Bonus Content
Comets and How to Observe Them
The thrilling photographs of Comet Hartley 2 captured last November by NASA’s Deep Impact (EPOXI) probe highlighted the beauty of these objects. What are comets, and how can their fans locate and study them? Comets and How to Observe Them offers a wide range of detailed advice for amateur astronomers.
Richard Schmude begins with a look at the properties of comets, including the sizes and shapes of their orbits. Short-period comets circle the Sun in less than 200 years; long-period comets take longer, or only visit the inner solar system once. We also survey cometary components, including the nucleus, coma, dust tail, and gas tail.
One chapter offers a detailed look at four comets—9P/Tempel 1, 1P/Halley, 19P/Borrelly, and 81P/Wild 2—made possible by the spacecraft that have visited each. We learn, for example, about the outbursts and jets that characterized comet Halley’s last visit to the inner solar neighborhood in 1985–1986.
Three chapters focus on observing comets with, respectively, the naked eye and binoculars, small telescopes, and large telescopes. As we learn, the most important comet observation you can make with binoculars is to estimate its brightness, and we see how this can be done accurately. With a small telescope, one should be able to measure the rotation period of the nucleus and the growth rate of any jets; with the proper filters, we can measure the gas-to-dust ratio in the coma. Telescopes, mounts, eyepieces, and other equipment are explored. With a larger telescope, one can record a comet’s spectra, determine when the coma forms, and more; Schmude gives clear tips for accomplishing these feats.
Comets and How to Observe Them brings an exotic class of solar system objects into clear view.
Softcover : 254 pages
Publisher: Springer-Verlag ( September 21, 2010 )
Item #: 13-348190
ISBN: 9781441957894
Product Dimensions: 6.0 x 9.0 inches
Product Weight: 14.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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