{"product_id":"choosing-and-using-a-refracting-telescope-the-patrick-moore-practical-astronomy-series-9781441964021","title":"Choosing and Using a Refracting Telescope (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series)","description":"\u003cp\u003eChoosing and Using a Refracting Telescope has been written for the many amateur astronomers who already own  or are intending to purchase  a refracting telescope  perhaps to complement their existing arsenal of larger reflecting telescopes  or for the specialist who requires a particular refractor for serious astronomical applications or nature studies. Four hundred year ago  during the winter of 1609  a relatively unknown Italian scientist  Galileo Galilei designed a spyglass with two crude lenses and turned it skyward. Since then  refractors have retained their dominance over all types of reflector in studies of the Moon  planets and double stars because of the precision of their optics and lack of a central obstruction in the optical path  which causes diffraction effects in all commercially-made reflectors. Most mature amateur astronomers got started with a 60mm refractor  or something similar. Thirty years ago  there was little choice available to the hobbyist  but in the last decade long focus crown-flint achromats have moved aside for some exquisitely crafted apochromatic designs offered by leading commercial manufacturers. There has been a huge increase in the popularity of these telescopes in the last few years  led by a significant increase in the number of companies (particularly  William Optics  Orion USA  StellarVue  SkyWatcher and AstroTech) who are now heavily marketing refractors in the amateur astronomical magazines. In Choosing and Using a Refracting Telescope  well-known observer and astronomy writer Neil English celebrates the remarkable history and evolution of the refracting telescope and looks in detail at the instruments  their development and their use. A major feature of this book is the way it compares not only different classes of refractor  but also telescopes of each class that are sold by various commercial manufacturers. The author is perhaps uniquely placed to do this  having used and testedliterally hundreds of different refracting telescopes over three decades. Because it includes many diverse subjects such as imaging with consumer-level digital cameras  imaging with webcams  and imaging with astronomical CCD cameras  that are not covered together in equal depth in any other single volume  Choosing and Using a Refracting Telescope could become the refractor bible for amateur astronomers at all levels  especially those who are interested in imaging astronomical objects of every class.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45666238922805,"sku":"ByrdShop_1441964029","price":80.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781441964021.jpg?v=1782424491","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/choosing-and-using-a-refracting-telescope-the-patrick-moore-practical-astronomy-series-9781441964021","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}