Mobberley Total Solar Eclipses and How to Observe Them

1. Auflage 2007
ISBN: 978-0-387-69828-1
Verlag: Springer
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 202 Seiten

Reihe: Astronomers' Observing Guides

This is the ultimate, easy-to-read guide for 'eclipse-chasers' which includes everything an eclipse chaser needs. There are some important eclipses coming up in the years ahead and the technology available to amateur astronomers is improving fast. The book provides 'eclipse virgins' with a good feeling for what a trip abroad to an eclipse is like - including a humorous look at all the things that can and have gone wrong. Travel details are included, essential in these days of high-security. And of course the first part of the book contains a wealth of information about solar eclipses and what can be observed only during a total eclipse.

Martin Mobberley has a BSc Honours degree in Electronic Engineering from Brunel University, and is a former British Astronomical Association President and Goodacre Medallist. He is also the author of Astronomical Equipment for Amateurs (1998) and The New Amateur Astronomer (2004); Lunar & Planetary Webcam User's Guide (NYP); Supernovae and How to Observe them (NYP),. He has contributed chapters to three other Springer Practical Astronomy Series Books. He wrote the children's book Space Navigator, and has published many papers in Astronomy Now, The Journal of the British Astronomical Association, The Astronomer, and Sky & Telescope.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mobberley, Martin

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Preface;8
2;Acknowledgements;10
3;Contents;12
4;Eclipse Mechanisms, Statistics and Tracks;16
4.1;Why Do Eclipses Occur?;18
4.1.1;A Remarkable Moon;18
4.1.2;The Origin of the Moon;20
4.1.3;Enjoy Eclipses While They Last;21
4.1.4;Defining the Lunar Orbit;22
4.1.5;Elliptical Orbits;23
4.1.6;The Five Degree Tilt;25
4.1.7;Orbital Nodes;26
4.1.8;The PerigeeÒApogee Cycle;29
4.1.9;The Saros;30
4.1.10;Refining the Prediction;32
4.2;The Solar Atmosphere;35
4.2.1;The Photosphere;35
4.2.2;Prominences;37
4.2.3;The Chromosphere and Spectral Lines;38
4.2.4;The Solar Corona;40
4.2.5;The 11-Year Cycle;42
4.3;The Shadow of the Moon;44
4.3.1;Umbra and Penumbra;44
4.3.2;The Shadow on the Ground;45
4.3.3;The Twilight Sky;46
4.3.4;Visualizing the Shadow;48
4.3.5;All Manner of Curved Tracks;50
4.3.6;Anticipating the Umbra;50
4.3.7;A Magnificent Aircraft;51
4.3.8;The Annular Antumbra;53
4.4;The Rugged Lunar Limb;54
4.4.1;Librations;54
4.4.2;Watts Charts Predictions;55
4.4.3;Hybrids and the Lunar Radius;56
4.5;Shadow Bands and Other Phenomena;59
4.5.1;Shadow Band Evidence;59
4.5.2;Weighing up the Evidence;61
4.5.3;Lenses and Wind Speeds;63
4.5.4;The Eclipse Micro-Climate;64
4.5.5;Sharpening Shadows and Changing Colours;65
4.5.6;The Green Flash;66
4.5.7;Seriously Confused Wildlife;67
4.6;Eclipses and Tracks 2008Ò 2028;68
4.6.1;Total and Hybrid Eclipses 2008Ò2027;68
4.6.2;The Pick of the Bunch;70
4.6.3;1 August 2008 Total Eclipse;71
4.6.4;22 July 2009 Total Eclipse;74
4.6.5;11 July 2010 Total Eclipse;77
4.6.6;13 November 2012 Total Eclipse;80
4.6.7;3 November 2013 Hybrid Eclipse;81
4.6.8;20 March 2015 Total Eclipse;83
4.6.9;9 March 2016 Total Eclipse;85
4.6.10;21 August 2017 Total Eclipse;87
4.6.11;2 July 2019 Total Eclipse;89
4.6.12;14 December 2020 Total Eclipse;91
4.6.13;4 December 2021 Total Eclipse;92
4.6.14;20 April 2023 Hybrid Eclipse;92
4.6.15;8 April 2024 Total Eclipse;93
4.6.16;12 August 2026 Total Eclipse;94
4.6.17;2 August 2027 Total Eclipse;95
4.6.18;Annular Eclipses 2009Ò2028;96
4.6.19;26 January 2009;97
4.6.20;15 January 2010;98
4.6.21;20 May 2012;98
4.6.22;10 May 2013;99
4.6.23;29 April 2014;99
4.6.24;1 September 2016;100
4.6.25;26 February 2017;101
4.6.26;26 December 2019;101
4.6.27;21 June 2020;102
4.6.28;10 June 2021;102
4.6.29;14 October 2023;103
4.6.30;2 October 2024;103
4.6.31;17 February 2026;104
4.6.32;6 February 2027;104
4.6.33;26 January 2028;104
5;Observing and Travelling to Total Solar Eclipses;106
5.1;Safety First;108
5.1.1;Naked Eye Filters;109
5.1.2;Projecting the Sun;112
5.1.3;Telescope Filters;113
5.2;Eclipse Trips Ò The Real Experience;116
5.2.1;Some Unique Individuals;118
5.2.2;Some Unique Countries;120
5.2.3;Cruising Along;124
5.2.4;Buses and Bus Drivers;125
5.2.5;Dehydrate or Risk Your Bladder Bursting?;126
5.3;Checklists and Travel Plans;128
5.3.1;The Big Day;128
5.3.2;If It Can Go Wrong . . .;130
5.3.3;Baggage Allowance;132
5.3.4;Checklists;133
5.4;Video, Sketch and Savour the View!;138
5.4.1;Sit Back and Enjoy the Spectacle;138
5.4.2;Camcorders;141
5.4.3;Camcorder Science Ò Measuring the Solar Radius;145
5.5;DSLRs and Digital Eclipse Photography;148
5.5.1;The New Digital Era;149
5.5.2;Digital SLRs;151
5.5.3;Focal Lengths, Fields of View and Resolution;153
5.5.4;The Best Camera Lenses;155
5.5.5;Refractors and Maksutovs;158
5.5.6;Capturing the Corona;162
5.5.7;Older Corona Techniques;166
5.5.8;Practical Coronal Processing;168
5.5.9;Exposure Times;172
5.5.10;Multi-Sun Exposures;175
5.5.11;Capturing the Shadow with a Fish- Eye Lens;176
5.5.12;Flash Spectrum Photography;177
5.5.13;Automating the Photography;179
5.5.14;Commercial/Freeware Solutions;180
5.5.15;Custom Solutions;181
5.5.16;Simply Making Life Easier;183
5.5.17;Daytime Polar Alignment;188
5.6;Some Very Keen Eclipse Chasers;190
5.6.1;Keenest of the Keen;191
5.6.2;Umbraphile Recluses?;194
5.6.3;British Eclipse Chasers;197
5.7;The H-Alpha Revolution;202
5.7.1;H-Alpha Viewing;202
5.7.2;Complex Technology;203
5.7.3;H-Alpha Imaging;205
5.8;Useful Eclipse Websites, Software and Books;210
5.8.1;General Eclipse Chaser Sites;210
5.8.2;Travel Companies Specialising in Eclipse Travel;210
5.8.3;Eclipse Prediction/Camera Software;211
5.8.4;Camera Adaptors;211
5.8.5;Solar Filters;211
5.8.6;Miscellaneous;211
5.8.7;Eclipse Paintings;211
5.8.8;Five Millennium Canon of Solar;212
5.8.9;Eclipses:;212
5.8.10;1999 to +3000;212
5.8.11;Bibliography;212
6;Index;214