Sky & Telescope - August 2022 - 65

BOOK REVIEW by Sean Walker
Solar Everything
SOLAR ASTRONOMY: Observing, Imaging, and Studying the Sun
Edited by Christian Viladrich
Axilone, 2021
solar-astronomy-book.com
480 pages, ISBN 979-10-92974-08-9
US$75, softcover
IF YOU'RE AN AMATEUR astronomer
with a particular fixation on our
star, then this book is for you. Solar
Astronomy: Observing, Imaging, and
Studying the Sun is a (quite possibly the)
compendium of information about
solar astronomy with an emphasis on
modern equipment and imaging techniques.
That said, it's a lot to take in, so
be prepared.
Solar Astronomy is an update and
English-language translation of Astronomie
Solaire, published in France in
2018. The book's stated goal is to be a
comprehensive guide to solar-observing
techniques, and its cast of 14 authors
helps make it such. Each contributor
has his (yes, they're all male) own area
of expertise. Some are telescope makers
and engineers; others are historians or
specialize in imaging and data analysis.
This lavishly illustrated book begins
with a short history of solar observing,
from pre-telescopic times through
Solar Astronomy comes loaded
with useful information for practicing
amateurs, exploring its
subjects in a way that will give
readers lots of ideas for their
own future projects.
the current epoch of space-based solar
observatories. Chapters on understanding
the Sun and on safely observing it
follow.
Solar Astronomy dives more deeply
beginning with Chapter 4's discussion
of observing
conditions. Christian
Viladrich breaks down
how your surroundings
can strongly influence
local seeing conditions
and how to plan your
observing location to
take advantage of its
more positive aspects.
For example, it's generally
better to observe
in the morning when
the ground temperature
is cooler than the
air. Seeing can also be
improved by surface wind, which can
disperse heat radiating from the ground
that would normally degrade the view.
Chapter 5 begins the book's main
course with discussions of telescopes for
solar observing. Viladrich thoroughly
considers each principal type of device:
refractors (from singlets to triplets),
reflectors, and catadioptric instruments.
He ponders the pros and cons of each
and how they differ for solar work.
The next three chapters (encompassing
a full third of Solar Astronomy)
detail how to observe different regions
of the solar atmosphere and what equipment
is specialized for each task. The
focus here is on the photosphere and
chromosphere, and the authors include
cutaway diagrams of the filters and custom
instruments best suited to observing
these solar zones. The lion's share of
the space is dedicated to the calcium II
and hydrogen-alpha regions of the solar
spectrum.
The authors take an impartial
approach to discussing the commercial
equipment. It's fascinating to learn the
inner workings of complex solar filters
like the Fabry-Perot etalon, or the actual
benefits of stacking multiple filters.
Altogether, this
book covers everything
you'd ever want
to know about solar
observing and imaging.
Readers will find tips
on focusing as well as
subsections on digital
sensors, image acquisition,
and processing
routines for popular
planetary-imaging
software.
Interested in
sketching the Sun?
Chapter 10 describes
how this activity improves your observing
skills and offers pointers on how to
get the most from quickly evolving solar
features. How about solar radio astronomy?
Chapter 13 explains what you can
do with amateur equipment, including
instructions on how to build a radio
telescope to investigate our star yourself.
Is your special interest observing
and photographing total solar eclipses?
Chapter 14 has those subjects covered.
In sum, Solar Astronomy comes
loaded with useful information for
practicing amateurs, often exploring
the minutiae of equipment, image
processing, and custom telescopes in a
way that will give readers lots of ideas
for their own future projects. Ken Harrison
and Peter Zetner did an excellent
job translating from the French, though
many odd sentence structures and curious
punctuation remain. These aspects,
however, won't deter the serious reader
of this tome, which should be on the
bookshelf of every solar aficionado.
¢ Associate Editor SEAN WALKER is
excited to try some new solar-imaging
techniques he picked up in the process
of reviewing this book.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * AUGUST 2022 65
http://www.solar-astronomy-book.com http://www.skyandtelescope.com
Sky & Telescope - August 2022

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