Amateur Astronomer's Tutorial

Table of Contents


A. Getting acquainted with the night sky.

a.1 Stars, Constellations and Asterisms
a.2 Star Charts

B. Equipment for astronomy

b.1 Eyes
b.2 Binoculars
b.3 Telescopes
b.3.1 Refractor
b.3.2 Reflector
b.3.3 Schmidt – Cassegrain
b.4 Mountings
b.41 Alt-Azimuth Mount
b.4.2 Dobsonian Mount
b.4.3 German Equatorial Mount
b.5 Eyepieces, Diagonals and Barlows
b.5.1 Eyepieces
b.5.2 Diagonals
b.5.3 Barlows
b.6 Other important tools for astronomy

C. Observation Begins

c.1 Observing without a telescope
c.2 The moon through a telescope
c.3 The Planets
c.4 Deep-Sky objects

D. Limiting Factors in Observing

d.1 Clouds
d.2 Light Pollution
d.3 Trees and Structures
d.4 Wind and Bugs

II. Amateur astronomy in the Philippines

A. Local Orgaizations and Clubs
B. Where to buy equipment
C. The Philippine night sky

Epilogue