How to Use a Computerized Telescope: Practical Amateur Astronomy Volume 1

by Michael A. Covington

Book Overview

How to Use a Computerized Telescope describes how to get a computerized telescope up-and-running, and how to embark on a program of observation. Michael Covington explains in detail how the sky moves, how a telescope tracks it, and how to get the most out of any computerized telescope. Packed full of practical advice and tips for troubleshooting, his book gives detailed instructions for three popular telescopes: the Meade(R) LX200, Celestron DCC NexStar...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521007909
• ISBN13: 9780521007900
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.4" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Learning about telescopes book

Learning about Telescopes, this is a great first time /review of things you for got and thing you just didn't know how book.very helpful.

Useful book for those new to goto scopes

If you have a goto scope it's very useful. I have a Celestron NexStar goto telescope, and have bought a book specific to NexStar scopes, and I still found this one helpful, especially on alighment.

The Book your looking for!

If your looking for a clearly written, very informative, get you going in the right direction book, this is the one!

Very helpful book

I recently purchased a Celestron StarSeeker telescope (basically a NexStar80) so wanted to read more about computerized telescopes. Michael Covington's book is very good. He starts by saying "Welcome to amateur astronomy". The first part of the book then goes on to discuss telescopes in general, such as the different types (ie, refractors, reflectors and catadioptric) and much very helpful general information about observational astronomy. Things like celestial coordinates, how a telescope works, etc. Too much to put in this review but I found the information extremely helpful. The second section is about astrophotography including simple ways to do astrophotography without a lot of expensive equipment. This author also has a book on Astrophotography which I haven't read. He refers to it several times in this section of this book. The last section describes in quite a bit of detail the operation of 3 computerized telescopes, the Meade LX200, Celestron NexStar 5 and 8 and two Meade telescopes with Autostar, the ETX 90 and the LX 90. All of these telescopes are now outdated as both Meade and Celestron have newer models. However, what is said in this section would apply to the newer models to a large extent. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and obtained a lot of useful information and recommendations to start my budding career in amateur photography. One further note; there is another book by Michael Swanson that deals with just the Celestron NexStar telescopes. I have this book also but haven't finished reading it. If you are just interested in computerized telescopes in general, I would recommend the one in this review. If you have or are interested in a Celestron, then I would suggest the Michael Swanson book; actually I would recommend both.

What you need to know to use a "Go To" telescope

Covington's "Astrophotography for the Amateur" is one of the two must reads for beginning to intermiediate astrophotographers. "How to Use a Computerized Telescope" fits in the same category for beginner and intermediate amatuer astronomers who have or are thinking of aquiring a computerized telescope. The book is divided into two sections. The first covers basic topics on the use, care and feeding of telescopes in general. The second looks at three classic "Go To" telescope families. If you are looking to buy a computerized telescope, or already own one and want to get more out of it, then this is a good place to start.Chapters:PART I - Telescopes in general1. Welcome to amatuer astronomy2. How the sky moves3. How telescopes track the stars4. Using equatorial mounts and wedges5. Telescope optics6. Eyepieces and optical accessories7. Astrophotography8. TroubleshootingPART II - Three classic telescopes9. Three that led the revolution10. Meade LX20011. Celestron NexStar 5 and 812. Meade Autostar (ETX and LX90)Though the models described in detail in the book are no longer the latest models, the foundations will allow one to get a better understanding of how computerized telescopes work, and how to get more out of their use.