Video Astronomy: Revised Edition

by Steve Massey, Thomas A. Dobbins, Eric J. Douglass

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931559090
• ISBN13: 9781931559096
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Sky & Telescope
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A classic book

I bought both versions of this book by Sky Publishing. The revised / second edition is still limited by small illustrations but does a wonderful job of illustrating and describing the newer video technologies that now allow us to photograph faint objects like galaxies ,nebulae, supernova and comets. It still remains a very good reference to video imaging as an alternative and simple to apply medium although it would have been nice to see some more detail on the image processing techniques used by the authors and the many users of video in astronmy.

Good practical book for amateurs

This is a very useful book for those wanting to learn how to take pictures of the planets, the moon, the sun and even nebula and galaxies now with low-cost equipment. The revised edition better illustrates the current technolgy of webcams and video cameras used by amateurs today. There appear to be several new and replaced illustrations over the first edition with more up-to-date information etc. Unfortunately the book still presents many of the pictures in a smaller format like the original. Even so it still remains a great reference guide and better explores the use of video as a tool for imaging DSO's.

A Great Guide to Simple Imaging

We have had a telescope left unused in our back shed for many years because we had simply lost interest and time. A friend told us about the book Video Astronomy so we decided to buy it and try out the techniques. Both my husband and I were amazed that we could record the moon and some of the planets so effortlessly using low cost video cameras used for security. The book has a nice simple guide to building your own camera with parts you can find at a local electronics parts dealer. We did this and were delighted at how simple it was to use. Our interest in at least using our telescope has been renewed since reading this informative little book. We highly recommend it to anyone wanting to take pictures of the planets and the moon.

Handy Book

Since starting with video cameras a couple of years ago now using a 4-inch refractor I found this book very handy. It offers a lot of good tips and ideas. Some of the pictures could have been larger but the subject is well covered and easy to understand. A good all around book and addition to the library if you want to record the moon and planets with video gear you might already own.

Capture the Planets with Video

Anyone wanting to take images of the moon, the sun or the planets (within a tight budget)will love the easy how-to guide. I couldn't believe the results I was able to obtain with my old Panasonic camcorder held up to the eyepiece of my 6 inch telescope. The book is easy to read and very nicely illustrated. There is also a guide to building your own compact black and white video camera at back which I built and was amazed at the image quality from a camera that cost about $ in parts to build. There is excellent information on image processing and how to make time-lapsed animation movies on the computer from pictures taken with video cameras. I would highly recommend this book to any amateur astronomer experiencing difficulties with normal film photography of the planets especially. Well worth the investment and a real time saver!