The 20-cm schmidt-cassegrain telescope A Practical Observing Guide

This is a 1994 guide to the use of the most popular telescope in the world, the 20-cm (8-in) Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. This compact instrument revolutionized amateur astronomy and astrophotography, and more than ten thousand are purchased each year. Peter Manly, a devotee and keen user of the Schmidt-Cassegrain, takes the telescope owner through all aspects of using the telescope in easy stages. It starts with techniques for viewing the Moon, then takes the observer through our planetary system and on to the deep sky, where nebulae and galaxies are treated extensively. There are interesting projects to try, such as observing the nearest star and chasing eclipses. A full range of telescope accessories and detectors is described, together with advice on their use, and suggestions for projects. The 40-page appendix is packed with hard-to-find practical information, arranged in ten separate sections.

List of illustrations, Preface, Acknowledgements, 1. History and development of the 20-cm Schmidt-Cassegrain, 2. First observation - the Moon, 3. Planets, double stars and other bright things, 4. Deep sky, 5. A couple of interesting problems, 6. Some accessories for the telescope, 7. Observing with friends, 8. Projects, 9. Photography, 10. Photometers, computers, image intensifiers and television, 11. Afterword, Ten appendices, Index.