotography    Sample page
8     Troubleshooting    Sample page

Part II - Three Classic Telescopes

9     Overview
10   Meade LX200    Sample page Sample page Sample page
11   Celestron NexStar 5 and 8    Sample page Sample page
12   Meade Autostar (ETX and LX90)    Sample page Sample page

Newer telescopes such as the LX200 GPS, NexStar 5i, and Celestron 8 GPS have good instruction manuals of their own and do not need separate chapters in this book. Everything in Chapters 1-8 applies to them. (Many telescope instruction books are available online at Astronomics even when not on the manufacturers' own web sites.)

The classic telescopes documented in Chapters 10-12 will remain in wide use for decades to come, and since the early models had somewhat skimpy instruction books, Chapters 10-12 will remain useful.

NOTICE: The sample pages are
COPYRIGHT 2001, 2002 MICHAEL A. COVINGTON AND/OR CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
and may not be reproduced without permission. To view the sample pages, you may have to download and install Adobe Acrobat, available free of charge from www.adobe.com.