Why astronomy?

Abstract

"The Universe, Yours to discover" - the motto of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) 2009 is also the central idea of this book. By gazing at the stars our thoughts turn to questions about the creation of the universe and the conditions of the Sun, the Moon, the planets, and ultimately our place in the cosmos. The book presents the substance of celestial bodies for the amateur observer: the objects of the Solar System: the Milky Way, and the structure of Galaxies. Modern techniques for visual and photographical observations put the amateur in a comfortable position to obtain powerful equipment. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.