Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Buying, & Using Telescopes and Accessories

Additional Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Buying, & Using Telescopes and Accessories Information

"Star Ware is still a tour de force that any experienced amateur will find invaluable, and which hardware-minded beginners will thoroughly enjoy."
–Robert Burnham, Sky & Telescope magazine

"Star Ware condenses between two covers what would normally take a telescope buyer many months to accumulate."
–John Shibley, Astronomy magazine

Now more than ever, the backyard astronomer has a dazzling array of choices when it comes to telescope shopping–which can make choosing just the right sky-watching equipment a formidable challenge.

In this revised and updated edition of Star Ware, the essential guide to buying astronomical equipment, award-winning astronomy writer Philip Harrington does the work for you, analyzing and exploring today’s astronomy market and offering point-by-point comparisons of everything you need. Whether you’re an experienced amateur astronomer or just getting started, Star Ware, Third Edition will prepare you to explore the farthest reaches of space with: Extensive, expanded reviews of leading models and accessories, including dozens of new products, to help you buy smart A clear, step-by-step guide to all aspects of purchasing everything from telescopes and binoculars to filters, mounts, lenses, cameras, film, star charts, guides and references, and much more Eleven new do-it-yourself projects for making unique astronomical equipment at home Easy tips on maintenance, photography, and star-mapping to help you get the most out of your telescope Lists of where to find everything astronomical, including Internet sites and Web resources; distributors, dealers, and conventions; and corporate listings for products and services

What Customers Say About Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Buying, & Using Telescopes and Accessories:

Well written and recommended. This book covers many topics in addition to telescopes that are inextricable from the subject of backyard amateur astronomy. Very good book and probably required if you are a newbie looking for something to get you going in the right direction. Just be careful what edition you get (third is the latest as of right now) as the information is kept up to date rendering older editions much less useful and even obsolete.

Highly recommended. Whether you are new to astronomy or a veteran, this book provides a great review of products available and helps you select those most suitable for your needs. There is even a do-it-yourself section for those of us who eschew paying big bucks for simple needs.

This book has been a great resource in making recommendations. Our Astronomy club tries to work with members of the public and help them equip and use their telescopes.

Harrington has provided the amateur astronomical community with a useful resource. This is an excellent guide for purchasers of astronomical equipment and accessories. All in all a very useful book. I will recommend this book to my friends. It deals briefly with the theoretical background to equipment and reviews of the actual items are thorough and easily understandable. The book's cost is affordable.

The author provides explanations of common terms like focal ratio, eye relief, and many more. Harrington did a excellent job of compiling a reference of the various telescopes, accessories, and manufacturers.

As an added bonus, purchasers of the book can go to his website for updates and corrections (and some other useful stuff). It also contains some information on observing.

This is a well written book. Phil S.

This book is definitely worth the money. Everything is neatly arranged.

He also provides a history of the various types of telescopes as well as a comparison of the various uses.