Product Description

Praise for the Second Edition of Star Ware

"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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #419969 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 424 pages

Synopsis
This is the third edition of Phil Harrington's popular and comprehensive guide to astronomical equipment, written for both new astronomers as well as experienced amateurs. It includes numerous tips and tricks from other experienced astronomers.

From the Back Cover
Praise for the Second Edition of Star Ware

"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

About the Author
PHILIP S. HARRINGTON holds degrees in mechanical engineering and science education. He is a regular contributor to Astronomy magazine and other publications. Harrington is also the author of Touring the Universe Through Binoculars and Eclipse!: The What, Where, When, Why, and How Guide to Watching Solar and Lunar Eclipses, both from Wiley.

Customer Reviews

Not good
To be Honest, though the book does offer some interesting tips. Through following the advise given in it, particuarly on how to clean a telescope mirrow. The advise followed almost caused me to damage the mirror.
Like using compressed air to blow particles off the mirror. Bad idea. Yet recommended within this book.
My advise is to avoid it, or follow it with caution

Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin
I’m in a position to buy a new telescope having discovered over the last five years what a great hobby doorstep astronomy is, and there’s a little nagging voice in my brain telling me I’m making the wrong choice of scope. I saw this book on Amazon and decided to take the plunge. It’s a mine of information covering everything you ever wanted to know about telescopes (and binoculars!) and a host of accessories. Funnily I even found the historical section very interesting (not my thing normally) and the way scopes and eyepieces have developed was good background stuff. The sheer size of the book frightened me at first – over 400 pages – but I soon realised that it was divided into sections like a good reference manual and I didn’t need to read it from cover to cover. After two or three nights of quiet study I’ve made the decision (and I know it’s the right one!). I particularly liked the detail on eyepieces which tends to be neglected by many publications, but is as important as the scope itself, and I also read that the scope I’ve been using up to now is poor quality (I could have told him that). I’d recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of buying a telescope and wavering a bit – it’s surely worth spending a few quid up front to make sure you don’t spend hundreds on the wrong thing. If I had any complaints about the book it would be that there are some price ranges quoted – dollars are no good to us UK citizens because the pricing structure is different, and these sort of things can quickly become incorrect. However, overall I found it to be an excellent publication, doing exactly what it set out to do. It will now join my library of astronomy publications and I’m sure I’ll use it when I change scopes again.

A must for the amateur astronomer
We decided to buy a telescope, and the advice we found on makes/types etc... in this book was invaluable. Unlike a lot of magazines and other books they cover a whole host of manufacturers - not just USA. It gives advice, comparisons, good+bad features between telescopes, eyeieces, filters and everything related to astronomy. As well as the information in the chapters on each element of astonomy, there are appendices for different price ranges and manufacturers, together with basic information on each. I'd recommend it as an essential purchase for anyone starting out in astronomy.