More about the series Practical Astronomy...
This book offers everything to take beginners in spectroscopy from easy to more advanced and scientifically-useful observations
The author
- Discusses two popular spectrographs, the Star Analyser and the Lhires III
- Explains how to use two spectroscopy processing software programs (one freeware), RSpec and Vspec
- Suggests important projects within the reach of the discussed equipment
- Explains scientific spectroscopy with a minimum of mathematics
Amateur astronomers interested in learning more about astronomical spectroscopy now have the guide they need. It provides detailed information about how to get started inexpensively with low-resolution spectroscopy, and then how to move on to more advanced high-resolution spectroscopy. Uniquely, the instructions concentrate very much on the practical aspects of using commercially-available spectroscopes, rather than simply explaining how spectroscopes work.
The book includes a clear explanation of the laboratory theory behind astronomical spectrographs, and goes on to extensively cover the practical application of astronomical spectroscopy in detail. Four popular and reasonably-priced commercially available diffraction grating spectrographs are used as examples. The first is a low-resolution transmission diffraction grating, the Star Analyser spectrograph. The second is an inexpensive fiber optic coupled bench spectrograph that can be used to learn more about spectroscopy. The third is a newcomer, the ALPY 600 spectrograph. The fourth spectrograph considered is at the other end of the market both in performance and cost, the high-resolution Lhires III. While considerably more expensive, this is a popular and excellent scientific instrument, that allows more advanced amateur astronomers to produce scientifically valuable data.
Table of Contents:
- Part I Introduction to Spectroscopy: Spectroscopy Theory.- Astronomical Spectroscopy Theory
- Part II Using Amateur Spectrographs: Equipment.- Taking Spectra.- Low Resolution Spectroscopy with a Star Analyser.- High Resolution with a Lhires III 2400/600 line/mm gratings
- Part III Spectrum Processing Software: DIY (Excel).- RSpec.- Vspec.
