What is your favourite book (s) in your Solar library?

[paulastro]

I have to admit, being a solar enthusiast, I haven't one favourite book on the sun - I do have qute a few though!  I'll mention four books just to get things started.

Observing the Sun - A Pocket Field Guide by Jamey L Jenkins (Springer 2013) is a mine of information for the starter and experienced observer.  if you read it, and remember it all, you'll be quite an expert. I think this is a gem of a book. If you're only going to buy one solar book, this would be a good choice.

A good reference book is the Solar Astronomy Handbook by Beck, Hilbrecht, Reinsch and Volker (Willmann-Bell 1995).  A little dated, but probably the best of it's type.

For nostalgia (showing my age here!) The Sun and the Amateur Astronomer by W. M. (Bill)  Baxter (first ed 1963) is a trip down memory lane.  It harkens back to an age when very few people could observe anything but sunspots, and  pre-internet you never knew in advance what you might be about to see on the sun's surface, exciting times.

For bedside reading The Enigma of Sunspots by Judit Brody (Floris Books 2002) is a wonderfully illustrated historical account of sunspots from ancient times up to the 21st century.

The book I would like to be published is one with photographs or drawings of the best, say one hundred, most active solar disks recorded in white light and H Alpha plus the best one hundred largest and complex sunspot groups.  Perhaps it already has been published?

I'm hoping someone is going to come up with some 'must have' books I simply have to add to my collection!

 

 

[mikeDnight]

On 24/05/2016 at 18:14, paulastro said:

I have to admit, being a solar enthusiast, I haven't one favourite book on the sun - I do have qute a few though!  I'll mention four books just to get things started.

Observing the Sun - A Pocket Field Guide by Jamey L Jenkins (Springer 2013) is a mine of information for the starter and experienced observer.  if you read it, and remember it all, you'll be quite an expert. I think this is a gem of a book. If you're only going to buy one solar book, this would be a good choice.

A good reference book is the Solar Astronomy Handbook by Beck, Hilbrecht, Reinsch and Volker (Willmann-Bell 1995).  A little dated, but probably the best of it's type.

For nostalgia (showing my age here!) The Sun and the Amateur Astronomer by W. M. (Bill)  Baxter (first ed 1963) is a trip down memory lane.  It harkens back to an age when very few people could observe anything but sunspots, and  pre-internet you never knew in advance what you might be about to see on the sun's surface, exciting times.

For bedside reading The Enigma of Sunspots by Judit Brody (Floris Books 2002) is a wonderfully illustrated historical account of sunspots from ancient times up to the 21st century.

The book I would like to be published is one with photographs or drawings of the best, say one hundred, most active solar disks recorded in white light and H Alpha plus the best one hundred largest and complex sunspot groups.  Perhaps it already has been published?

I'm hoping someone is going to come up with some 'must have' books I simply have to add to my collection!

 

 

I being a peasant as you know, threw out a number at really nice books about the sun not long ago. I still have Baxters book of course, which I would never throw out. After all, anyone who uses a 4" refractor has to be a thouroughly decent fellow and worthy of a place in my book case. The only other book about the sun that I possess is The Story of the Sun by R S Ball. Though the science is outdated the drawings of Sun spots are beautiful and as I love to sketch what I observe, I find Ball's book fascinating.

Mike

[Merlin66]

For the more scientific aspects of solar observing, Phillips, Zerin or the texts by Bray and Loughhead are recognized references.

 

[Davey-T]

Sun looking good this morning AR2546 is hanging on the west edge, AR2548 looks like it might spit out a flare or two and a nice detached prom on west limb.

Just need some bigger gaps in the cloud to take some pic's.

Dave

OOPS posted in wrong place 

[laudropb]

For a good account of the early history of Solar observing I enjoyed The Sun Kings by Stuart Clark. For a non-technical account of our star, Nearest Star, by L. Goldberg and J.M. Pasachoff and finally for observing, Observing the Sun by J.L. Jenkins.

[paulastro]

On ‎25‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 20:19, Merlin66 said:

For the more scientific aspects of solar observing, Phillips, Zerin or the texts by Bray and Loughhead are recognized references.

 

Many thanks.  Can you tell me the titles of these books please?

[paulastro]

10 hours ago, laudropb said:

For a good account of the early history of Solar observing I enjoyed The Sun Kings by Stuart Clark. For a non-technical account of our star, Nearest Star, by L. Goldberg and J.M. Pasachoff and finally for observing, Observing the Sun by J.L. Jenkins.

Many thank.  I've heard of the Stuart Clark book, but have never had the chance to read it.  I'll see if I can find a used copy.  I think the pocket guide I mentioned is the latest editon of the Jenkins book you mention. Thanks again.

[Merlin66]

I don't have access to my comupter, so you may have to double check using Google..

Zirin "Astrophysics of the Sun"

Bray&Loughead " Granulation" and " the Chromosphere"

Phillips " the Sun"

I'd add Noyes "the Sun" a Harvard book.

all of the above will give you a great insight into how our magnetic sun functions and details of the various features which can be monitored.

 

 

[Pete Presland]

Observing the Sun - A Pocket Field Guide by Jamey L Jenkins (Springer 2013) is a favourite of mine, highly recommended.

[paulastro]

I agree with you on this one Pete, it's title and size don't do justice to it - an excellent book.

[Putaendo Patrick]

A handful of books that I have, several reflecting my interests in history:

Kenneth R. Lang - Sun, Earth and Sky (Springer 2nd edition, 2006). A good overview of solar science which really is easy to read, and with some fantastic illustrations.

Jean-Louis and Monique Tassoul - A Concise History of Solar and Stellar Physics (Princeton University Press, 2004). Not just limited to the Sun, a comprehensive historical summary of how our knowledge has developed.

Claudio Vita-Finzi - Solar History, An Introduction (Springer 2013). A short (95 page) scientific introduction to the development of the Sun over the last 4.5 million years.

Peter V. Foukal - Solar Astrophysics (Wiley 2nd revised edition, 2004). At 466 pages, this is substantially more detailed. Solid science with a fair lashing of maths; the problem exercises are best taken slowly with an asprin.

John H. Thomas and Nigel O. Weiss - Sunspots and Starspots (Cambridge University Press 2008). Heavy going in parts, this seems pretty definitive, at least for the moment.

J. M. Vaquero and M. Vazquez - The Sun Recorded Through History (Springer 2009). Worldwide analysis of historial references to solar observation, fascinating!

Mark Littmann, Fred Espenak and Ken Willcox - Totality, Eclipses of the Sun (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 2007). Captures something of the fascination of watching eclipses, good history and chapters devoted to observation and photography.

In passing, I'll mention S. A. Mitchell - Eclipses of the Sun (Columbia University Press, 4th edition, 1935). A classic in its day, and still interesting in parts - but more than anything, it now shows just how much our knowledge has advanced over the last 80 years or so!

And, if the history of astronomy is your thing, I recommend the excellent On sunspots / Galileo Galilei and Christoph Scheiner ; translated and introduced by Eileen Reeves and Albert Van Helden (University of Chicago Press, 2010).

 

[paulastro]

Many thanks for this very interesting list Patrick.  Some I'd heard about or have, but I'll be following up at least two or three of them - thank you very much.

[jabeoo1]

Nearest Star: The Surprising Science of Our Sun

by Jay Pasachoff & Leon Golub