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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Hello, all! This new forum, Astronomy Books and Charts, is a place to talk about books and software that you find useful for our hobby. We can talk about everything from introductory guides to observing manuals to amateur telescope making. Discussions on astrophotography are welcome as well.
If you have a book or piece of software that you'd like to review for Cloudy Nights, please let me know and I'll help you put the review together. Soon we'll be offering books for review, with free copies for the reviewers. So if you've always wanted a particular book or observing guide, put in your requests and we'll try to get them to you.
Thanks for looking, and feel free to post anytime.
Your moderator,
Jeff Verona
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Ken
sage
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 271
Loc: 39 20'N 78 01'W
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Super neat forum idea, I started counting astronomy texts, and stoppped at 70, About 20 of them are university textbooks. I just had to buy two more bookshelves just to hold them all.
Anyway I recently stumbled on an online beginning Astronomy course from "Barnes and Noble University" They obviously profit from offering the online class by getting students to purchase the textbooks. I just for fun signed up for the the class starting next week, as I already had all the textbooks but one. And fyi Amazon had it for a better price then B & N.
http://educate.barnesandnobleuniversity.com/educate/bn/home/catalog/overview.jsp?productId=7144&userid=2XJSUCRICA&nhid=bn
or
http://tinyurl.com/cxcl
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Ken
39N 78W
77 Edmund 6"f6
94 Meade 2045D
02 Edmund Astroscan
02 Questar 3.5
04 Meade ETX-105
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39708
Loc: Phx, AZ
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Ken;
Are you sure you shouldn't be teaching the course instead? 
I picked up The Night Sky Observer's Guide, Volumes 1 and 2 by George Robert Kepple & Glen W. Sanner. What sold me on these tomes were the pictures of many of the objects instead of just listings and an addresses. This way I know if it's something of possible interest. Like finding a black book with stars and phone numbers AND pictures of the girls!
Besides; I find looking at dot drawings confusing and rarely look like what is in the eye piece. When it's dark, you're tired, you've forgotten two things you really needed and home is three hours away you don't need the refrence guide stressing you out. It should be so easy to read even I can make sense of it if I'm suffering from an attitude. 
Speaking of text books: Galaxy Formation by Malcom S. Longair Published by Springer is a very good book. I'd even take the class if they would let me off work (those kinds of classes are strictly daytime - go figure).
Ron
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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Ken
sage
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 271
Loc: 39 20'N 78 01'W
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Ron,
Perhaps, I have tutored and been a t/a through 200 level classes. But I love online learning, you never know when something might be explained in just a wee different manner, and suddenly a new avenue of exploration opens up.
My last purchase was "Gravity, An intro to Einstein's General Relativity" by James Hartle, unfortunately after that purchase I immediately had to pick up Thomas Garrity's "All The Mathematics You Missed [But Need to know for Graduate School]"  Bloody Calculus the one area I need to bust my &%^ to study.
Right now I am eagerly awiting the publication in August of a tome on the Maunder Minimum. This is my particular field of interest and thesis work, and I am really looking forward to getting hold of it. Treatments of the Maunder Minimum have been few and far between, and its research has been limited to a few dedicated individuals. It is regretful that powerful organizations with an agenda all their own have attempted to and sucessfully I might had, remove this area of research from the public consciousness.
Anyway, back on topic, following the class I'll write up a review and see if it should be a reccomendation to those just interested in the hobby who have had no formal education.
Now if the board would like, I really want to take the courses offered by Swinburne University in Australia
http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/
But at $540.00 a pop, I better keep that for my own grad school classes. But if the board feels a review would be in order ....I'm ready..
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Ken
39N 78W
77 Edmund 6"f6
94 Meade 2045D
02 Edmund Astroscan
02 Questar 3.5
04 Meade ETX-105
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39708
Loc: Phx, AZ
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Ken;
There was a quick note, CNN I think, on this very topic not too very long ago. Week or so. This last night there was talk on NPR about extra irrigation, asphalt, concrete and other human activities that raised local micro climates (e.g. cites, new wet lands) temperatures. But more importantly; stored all this thermal heat and released slowly in the evening. An unknown percentage of global warming being blamed on this over looked effect of civilization to supplement green house gasses - now add sun spot habits.
I just hope I can buy and try out an Astro-Physics refractor before the world comes to a much deserved end. 
Calculus was not too bad, until folks started tossing in obscure trig substitutions.  Differential equations were my bane.  Good luck with your class! And remember, in physics you get to toss out all the solutions that don't make any sense, but in math class you're forced to keep them.
Ron
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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**DONOTDELETE**
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 Can any kind person tell me where I can purchase the Herald-Bobroff 'Astro-Atlas' ? I live in England, U.K.
Regards,
Robo.
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Ken
sage
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 271
Loc: 39 20'N 78 01'W
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I'd suggest going and putting a wanted ad on astromart, and checking sources like e-bay. The book is out of print as far as I can tell. I could not find a copy in the various used book stores I check.
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Ken
39N 78W
77 Edmund 6"f6
94 Meade 2045D
02 Edmund Astroscan
02 Questar 3.5
04 Meade ETX-105
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**DONOTDELETE**
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okay, ken.. you just piqued my interest.. online masters program, with a major project in computational astrophysics.
don't make me take it..
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Ken
sage
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 271
Loc: 39 20'N 78 01'W
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I wish the graduate classes were all online, but I have to commute as well as tele-commute for most classes . I will be back at PSU full time to finish things up in another year or two. The B&N courses I took just for fun. Just started the second class yesterday. They are geared towards newcomers to the hobby, for those who did not have the opportunity to learn star hopping and Astronomy the "old-fashioned" way. The current course , 'Backyard Basics' would be great for anyone who has either bought or is considering their first instrument and needs to learn the basic 'mechanics' of the sky.
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Ken
39N 78W
77 Edmund 6"f6
94 Meade 2045D
02 Edmund Astroscan
02 Questar 3.5
04 Meade ETX-105
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