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Measure Solar System Objects and Their Movements for Yourself!

  • Book
  • © 2009

Overview

Authors:
  1. John D. Clark
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  • Shows amateur astronomers how they can measure planetary sizes and distances for themselves, as well as orbital speed
  • Improves the reader's appreciation and perspective of what he or she might see and image in the sky
  • A small step (but also a giant leap) into astrometry written in an entertaining, anecdotal style
  • Measurements require simple math early on and more subtle concepts appear only towards the final chapters

Part of the book series: The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series (PATRICKMOORE)

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
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  2. How Do We Know That Venus Orbits The Sun?

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 1-20

  3. How Big is the Earth?

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 21-27

  4. How Far Away and How Big is the Moon?

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 29-56

  5. Jupiter's Moons: Where You Can Watch Gravity Do Its Thing

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 57-80

  6. Sunrise, Sunset

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 81-96

  7. Getting Further from the Sun: How do you Ride an Epicycle?

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 97-125

  8. Size Matters

    • John D. Clark
    Pages 127-132

  9. Back Matter

    Pages 133-173
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Keywords

About this book

Instead of taking somebody's word for it about the basic size and distance statistics for the solar system, this book shows amateur astronomers how to measure these things for themselves. This is an enriching experience for any amateur astronomer - to understand and personally measure some fundamental astronomical quantities and distances.

A basic knowledge of geometry is required, but it is amazing how simple the geometry can be. Readers are led through the geometry as gently as possible - and in a light-hearted way - presuming that most non-academics will have half-forgotten most of their mathematics.

The practical astronomical equipment recommended is no more than a typical commercially-made amateur telescope and a camera of some sort - these days a webcam works very well. Apart from that all the reader will need is access to a computer, the know-how to download free software, and an enthusiasm to expand his knowledge of the basis of scientific astronomy.

Reviews

From the reviews: “This delightful book … is really a breath of fresh air in popular science publishing, taking us back to astronomical basics and starting from the beginning. With the help of very clear diagrams and graphics, the text takes you through fully-worked examples, asking questions about sizes, distances and motions within the Solar System. It then sets about, always with simple, readily available and inexpensive equipment, to show you how to answer those questions for yourself. … Overall, this is a very worthwhile text … .” (John Rowlands, Astronomy Now, January, 2010)

About the author

John Clark holds a Bachelor of Science, first class honors, in Physics, from London University, England, and a Ph. D. in Physics from Warwick University, England. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher at Case Western Reserve University in the USA. Currently he is Managing Director of Fine R and D Limited. He has been an active amateur astronomer for many years.

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