This unique book is both an illustrated field guide to observing meteors and also a field guide to locating, preparing and analysing meteorites. It provides everything the amateur astronomer (or geologist!) needs to know about meteors and meteorites.

It is said that astronomy is one of the few remaining fields in which amateurs can make a real contribution to science, and nowhere is this more true than in the field of meteors and meteorites.

Although meteors are isolated and unpredictable, it is possible to predict when meteor showers - usually associated with old comets - are due; they last a couple of days, during which many meteors can be observed in a single night. Equipment for watching, counting and even measuring meteors can range from the simplest (a chair) to sophisticated all-sky cameras.

What is unique about meteors in astronomical observation is that many survive entry into the Earth's atmosphere and impact the ground - the only easily-analysed extraterrestrial material available to science.

What is unique about Richard Norton's book is that it is both a field guide to observing meteors, and also a field guide to locating, preparing and analysing meteorites. In addition to giving the reader information about observing techniques for meteors, this book also provides a fully detailed account of the types of meteorites, how and where to find them, how to prepare and analyse them. It is thus the only complete book on the subject available at present.

Covers the techniques of observing meteors, with many useful hints and tips for amateur astronomers Also deals with how and where to find meteorites, how to prepare them as specimens for display or analysis In one book, everything the amateur astronomer (or geologist!) needs to know about meteors and meteorites Fully illustrated with many colour photographs and expertly drawn diagrams Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
Ancient Fragments of the Solar System.- Interplanetary Dust and Meteors.- Meteorites: Fragments of Asteroids.- Meteoroids to Meteorites: Lessons in Survival.- The Family of Meteorites.- The Chondrites.- Primitive and Differentiated Meteorites: Asteroidal Achondrites.- Differentiated Meteorites: Planetary and Lunar Achondrites.- Differentiated Meteorites: The Irons.- Differentiated Meteorites: Stony-Irons.- A Gallery of Meteorwrongs.- Collecting and Analyzing Meteorites.- In the Field.- From Hand Lens to Microscope.