| Unusual Telescopes |  | Author: Peter L. Manly
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $59.95
Buy New: $59.90
You Save: $0.05
New (1) Used (10) from $15.82
Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 1778063
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 239
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8
ISBN: 0521382009
Dewey Decimal Number: 522.2
EAN: 9780521382007
ASIN: 0521382009
Publication Date: January 31, 1992
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In this book, Peter Manly surveys more than 150 unusual telescope designs. These are telescopes built by amateur and professional astronomers to suit some special need. There is, for instance, an inflatable telescope and one with a liquid mirror. Every so often a neglected design comes back into fashion: the largest telescopes now under construction use the alt-azimuth design that was ignored for over a century, and liquid mirror telescopes can be used for zenithal astronomy. The author shows why a particular engineering approach makes each telescope unique and explains the rationale behind the design. The effects on telescope performance are discussed where possible. This is not just a collection of weird and wonderful devices that proved to be false starts; the author also discusses the first instrument to measure star diameters and the first useful radio telescope. This book is a resource and stimulus for anyone who likes to build astronomical telescopes or is interested in the history of telescope-making.
Book Description
A survey of more than 150 unusual telescope designs includes telescopes built by amateur as well as professional astronomers to suit some special need. The author shows why a particular engineering approach makes each telescope unique and explains the rationale behind the design.
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Interesting book on general telescope topics February 1, 1999
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This book is NOT about telescope building or optical construction. It is a tour of the odd and unusual telescopes that have either been made or that have been proposed. It is an interesting text for the telescope fan but useless for someone wanting to purchase or construct their own telescope.
 A necessity for telescope builders and fans December 17, 1997
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
A marvelous little book, and completely unique so far as I can tell. Manly's book is a tour of unusual telescopes. What's an unusual telescope? Well, I suppose it's something you just don't see discussed anywhere else. He discusses unusual mirror and lens materials- obsidian, aluminum foam, mylar, spun mercury and even heated air. Mounts get quite a bit of discussion, sorted by degrees of freedom. There are fixed telescopes, one axis telescopes, and on up to multi-axis sattelite tracking telescopes. This is an expensive little book, but at the same time I think Manly has written a modern classic of the sort people will be consulting well into the next century. Not that this is a dry reference; it's a wonderfully entertaining tour of the world of the possible. I'm very glad I bought my copy.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
