First of all, it isn't just
"my" book, there was a whole team of us, each
specialising on some aspect of solar observation and photography. The
objectives
of the book were:
Introduce the general concepts of narrowband filter solar viewing
and
photography
Appraise the equipment produced by CoronadoTM and some
competitors
Give guidance on how to get the best out of each type of
equipment.
The first part of the book
deals with the basics of solar observing, the
capabilities and limitations of "white light" viewing and what led me
to
become interested in it in the first place.
The second part gives an
appraisal of each of the Coronado telescopes and
filters. It contains my detailed analysis of the entry-level Personal
Solar
Telescope (PST). This includes a comprehensive list of accessories. The
other
detailed analysis is that of Larry Alvarez and his MaxScope 90
dedicated
telescope and includes some amazing photographs. Mike Taormina has
described
the CaK 70, Nick Howes the CaK PST and Cameran Ashraf the double
stacked
PST. There are also contributions from Hiram Villareal and John Watson.
The third part is by Nick
Howes and describes imaging techniques in detail.
Some of his results afre breathtaking, even with modest equipment.
The fourth part describes
alternative products and has major contributions
from Marcello Lugli on CromixSun and Jeff Pettit on the Thousand Oaks
filters.
It is rounded off my a
description of the physics of the Sun, a conclusion
and a price list.
It is suitable for anyone who
owns equipment for solar narrowband filtering
or is considering doing so in the future. Although most suited to
people
who are of "intermediate" knowledge, it is useful for anyone who would
like
to know the capabilities and limitations of the equipment available.
