DIY Instruments for Amateur Space

What can you measure and what are your limits when orbiting in space? Learn about what physical quantities you can measure and what types of sensors you can buy or build. We cover the 5 essential design limits as well: power, bandwidth, resolution, computing... and legal limitations. Explore what you can play with using your own personal satellite.

Autorentext

Alexander "Sandy" Antunes (born 1967 in Baltimore, Maryland) is a Maryland-area astronomer, author, and role playing game designer. He graduated from Boston University in 1989 with a dual major in astronomy and physics, received a Masters in astronomy from Penn State in 1992, and received his PhD in computational astrophysics from George Mason University in 2005. He was the Maryland Science Center "Science Person of the Month" for May 2007.

Inhalt

• Preface
• Chapter 1: Understanding Measurement
• Chapter 2: Introduction to Instruments
• Chapter 3: By Wavelength
• Chapter 4: Fundamental Detector Types
• Chapter 5: Detectors and Instruments and Sensors, Oh My!
• Chapter 6: Colors and Brightness
• Chapter 7: Resolution, By the Numbers
• Chapter 8: Noise
• Chapter 9: Calibration
• Chapter 10: Protocols
• Chapter 11: Instrument Modes
• Chapter 12: Off-the-Shelf Sensor Hardware
• Chapter 13: Committing, Freezing, Moving Forward
• Exercises
• Colophon