Introduction: Tools of the Astronomer.

Limitations of Early Astronomers.

An Astronomical Revolution.

Telescope Evolution and Accessories.

1 The Many Satellites of Earth.

A Short History of the Early Space Age.

ACTIVITY 1-1. Observing Satellites in Low Earth Orbit.

Orbits and Conic Sections.

Acceleration, Mass, and Force.

Gravity and Orbits.

ACTIVITY 1-2. Estimating the Velocity of a Satellite in LEO.

ACTIVITY 1-3. Can You See Any Detail on a LargeSatellite in LEO?

Geosynchronous Orbits.

Other Satellite Observations.

2 Dust Grains from Heaven.

Types of Meteors.

The Origin of Meteors.

Observing Meteors.

ACTIVITY 2-1. Preparing Finder Charts for a Meteor Shower.

ACTIVITY 2-2. Meteor-Observing Party.

ACTIVITY 2-3. Estimating Meteor Track Length.

Meteors, Meteorites, and Life.

3 The Moon.

Physical Characteristics and Motions of the Moon.

ACTIVITY 3-1. Observing the Eccentricity of the Moon s Orbit .

The Moon s Phases.

ACTIVITY 3-2. Keeping Track of Lunar and Solar Motions.

Moon Features.

ACTIVITY 3-3. Simulating Crater Formation.

ACTIVITY 3-4. The Rays of Copernicus.

ACTIVITY 3-5. The Central Peak of Tycho.

ACTIVITY 3-6. The Mountains near Schickard.

ACTIVITY 3-7. Masking Your Telescope s Aperture.

Eclipses of the Moon and the Sun.

Lunar Occultations.

ACTIVITY 3-8. Observing Lunar Occultations.

The Moon and Earth s Tides.

ACTIVITY 3-9. Observing the Moon s Effect on the Tides.

The Astronaut s Moon.

4 Comets.

Comets in Myth and History.

Visual Aspects of Comets.

ACTIVITY 4-1. Sketching a Comet As Viewed through Your Telescope.

ACTIVITY 4-2. Estimating the Size of a Comet s Coma.

ACTIVITY 4-3. Keeping Track of a Comet s Progress.

ACTIVITY 4-4. Observing Changes in a Comet s Tail.

Where Do Comets Come From?

ACTIVITY 4-5. Observing Stellar Occultations by Comets.

Comets and the Solar System s Evolution.

Comet Exploration.

ACTIVITY 4-6. Comet Viewing with Color Filters.

5 The Sun.

The Visible Sun.

Observing the Sun.

ACTIVITY 5-1. The Sun s Spectrum.

The Solar Interior.

The Active Sun and the Earth.

ACTIVITY 5-2. Using Sunspot Observations to DetermineSolar Rotation.

ACTIVITY 5-3. Monitoring Solar Activity.

Solar Energy.

The Sun s Future.

6 The Planets.

The Planets in History.

ACTIVITY 6-1. A Scale Model of Solar-System Distancesand Planet Sizes.

Types of Planets.

Viewing the Planets.

Mercury.

ACTIVITY 6-2. Observing Mercury.

Venus.

ACTIVITY 6-3. Observing the Atmosphere of Venus.

ACTIVITY 6-4. Observing Venus s Phases andChanges in Size.

Mars.

ACTIVITY 6-5. Coordinated Mars Observations.

ACTIVITY 6-6. Atmospheric Variation and Mars s Canals.

Jupiter.

ACTIVITY 6-7. Observing the Jovian Moons with a Reticle Eyepiece.

ACTIVITY 6-8. Identifying the Large Moons of Jupiter by Brightness.

ACTIVITY 6-9. Filter and Reticle Observations of Jupiter s CloudBands and the Great Red Spot.

Saturn.

ACTIVITY 6-10. Observing and Estimating the Size of Saturn s Rings.

ACTIVITY 6-11. Observing Saturn through Color Filters.

Uranus.

Neptune.

Pluto.

7 The Stars.

The Variety of Stars.

The Significance of Star Colors.

Binary and Multiple Stars.

ACTIVITY 7-1. Observing Some Colorful Binary Stars.

Mizar and Alcor.

Rigel.

Albireo.

Castor.

ACTIVITY 7-2. Reticle Observations of Binary Stars.

ACTIVITY 7-3. Color-Filter Observations of Binary Stars.

Variable Stars.

Deep-Sky Objects.

ACTIVITY 7-4. Observing M42 through Color Filters.

ACTIVITY 7-5. Counting the Pleiades.

ACTIVITY 7-6. The Milky Way Galaxy and M31, the Great Spiral Galaxyin Andromeda.

Appendix A: A Note about Measurement.

Appendix B: How to Use a Reticle Eyepiece.

Appendix C: Lunar and Solar Eclipse Table.

Appendix D: Planet Data Table.

Appendix E: Seasonal Finder Charts.

Reading List: To Dig Deeper.

Glossary.

Index.