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Product Description
Review
James Mullaney's book Double and Multiple Stars and How to Observe Them exceeds what anyone has done with this topic before--by a whole qualitative level or two. Mullaney is one of the world's most experienced observers of double stars and "deep-sky objects." His writing is always clear, accurate and enthusiastic and this book is no exception. Double and Multiple Stars, along with Mullaney's other writings on the topic, may end up almost singlehandedly winning over a new generation of observers to the joy of double-star observing. —Fred Schaaf ...I can recommend Double and Multiple Stars and How to Observe Them to those who delight in seeing close points of light and those who can imagine the huge variety of suns they represent. —Leif J. Robinson, in Sky & Telescope, October 2006
Product Description
Written specially for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know and understand the details of exactly what they are looking at. Presents an up-to-date detailed description of the objects, their physics and their evolution (part one); and then (part two) to consider how to observe and record them successfully. Delivers a wealth of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced; it is equally fascinating for practical astronomers, and also for those who simply want to find out more about these unusual star systems.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a newbie to double/multiple star observing I found this a helpful book. The first section goes into the science of double stars such as what they are, how they vary, and how they are detected. This was mostly enlightening, although I got lost a bit when the details of modern detection methods were covered. The second section suggests observing projects. There are two useful lists which I suspect will be the primary reason why people will continue to use the book after a first reading. The first list gives details of the best easily observed and prettiest double/multiples that can be seen with a small telescope. The positions, spectral classes, separations and magnitudes are given by constellation, along with one-liner brief comments on each. I find this sufficient to tell whether I will be likely to observe them an any given night. Most of these are fairly easy to find, although due to the absence of any maps in the book, you will need to purchase a star atlas to go find them. I think the book could have been enhanced by a star chart or two marking the stars on the recommended list. The larger list in the appendix gives less information on each star, and is ordered by ascension rather than constellation; useable but perhaps less so for the amateur. The annoying thing about this list for me is that many of the stars on this list have magnitudes fainter than 6.5, hence do not appear on my Cambridge star atlas. Perhaps this suggests I should get a larger atlas. I have one or two other quibbles......sometimes stars on the lists are on the Cambridge star atlas but are not labelled (thet's when the position coordinates need to be used), or are labelled with another name (one I encountered early on is eta monoceros, which is labelled as "8" monoceros in the Cambridge atlas). I found it annoying that although the initial letters of spectral classes are explained, the subsequent numbers are not. So we are given information that cannot be interpretted without another book. I found it important to take the book into the field with me so I could refer to it outside, but it's not actually very easy to use outside; the cover tends to curl with dew, and it doesn't have a ring spine so has to be shut every time it's used, which can get fiddly. Finally, I was begging for some more illustrations. To give the author credit, he probably does his best here, and there are some photos and sketches of a number of systems, but I really would have liked a series of drawings to accompany each of the stars on the lists. Having said that, it is exciting to put the eye to the scope each time not quite knowing what one will see. So, in all, a decent small book with some qualifications for those intending to buy.
Format:Paperback
"Double stars are the tinted jewels and waltzing couples of the sky" is how James Mullaney starts off this lovely book with his commendable appreciation of the beauty of the heavens. This book is complete with all you need to know to get you STARTED (except the money to buy a telescope haha). "Who wouldn't remember that first view of magnificent topaz and sapphire Albireo, or the vivid orange and aquamarine blue of Almach, or the red and green of Rasalgethi?" (p.4); lovely photo of Albireo here.
Part I gives you the know-WHAT: the types of binaries--how they exist, and how their spectra and proper motion gives them away with their doubled lines and wiggly paths in the sky.
Part II gives you the know-HOW: the observational, practical part, with many useful tips. These tips include: how to dark-adapt, looking for tell-tale signs of good seeing (haze is one), how to measure doubles / track binaries and what equipment is best to do so, which binaries to track... this book makes the very interesting point that a small telescope under 6" aperture under a dark sky usually reveals these beautiful colours of double stars BETTER than a larger telescope which can gather TOO MUCH light that diffuses their colours. For me, this means putting an off-axis aperture mask on my 13" Dobsonian to mimic a small refractor to appreciate these colours better. It also points out that most of these colours are REAL: Albireo B is still blue even if you "blot out" Albireo A with an obscuring strip in your eyepiece.
Very interesting!
In Part II, Chapter 7 lists for you 100 showpieces and notes their colours. The only downside is that this book lacks a map, and a beginner may be confused on how to actually APPLY this book and its lists. Someone may find this tip useful: use this book with the Pocket Sky Atlas (PSA) from Sky and Telescope, writing in the PSA Chart number by each object on the list. Even better, use SkyMap Pro on a cheap second-hand Dell laptop which you can take out into the field (as I do). SkyMap Pro has a Target List which highlights each of these 100 showpieces with a green ring around each one on the map, so for comfortable viewing, starting North, going westwards to East--going full circle, I observe those objects that fall in the middle third 30°--60° altitude all round the sky (except due south: to the horizon). So this book with these colour notes is a useful handbook at the telescope.
The Appendices contains useful stuff plus another 400 doubles and multiples; the first entry is
"WZ Cassiopeiae...dim but striking; red and blue!" I accidentally stumbled across this beauty looking for NGC 7790--like a drop of bright red paint on velvet black with the "glitter" of the Milky Way "behind" it. Yes--I recommend this book. The beauty of the heavens beckons you!
Part I gives you the know-WHAT: the types of binaries--how they exist, and how their spectra and proper motion gives them away with their doubled lines and wiggly paths in the sky.
Part II gives you the know-HOW: the observational, practical part, with many useful tips. These tips include: how to dark-adapt, looking for tell-tale signs of good seeing (haze is one), how to measure doubles / track binaries and what equipment is best to do so, which binaries to track... this book makes the very interesting point that a small telescope under 6" aperture under a dark sky usually reveals these beautiful colours of double stars BETTER than a larger telescope which can gather TOO MUCH light that diffuses their colours. For me, this means putting an off-axis aperture mask on my 13" Dobsonian to mimic a small refractor to appreciate these colours better. It also points out that most of these colours are REAL: Albireo B is still blue even if you "blot out" Albireo A with an obscuring strip in your eyepiece.
Very interesting!
In Part II, Chapter 7 lists for you 100 showpieces and notes their colours. The only downside is that this book lacks a map, and a beginner may be confused on how to actually APPLY this book and its lists. Someone may find this tip useful: use this book with the Pocket Sky Atlas (PSA) from Sky and Telescope, writing in the PSA Chart number by each object on the list. Even better, use SkyMap Pro on a cheap second-hand Dell laptop which you can take out into the field (as I do). SkyMap Pro has a Target List which highlights each of these 100 showpieces with a green ring around each one on the map, so for comfortable viewing, starting North, going westwards to East--going full circle, I observe those objects that fall in the middle third 30°--60° altitude all round the sky (except due south: to the horizon). So this book with these colour notes is a useful handbook at the telescope.
The Appendices contains useful stuff plus another 400 doubles and multiples; the first entry is
"WZ Cassiopeiae...dim but striking; red and blue!" I accidentally stumbled across this beauty looking for NGC 7790--like a drop of bright red paint on velvet black with the "glitter" of the Milky Way "behind" it. Yes--I recommend this book. The beauty of the heavens beckons you!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Good Intro to Doubles Stars
20 May 2010
Format:Paperback
When I first saw this book I figured it was too thin to be useful. But I picked it up anyway. In fact, this is a solid introduction to double stars and a useful addition to the library.
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