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Philip's Astronomy
Sun Observer's Guide
This is a practical guide to observing our 'home' star. There is huge fascination in observing the sun, and this text explains how straightforward - and safe - it can be to do so. Contrary to popular opinion, expensive equipment is not required, and the necessary safety procedures are easy to follow.
- GenresScience
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 22, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 3, 2013
Not recommended for the casual reader who is interested in solar dynamics. As the title of this book declares, this is a guide for observers of the sun. Published in 2004, this guide for the amateur astronomer is fairly comprehensive. A good time to peruse this guide is anytime soon, as 2013 promises to be a period of solar maximum activity. I had a good session of observing the sun early last summer, when large flares and enormous sun spots were visible. In the conversion of hydrogen to helium our sun loses some four million tonnes of mass every second, but no rush for the scope is required, as there is still another few billion years of nuclear reactions to look out for.
The science is covered quite well here as in all these Philip's publications, and safety first observation methods are explained for small refracting scopes and binocular viewing. There are increasingly sophisticated H-alpha scopes on the market now. The ranges and prices are not covered in this book. However, if I had a pound for every 'never look directly at the sun' warning in this guide, I would be well on my way to purchasing one of those Coronado 90mm jobs for a cool four grand.
The science is covered quite well here as in all these Philip's publications, and safety first observation methods are explained for small refracting scopes and binocular viewing. There are increasingly sophisticated H-alpha scopes on the market now. The ranges and prices are not covered in this book. However, if I had a pound for every 'never look directly at the sun' warning in this guide, I would be well on my way to purchasing one of those Coronado 90mm jobs for a cool four grand.
November 8, 2025
If you're an amateur astronomer doing Sun observation, or considering becoming one, this might be a good, practical guide for you.
The observation and analysis techniques are described pretty well and easy to understand, along with some basic science so you know what you're observing.
Mind you that this is an old book from 2004, so new and better techniques or equipments might have come up.
The observation and analysis techniques are described pretty well and easy to understand, along with some basic science so you know what you're observing.
Mind you that this is an old book from 2004, so new and better techniques or equipments might have come up.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews