Writing in the easy-going style that made him famous as a writer and broadcaster, Sir Patrick introduced astronomy and amateur observing together, so that his reader gets an idea of what he is observing at the same time as how to observe. This brand new edition of Sir Patrick Moore's classic book - it has been going since 1957, with many revisions - has been completely updated in the light of changes in technology. Not only do these changes include commercially available astronomical telescopes and software, but also what we know and understand about the universe. There are many new photographs and illustrations. The hugely comprehensive appendices provide hints and tips, as well as data (year 2000 onwards) for pretty well every aspect of amateur astronomy. This is probably the only book in which all this information is collected in one place. Amateur astronomers at every level will want this book.

Klappentext

Sir Patrick Moore, CBE, FRS is without a doubt the world's most widely known and respected of broadcasters on astronomy. His BBC-TV program, The Sky at Night, remains the longest-running TV program in the history of broadcasting.

For more than three decades The Amateur Astronomer has inspired generations of amateur astronomers. Almost uniquely, Patrick Moore has written a book that is useful to astronomers at all levels, from beginner to expert.

Appendices completely updated in this new edition provide extensive star, lunar and planetary maps, along with a vast amount of data and information that makes this book an essential for every amateur astronomer's library.

Zusammenfassung
any popular books upon astronomy have been written during the Mpast few years, but most of them cater either for the casual dabbler who is content to learn from the depths of his armchair or else for the serious amateur who already knows the main facts.What I have done, or tried to do, is to strike a happy mean. This book has been aimed at the needs of the beginner who knows nothing whatsoever,but who is nevertheless anxious to make a start with what equipment he can collect at limited cost. All astronomers,professional or amateur,were beginners once,and all have had to draw upon the experience of those who have learned before them.I feel some dif?dence about offering myself as a guide,but at least I have one quali?cation: in my early days as an observer I made almost every mistake that it is possible to make! This explains the frequent occurrence of such phrases as I once saw.and I rem- ber that when I. I hope therefore that what I have written may prevent others from falling into the same ridiculous traps.

Inhalt
Astronomy as a Hobby.- The Unfolding Universe.- Telescopes and Observatories.- The Solar System.- The Sun.- The Moon.- Occultations and Eclipses.- Aurorae and the Zodiacal Light.- The Nearer Planets.- The Outer Planets.- Comets and Meteors.- The Stellar Sky.- The Nature of a Star.- Double Stars.- Variable Stars.- Star Clusters and Nebulae.- Galaxies.- Beginnings and Endings.