Astronomy references

I've collected a considerable library of references over the years. Many of them are stored on my phone. The first three below are great places for ideas for projects on any of the sciences.

Science Buddies

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-projects#findprojectkits

Aimed toward school kids developing science projects, the many ideas on this website are useful for any explorer of the sciences.

Science Notebook

http://science-notebook.com/index.html

I've mentioned this site before. One cool thing about it is their repository of manuals from old science kits, back when they were not lame.

MIT Opencourseware

https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

All of MIT's course materials including many of the textbooks, lecture notes, lecture videos, and even a few lab guides.

Olcott, William (1907) A Field Book of the Stars (available in various forms at the Gutenberg Project site). 

A nice thing about old do-it-yourself books is that they were printed back when people had to use what they had at hand to do things. You won't find out anything about black holes but there is all kinds of observational information.

NASA Imagine the Universe Dictionary online at https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/resources/dictionary.html useful for figuring out what you're talking about and how to talk about it.

Astronomy Merit Badge Handbook

What do you need to know to prove you know the Stars? Ask the Boy Scouts! You can look at their merit badge guides at https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/merit-badges

Astronomy Wikibook

The Wikipedia offers textbooks on many topics including astronomy at https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Main_Page

BEST-NGC.XLS

Astro-Tom provided a list of New General Catalog objects and their observational data at http://www.astro-tom.com/technical_data/files_to_download.htm . It's an Excel spreadsheet so you'll need a spreadsheet app that's compatible with Excel. 

Binocular Astronomy

Tonkin, Stephen (2007) Binocular Astronomy, Springer-Verlag, London. A guide to exactly what I'll be doing in 2020 - low power astronomical observation.

Brightstars.xls

Also from Astro-Tom (see BEST-NGC.XLS above for the link), a list of data for the brightest stars in the sky.

Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary of Astronomy

Mutton, Jacqueline (2007) Cambridge University Press. 

A beautifully Illustrated dictionary of astronomical terms and bodies.

Dictionary of Geophysics, Astrophysics, and Astronomy

Matzner, Richard A. Ed.(2001) CRC Press. Articles by 52 acknowledged experts in the field.

Geometry_of_science.xls (https://www.csun.edu/science/ref/spreadsheets/xls/) among many useful Excel spreadsheets, this one has a section of the intensity of light on the planets.

HERSCH.xls (http://www.astro-tom.com/technical_data/files_to_download.htm) another spreadsheet from Astro-Tom. It's the Herschel 400 listing.

Isaac Asimov's Guide to Earth and Space

Asimov, Isaac (1991) Fawcett Books

A lot of astronomical, physical, and geological information from the master of scientific popularization.

And more spreadsheets from Astro-Tom providing much observational data.

mesr-mas.xls

messier-plus.xls

NEBULA.XLS

next-100.xls

OBSRVTRY.XLS

OCULAR.XLS

planetary_data.xls

planets.XLS

solar_system_calc.xls

STARS.XLS

TELESCOP.XLS

TRAKSAT.XLS

Your New Telescope: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

This is a page by Tom Koonce on the Astro-Tom website (http://www.astro-tom.com/download/presentations/new_telescope.pdf).

Physics - From Stargazers to Starships

Stern, David P.  And Alex A. Zaliznyak (2023) CK-12. 

This CK-12 textbook focuses on the physics of space, written at a beginner's level and in a very readable style. How did astronomy get started and how did it get to where it is today?

Schaum's Outline: Astronomy

Palen, Stacey (2002) Schaum's Outlines: Astronomy. McGraw Hill.

As always, Schaum's Outlines are great study resources, dense with information, examples and problems, worked and unworked.

Taki's 8.5 Magnitude Star Atlas

Toshimi Taki (2006) Can be downloaded from Taki's website with lots of other information here http://www.takitoshimi.shop/

MIT 12.409 Hands-On Astronomy

Among MIT's many other online courses is this beginner's astronomy course. Get it at https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/earth-atmospheric-and-planetary-sciences/12-409-hands-on-astronomy-observing-stars-and-planets-spring-2002/

Star Date Online

https://stardate.org

This website is great for keeping up with what's going on I'm the sky and in astronomy.

A Simple Guide to Backyard Astronomy Using Binoculars or a Small Telescope

Beigel, Carol (2007) available at www.carolrpt.com/astroguide.htm (accessed 10/17/19)

This is a nicely packaged reference for the amateur astronomer.

Night Sky - A Falcon Field Guide

Nigro, Nicholas (2012) Morris Book Publishing. 

All the Falcon Guides are fairly complete, portable, and inexpensive. Not a lot of technical information, but that's why all the other references.

Sky Watching. The Teaching Company

Alex Filippenko (2011)

I highly recommend the lecture series (buy it when it's on sale). It's beautiful and packed with information from someone who knows what they're talking about, but the course guide that comes with the videos should definitely go with you into the field.

A Visual Guide to the Universe

The Teaching Company

David M. Meyer (2014)

A gorgeous guide to the Universe through the lenses of our orbiting telescopes.

Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy

The Teaching Company

Alex Filippenko (2007)

The astronomy course from the teaching company. It's a great start to you career in astronomy.

I'm all about getting out of the house to learn about the world, but the best place to start is in the library...yours or the one down the street. Get a preview before you hit the trail.

Physics references

I've collected a considerable physics reference library over the years. Much of it is portable, either as ebooks or in my Kindle reader. Here's an annotated bibliography. Some items may no longer be available. Many are free downloads, but most of the books are fairly inexpensive and remember that your public library may have any or all of them.

Science Toys

https://scitoys.com/

This website by Simon Quellen Field is an excellent source of projects in several fields of science. They are generally inexpensive and use readily available parts, but some require considerable work and assembly time. They are all well explained.

Science Notebook

http://science-notebook.com/index.html

This website reminds me a lot of the Engineer's notebooks by Forrest Mim's. It's oriented toward children and beginning science explorers - much of the material is very basic, but one of the fascinating things is that they include a library of manuals from old science kits. See how they don't make science kits like they used to.

MIT Opencourseware

https://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

You get all the course materials the MIT students get (except the items they have to buy) often including textbooks, lecture notes, and recorded lectures. What you don't get are the credits.

BYU Optics Book

By Justin Peatross and Michael Ware. 

Get the latest edition at https://optics.byu.edu/textbook.aspx

This is the textbook used at Brigham Young University for Optics classes and it delves as far as you might want to go. Expect advanced math.

CK-12 Basic Physics

CK-12 People's Physics Book

CK-12 is an organization that makes quality textbook (kindergarten to high school level) available free. The books can be obtained from dealers like Amazon or in online, interactive format at the CK-12 website: 

https://www.ck12.org/student/

There are also several other CK-12 physics textbooks and other learning materials.

Common Equivalents Weight and Measures (https://www.sccgov.org/sites/weights/Pages/Equivalents.aspx) Santa Clara County provided a nice table of weights and measures. Another option is the Google unit converter. Just type "convert" one unit "to" another unit (for instance "convert inches to centimeters") into your browser search bar.

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics

John Rumble, editor in chief

Published by CRC Press

Now in it's 99th edition, this monster tome is useful as a doorstop or weapon, and it also has every table imaginable that a normal person might want for scientific inquiry. New editions are sorta expensive but older editions can be found, especially in college bookstores or online for less than $20, and it's well worth every penny

Forrest Mims library. Remember the Engineer's Notebook series - those tiny paperback books sold at Radio Shack that were loaded with information for electronics hobbyists back in the 70s and 80s? They are still available here

http://www.forrestmims.org/

And here

http://www.forrestmims.com/

And at Amazon.

Although I will get around to electronics, it's really useful to be able to create your own equipment and these tiny, inexpensive books are just what you need.

FHSST_Physics

Stands for "Free high school science textbook" and it's a Wikibook available here

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/FHSST_Physics

Fundamental Optics

Published by CVI Melles Griot, this book is the reference of optical information. Find it at https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~lah/ay105/pdf/Fundamental-Optics.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjl2KeI5OXkAhVNop4KHbJfAzgQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw35Hzf9r7zagQEA6PIKMBhn&cshid=1569201831073

Make:The Annotated Build It Yourself Science Laboratory

Raymond Barrett and Windell Oskay (2015) published by Maker Media, Inc.

Way back in the 60s Raymond Barrett produced an amazing book that wowed science enthusiasts by showing them how to build things like carbon arc furnaces and cloud chambers. Now you can get an annotated edition created by Windell Oskay. Double wow!

Mathematical Tools for Physics

James Nearing

Available at https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~lah/ay105/pdf/Fundamental-Optics.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjl2KeI5OXkAhVNop4KHbJfAzgQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw35Hzf9r7zagQEA6PIKMBhn&cshid=1569201831073

This is an extensive university level textbook of mathematics for physicists.

Electrical Engineer's Portable Handbook

Robert B. Hickey

2nd edition (2004). McGraw Hill

Just what it said, it's a reference book for electrical engineers.

Mechanical Engineer's Handbook

Myer Kutz, editor

(2006) John Wiley and sons

Another reference tome, this time for mechanical engineers.

Nuclear Science Merit Badge Handbook

What do you need to know to qualify for a Boy Scout merit badge? Well, first, be a boy scout. Next, check out this site:

http://usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb137.asp

And, yes, there are requirements for various fields of physics, but they change, so keep up.

pendulum.xls

You might notice that I recommend several spreadsheets. If you have the software to read them they can be a lot of help. Several such phone apps are available. The spreadsheets might or might not be online at this writing so, do a search and, if you don't find the one I reference, there's probably an equivalent one somewhere.

Physics Study Guide (Wikipedia website) The Wikipedia offers this concise and extensive college level physics Study Guide at: 

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Physics_Study_Guide

Physics Wikibooks. They also have a wide range of Wikibooks (free textbooks) here:

https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Subject:Physics

Schaum's Basic Electricity: Schaum's Outlines are all good - concise, complete, inexpensive, full of solved and unsolved problems, and written by acknowledged experts. What more could you want. A few more of the many titles in physics are….

Schaum's Easy Outlines: College Physics

Schaum's Electronic Devices and Circuits

Schaum's Outline of Optics

Schaum's Outlines: Thermodynamics for Engineers

Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of Basic Circuit Analysis

temperature_scales.xls I have one from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/temperature_scales.xls&ved=2ahUKEwjBrMqu6-nkAhWLup4KHYN-B_0QFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0ja8Prre4gQB0KuIrW3Xv9&cshid=1569341192825

But similar spreadsheets are all over the Internet.

Turning the World Insideout (1990. Robert Ehrlich. Princeton University Press)

I keep this one with my field guides. The excellent demonstrations are inexpensive, mostly "simple" enough to be portable, and theoretically both deep and well written (understandable). This book is a treasure.

The next two items are user guides for two of my favorite science explorer apps, so see my blog on Physics Tools for more information. Both have great ideas for experiments and demonstrations in all the sciences.

Physics Toolbox Play User's Guide (by APD net and available at www.vieyrasoftware.net )

Getting Started with Google Science Journal. Check out the Google Science Journal website at https://sciencejournal.withgoogle.com/ .

Understanding the Quantum World

The Teaching Company

Erica Carlson

Particle Physics for Nonphysicists

The Teaching Company

Steven Pollock

Physics and Our Universe. 

The Teaching Company

Richard Wolfson

Understanding Modern Electronics

The Teaching Company

Richard Wolfson

And lots more. Frankly, all of the Teaching Company's courses are excellent. They won't get you to the practical level of an engineer, but you'll learn a lot. The presenters are experts in their fields, so the lectures provide very up to date information. Also, the sets are expensive but the Teaching Company places each of them on sale at least once a year so, with some patience, they're quite affordable. And many public libraries carry them.

Check out their website.

https://www.thegreatcourses.com/

Physics can be fascinating and fun as a study or a hobby. Engineering is applied physics so, when you design and build something, you are using your knowledge and skills in physics. Check out the resources in your local library. See what you can find on the Internet. See if physics is for you, and join me next year for adventures in physics.

--- School away from school ---

Libraries, museums, parks, zoos, gardens...I think that most people thing of them as entertainment, and I guess they are, but they think of themselves as having educational missions. The difference is that they are not compulsory education. Children are subjected to grades K through 12 whether they want to be or not because society has deemed it important that citizens be prepared with the basic skills needed for personal and vocational success. After high school, people have some freedom of choice. They decide what they want to do with their lives and they "give themselves" for 3 to 12 years to some institution that is paid to train them in some field - vocational program, apprenticeship, technical school, college, university.

Personal education is different. If you want to know how to fix your broken plumbing, you can go to your local library and check out a book or a DVD that explains what you need to know. If you want to see animals, you can go to the zoo or aquarium. But many of these places also have classes - like in school, but you can pick and choose.

Many of the parks in the Denver area even give guided tours that teach about plants, animals, and the environment in this area. Some have informative plaques that offer self-guided tours.

The library in my neighborhood offered a "Space Party" that presented information about space science and tips for watching the upcoming Persied meteor shower. I thought it was an adult program - it was a childrens' program - but that was okay. I'm not doing astronomy right now; I'm doing social science, and education is a social science.

Actually, education is somewhat of a hybrid. How we learn is definitely in the domain of psychology, but much of education is what happens between teachers, the student, and the other students - not to mention the organization that is the school.

So I settled down to watch the show, and a show it was. The presenter had his act down well. Meteors, the solar system, rockets, and mars exploration - the children were fascinated as much by the information (which was surprisingly substantial) as by his theatrics - acting, choreography, sleight of hand, special effects (demostrations). And the kids asked great questions. They showed themselves surprisingly knowledgable about space science ($11 and million dollar space dollars were handed out for correct answers).

So, it was a fun time for all. The program (SpaceTimeKids - if you're curious, they're on the Internet at https://www.spacetimekids.com) is particularly appropriate for this area. Denver has long been a center for the space program with Lockheed Martin nearby in Littleton, and a new focus in the Colorado School of Mines is space science and space  mining.

Does libraries, museums, zoos, gardens, and parks in your area offer educational programs or tours? Often they will have websites that provide schedules or calendars of events.

--- First Cultures ---

                                                              [Truth in labeling]

The personal photo that I've been using is about 15 years old. I had hair then and it was dark, so, in the spirit of truth in labeling, I figured I'd retire it.

To the topic.....

I was at Auburn University 10 years (if you ignore the other 10 years that I worked to pay my way). I obtained two minors in World Literature. That means I have had several courses in various humanities - history, government, literature. It's rather disturbing how much got by me about how important first civilizations were in the development of Western Civilization (read that "European History").

For instance, I never picked up how important the people of the steppes were to Europe from the Roman period (B.C.) to the fall of the Mongol Empire in the Middle Ages. Except for a couple of small glitches in history, Europe (and America) would be Mongol today.

I am still learning a lot of surprising facts about Native American culture and how important they were in the growth of the United States and Canada and how the totally disreputable behavior of the Federal government was often completely at odds with the will of the American people. Some things, I guess, remain constant.

Much of my new knowledge comes from, where? the library, of course. Suddenly, I'm finding all these Teaching Company courses on Eastern civilization, the people of the Eastern European and Asian steppes, Native American cultures, and serendipitously, lectures at the library about these cultures. Once a month Active Minds presents an excellent lecture on some subject - I always hear things I didn't already know and there's always a tie in to current events. Last month was Lewis and Clark. Before that it was Buddhism.

I can see some study on Australian Aboriginal culture in my future.

                                                                  [Linden tree]

We didn't have these in the part of Alabama that I come from, although there was a small town named "Linden" just south of me. The name had little to do with the tree, though. It was originally called "Screamersville" because the animals were noisy at night. Later the name was changed to commemorate the Hohenlinden family, who were some of the early settlers in the area. The name was later shortened to "Linden". Place names are interesting. This tree, though - bees love it and it smells great and it fires off all kinds of allergies.

Does your local library have educational programs for adults? You might want to check them out.

Active Minds (http://www.activeminds.com/index.html) is a Denver based organization that offers lifelong learning experiences for elders and adults, but I see that they're also in Florida. Maybe there's something similar in your area. If not, perhaps something could be started. Active Minds would be a good model to build from.

--- Talking to strangers ---

                                  The Ross-University Hills branch of the Denver Public Library

This fellow was "cussin' a blue streak" at the dogs below him...or maybe he was just laughing at them. I don't understand squirrel. After all, he could just hop over to the fence next to him and run off.

                                                                         Squirrel

We are raised being told not to talk to strangers and I'm afraid that we maintain that attitude long after we have become adults.

To be sure, it's sometimes dangerous. I used to walk down mountain dirt roads, see someone on a porch, and strike up a conversation with them. That's not always the safest way to meet people.

But there are plenty of safe ways to interact.

In general, people don't like to talk to strangers in public. I've learned recently that, if a person on a sidewalk or trail is wearing earphones or ear plugs, they may not be listening to anything. It's just a sign that they don't want to interact with you. I didn't know that. I grew up in a time when people greeted each other.

Of course, there are many social groups that are there to bring strangers together, and I do include churches. The church I presently attend is big on bringing strangers into their group. I've been to some where members wouldn't talk to outsiders but that's the exception.

There are groups dedicated to discussion here in Denver. The Socrates Cafe meets on a night that I've already devoted to family activities, but it looks like it would be fun.

I volunteer for a discussion group for international students who are trying to get used to English as a second language. It's one of the highlights of my week. I learn a lot about diverse cultures, hear a lot of world languages, and compare a lot of different ideas and philosophies.

Several of the libraries have a day that they offer coffee, donuts, and conversation. They vary considerably. For one, it's mostly coffee and a newspaper without much conversation. The local library tends to have more discussion. The last time I attended one of these, there was a lot of discussions about local resources, a personal interest of mine.

On the trail, birdwatchers will talk to you anywhere, but most of the random conversations start around rest stations. People who are walking, jogging, or running for exercise won't want to stop and most of the others are trying to get somewhere.

Are there any local discussion groups in your area? If you find yourself looking for a job, services, or some other resource, they might be good places to connect and find out more about your community.

Does a local school, college or community center offer classes for students learning English (or some other language) as a second language. They may also have discussion groups that you can attend. If you are planning to travel, you might find students from that area that could give you some tips about etiquette, attractions, or food.

I figured the take away for the fourth Indiana Jones movie was, "seems we've reached an age when life stops giving you things and starts taking them away." And the implicit answer is that life can surprise you at any age.

This last relocation was an unpleasant jar but I think we might have come out better. I guess my biggest regret is that, now, we're further from the mountains than I've been since I moved to Colorado. In Broomfield, I was just far enough away that I could walk up to them close enough to be able to spit on them, but then I couldn't go any further. In South Harvey Park, I could walk a little ways into them. Now, on foot, I wouldn't even be able to get close, but, luckily, I'm learning to use the transportation resources around here and the buses and trains can get me places I never could go before.

The good thing is that there is a lot around here. My favorite restaurant is within walking distance. The University of Denver is right up the street and between here and there there is an operating observatory and a line of parks along Harvard Gulch. Also, the bus that stops in front of our house makes a beeline to City Park, which includes the zoo and the science and nature museum. I'm expecting some exciting adventures in my future.

I walked to the local library the second time today. It's an easy walk sans that killer hill above Bear Creek. The area is lushly packed with trees and the walk isn't far. The library is well stocked and, being a part of the Denver library system, cooperates with the other libraries in the area to provide a huge selection of books and other media. They also have an interesting calendar. I expect to be spending a lot of time there. Here's a picture of the Ross-University Hills branch of the Denver Public Library. The building itself is interesting - modern art.

--- General purpose ---

2016

I like Dewey Decimal. That's not a person, but, of course, if you were a librarian, you'd know this. I was a librarian assistant in the 70s....twice! I worked at both the Sylvester Public Library in Sylvester, Georgia and the Ralph Brown Draughon  Research Library in Auburn, Alabama. Neither were particularly dangerous unless you want to consider paper cuts and dust inhalation as dangerous.

But I dealt with the Dewey Decimal code in Sylvester and the Library of Congress code in Auburn. Those are the two most popular library coding systems in the United States. Dewey Decimal is the simpler of the two and is easily remembered and navigated. It has only 10 top categories: 000 Generalities, 100 Philosophy and Psychology, 200 Religion, 300 Social Sciences, 400 Language, 500 Theoretical Sciences, 600 Applied Sciences, 700 Arts, 800 Literature, and 900 History. The Library of Congress codes, on the other hand, have 21 top categories designated by letters.

The major disadvantage of Dewey Decimal in my opinion is that it is strongly biased toward Western thought. For instance, 200 is primarily about monotheism in general and Christianity in specific. If you want to know something about, say, Buddhism, you have to plumb the depths of the 290s. Little of the 100s is dedicated to Eastern philosophy and most of the Language, Arts, Literature, and History categories is about the parts of the world with European beginnings.

Nevertheless, the Dewey Decimal System is still quite popular and, if you keep the biases in mind, can be quite useful. I use it a lot in planning and organizing my adventures. As for my scientific recreation and lifelong learning excursions, I have a few specific subjects that I'm working with (see the LabBooks at the Therian Timeline), but, otherwise, I have a spreadsheet that will pop out a random subject from a list of Dewey Decimal topics. It keeps me honest. I intentionally choose topics that I would normally downplay.

For this blog, I am being more cyclic. The first articles will be general information about my adventuring. Soon I will do some peoplewatching. And so on through the top categories, sampling from each as I go. Then I will start back at 000 and take another flyby.

I don't expect to live long enough to look at everything.....but I can try!