This week, I continue my three-part series on filters by giving specific recommendations about planetary observing through color filters. Mars lies at opposition as 2007 ends, and it's already on most observers' minds, so let's start with the Red Planet. As I mentioned last week, choose the...

With Mars beginning to brighten to its best appearance of the year (which will happen Christmas Eve), I thought I'd blog about filters. Lots of articles will explain the best way to observe Mars — you can catch mine in December's Astronomy — and they'll all have something to say...

My wife and I maintain a running gag. Let's say she and I are observing a meteor shower. Perhaps I saw a nice meteor and exclaimed, "There's one through Triangulum, heading south; magnitude –1; 10° trail." If she didn't see it, her response, based on our gag, would be...

Springer If you've read any of my observing stories in Astronomy , you know I'm a big fan of sketching what you see through a telescope. I think it's the foremost activity that can make you a better observer. Sketching causes you to look for minute details, and it teaches you patience while...

Springer Most observers I know love atmospheric phenomena almost as much as deep-sky objects. And if these airborne effects occur after sunset, so much the better. The classic example of a nighttime atmospheric occurrence is the aurora borealis, or, for Southern Hemisphere observers, the aurora australis...

Springer-Verlag London Limited A new book from a longtime observer has come to my attention. If you're new to amateur astronomy, thinking about buying a telescope, or wondering what you can point your new telescope at, pick up James Mullaney's A Buyer's and User's Guide to Astronomical...

In this last installment of my mini-series on building your own observatory, I'll talk about permanent piers. Most amateurs install a pier upon which to place their main telescope. If this is the route you're taking, you'll need a footing, a block of reinforced concrete set into the ground...

The door of your observatory will get plenty of use. I suggest a solid-core door with good hinges, a tough lock, and a good seal. To improve security, add a dead-bolt. Some amateur astronomers who live in cold climates have attached a "warm room" to their observatories. This idea is more practical...

Realistically, you have two options for flooring: wood or cement. A poured-cement floor is virtually maintenance free. Make certain you use (or demand) a high-quality grade of cement and a proper mix. I wish I had. The only complaint I had about my observatory was that the contractor who poured the cement...

Most amateur astronomers who select a dome purchase it ready-made from a manufacturer. If you go this route, you must decide whether to have the manufacturer install the dome or to do it yourself. This choice depends upon your construction skills and level of confidence you have to take on such a project...