Patrick Moore has pulled together a group of professional and amateur astronomers, each an expert in a particular field, to describe how to observe every category of object that is within reach of an astronomical telescope of modest size. Each chapter deals with a different class of object, covering the whole range of possibilities from the Moon, planets and stars to more specialised observations of comets, novae, and meteors. If you own - or are thinking of buying - an astronomical telescope, here is the book that will help you get the most enjoyment out of it. It also explains how best to use your telescope for proper scientific observations, for astronomy is one of the few remaining areas of science where a lot of useful work can be carried out by non-professionals. A companion book, The Modern Amateur Astronomer , deals with the non-observational aspects of astronomy, from buying a telescope (or making your own), through electronic equipment and accessories, to more technical aspects such as spectroscopy and astrophotography.

Zusammenfassung
"The strength of the book lies in the expertise of the text. If you are at that stage in amateur astronomy where youre wondering which path to follow, I'm sure you will find inspiration from this book." - David Graham, Popular Astronomy "(Moore) is to be congratulated upon producing an up to date and enjoyable guide to observational astronomy" J. of the British Astronomical Association

Inhalt
1 The Sun in White Light.- 2 The Sun in Hydrogen-Alpha.- 3 Eclipses.- 4 The Moon.- 5 Mercury and Venus.- 6 Mars.- 7 Jupiter.- 8 Saturn.- 9 The Asteroids and Telescopic Planets.- 10 Meteors.- 11 Comets.- 12 Occultations.- 13 Auroræ and Noctilucent Clouds.- 14 Variable Stars.- 15 Supernovæ.- 16 Deep Sky Observing.- 17 Artificial Satellites.- 18 Annotated Drawings.- Contributors.