The Amateur Astronomer’s Handbook offers 616 pages of insight into the beauty of amateur astronomy, the diversity of observations, and the details of ever-evolving technology. It is especially recommended for those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the ins and outs of amateur astronomy.
The time that has passed since the 1999 edition made a complete revision of the publication necessary, with many well-known names contributing to it. We are fortunate that amateur astronomers, brought together by the Hungarian Astronomical Association, have such deep-rooted traditions in Hungary!
Excerpt from the MCSE book recommendation:
Our volume provides guidance for high-quality, and wherever possible regular, observing work, covering the traditional fields of amateur astronomical observation while taking into account the ever-expanding opportunities available to Hungarian amateurs. It assists those wishing to learn which programmes they can join and in which fields they can carry out valuable work, whether as a hobby or with the aim of having their observations used by the science of astronomy. Our handbook was not written for complete beginners – we assume a certain level of basic knowledge, such as an appropriate familiarity with the night sky and constellations. An increasing number of popular science books contain detailed constellation guides to help novice amateurs find their way around. Basic theoretical knowledge can likewise be found in popular science literature.
Compared to previous editions, we have thoroughly revised our volume; every chapter has been modified to a greater or lesser extent. We present a completely new chapter on lunar observation, which better assists observers in becoming familiar with the various types of lunar surface features, and we have revised and expanded the chapters on the Sun, asteroids and astronomical imaging. Digital observing techniques are discussed not only here, but also in the chapters on the Sun, Moon, planets and double stars. We have also incorporated the observational experience of recent years into the chapter entitled Eclipses and Occultations (transits of Mercury and Venus, annular solar eclipses, asteroid occultations, etc.), and have expanded the chapter on telescopes with numerous new illustrations.
The first five chapters describe the most important practical information related to astronomical observations that can also be carried out by amateurs. The chapter entitled Let’s Observe! serves as an introduction to practical work and draws attention to numerous general considerations. Our second chapter presents a wide range of phenomena visible to the naked eye, as well as observing opportunities related to the growing number of artificial celestial objects, followed by two topics that continually keep amateurs excited. The chapter on telescopes summarises the most important information. This is followed by the previously mentioned chapter entitled Astronomical Imaging.
In the second, more extensive part of our handbook, we review the methods for observing celestial objects visible through an amateur astronomer’s telescopes. For example, we describe the observing opportunities for Solar System objects (the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, asteroids and meteors), as well as the observation of various occultations and eclipses. We then leave the Solar System behind and enter the incredibly rich world of deep-sky objects, followed by double stars, and finally introduce the Reader to the intricacies of observing variable stars.
The final part of our handbook provides useful information: we describe the more notable astronomical phenomena expected until 2050, then list the most important organisations in Hungary’s civil astronomy community. The usability of the volume is greatly enhanced by the name index and subject index. The Reader will also find a colour image section in the volume, featuring a selection of the finest Hungarian amateur astrophotographs. Thanks to the digital revolution of recent years, we can introduce our Readers to numerous new and exceptionally spectacular images.