| |
| |
| Foreword | |
| |
| |
| Preface | |
| |
| |
| Acknowledgements | |
| |
| |
| Abbreviations used in this book | |
| |
| |
| Introduction: Why observe the planets? | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Solar System | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| A scale model of the Solar System | |
| |
| |
| Bode's Law | |
| |
| |
| Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion | |
| |
| |
| Elements of planetary orbits. Perturbations | |
| |
| |
| Planetary conjunctions, oppositions, phases and transits | |
| |
| |
| The sidereal and synodic orbital periods of the planets | |
| |
| |
| The brightness of the planets | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The celestial sphere | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| Positions on the celestial sphere | |
| |
| |
| The ecliptic and the Zodiac | |
| |
| |
| Celestial latitude and longitude | |
| |
| |
| The precession of the equinoxes. Nutation | |
| |
| |
| Sidereal time (star time) | |
| |
| |
| The apparent motions of the planets on the celestial sphere | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Telescopes and accessories | |
| |
| |
| Types of telescopes | |
| |
| |
| The choice of telescope | |
| |
| |
| Protecting the telescope from dust and atmospheric pollution | |
| |
| |
| Cleaning the mirror of a Newtonian reflector | |
| |
| |
| Housing and care of your telescope | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The atmosphere and seeing | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| Assessing atmospheric seeing conditions | |
| |
| |
| The effect of telescope aperture | |
| |
| |
| Local effects on seeing | |
| |
| |
| Further Reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Mercury | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of Mercury | |
| |
| |
| The axial rotation of Mercury | |
| |
| |
| Observing Mercury | |
| |
| |
| Transits of Mercury | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Venus | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Space probe exploration of Venus | |
| |
| |
| Observing Venus | |
| |
| |
| Transits of Venus | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Mars | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| |
| |
| Predicting oppositions | |
| |
| |
| The retrograde motion of Mars | |
| |
| |
| Martian seasons | |
| |
| |
| Surface features | |
| |
| |
| Atmospheric phenomena | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Observing Mars | |
| |
| |
| Features for observation | |
| |
| |
| Longitude determination of Martian features | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| The minor planets (asteroids) | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| Discovery and history of observation of the minor planets | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of the minor planets | |
| |
| |
| Observing the minor planets | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Jupiter | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Variations in the cloud belts | |
| |
| |
| The 1994 Shoemaker-Levy cometary impact event on Jupiter | |
| |
| |
| Surface markings of the satellites | |
| |
| |
| Spacecraft observation of Jupiter | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of Jupiter | |
| |
| |
| Observing Jupiter | |
| |
| |
| Determination of the longitudes of Jovian features by central meridian transit timings | |
| |
| |
| Classification and description of Jovian disc features | |
| |
| |
| Determination of latitudes of Jovian features | |
| |
| |
| Disc drawings, strip and sectional sketches | |
| |
| |
| Determination of rotational periods of Jovian features from longitudinal drift | |
| |
| |
| Observations of the Great Red Spot | |
| |
| |
| Colour changes and intensity estimates of Jovian features | |
| |
| |
| General observing notes | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Saturn | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Spacecraft exploration of Saturn | |
| |
| |
| The satellites of Saturn | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of Saturn | |
| |
| |
| Observing Saturn | |
| |
| |
| Recent oppositions of Saturn | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Uranus | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| The discovery of Uranus | |
| |
| |
| Prediscovery sightings of Uranus | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Spacecraft exploration of Uranus | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of Uranus | |
| |
| |
| Observing Uranus | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Neptune | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| The discovery of Neptune | |
| |
| |
| Prediscovery sightings of Neptune | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Spacecraft exploration of Neptune | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of Neptune | |
| |
| |
| Observing Neptune | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Pluto | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| The search for a trans-Neptunian planet | |
| |
| |
| The discovery of Pluto | |
| |
| |
| History of observation | |
| |
| |
| Beyond Pluto | |
| |
| |
| Visibility of Pluto | |
| |
| |
| Observing Pluto | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Constructing maps and planispheres | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| The horizontal orthographic projection | |
| |
| |
| Cylindrical projections | |
| |
| |
| The polar projection | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Planetary photography and videography | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| The planetary photographer's camera | |
| |
| |
| Choice of film | |
| |
| |
| Characteristics of some films | |
| |
| |
| Black and white film processing | |
| |
| |
| Photography of individual planets | |
| |
| |
| Exposure times | |
| |
| |
| Video and CCD photography (videography) of the planets | |
| |
| |
| Using a CCD camera | |
| |
| |
| Suppliers of CCD cameras | |
| |
| |
| Video-assisted drawing (VAD) of the planets | |
| |
| |
| A note on digital imaging | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Photoelectric photometry of the minor planets, planets and their satellites | |
| |
| |
| General | |
| |
| |
| The photoelectric photometer and its components | |
| |
| |
| Telescopes for photoelectric photometry | |
| |
| |
| Photoelectric photometric procedure | |
| |
| |
| Photoelectric photometry of the minor planets | |
| |
| |
| Colorimetric photoelectric photometry | |
| |
| |
| Photoelectric photometry of the planets and their satellites | |
| |
| |
| Further reading | |
| |
| |
| |
| Milestones in Solar System exploration | |
| |
| |
| Name index | |
| |
| |
| Subject index | |