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Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon

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Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Moon
David E. And Hughes, J. Kenrick Bowker
Manufacturer: NASA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GS8X46

Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Near Side of the Moon

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Like drifting above the Moon in a spacecraft!

Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Near Side of the Moon
Charles J. Byrne
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet
The Clementine Atlas of the Moon
Atlas of the Moon: Revised, Updated Edition
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Cassini at Saturn: Huygens Results (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

ASIN: 1852338865

Book Description

In 1967, Lunar Orbiter Mission 4 sent back to Earth a superb series of photographs of the surface of the Moon, despite severe degradation caused by scanning artifacts and the reconstruction processes involved in transmission from lunar orbit. Using 21st century techniques, Charles Byrne – previously System Engineer of the Apollo Program for Lunar Orbiter Photography – has removed the artifacts and imperfections to produce the most comprehensive and beautifully detailed set of images of the lunar surface. The book has been organized to make it easy for astronomers to use, enabling ground-based images and views to be compared with the Orbiter photographs. The photographs are striking for their consistent Sun angles (for uniform appearance). All features have been identified with their current IAU-approved names, and each photograph has been located in terms of latitude and longitude. To help practical astronomers, all the photographs are systematically related to an Earth-based view. A CD is included with the book, providing the enhanced and cleaned photographs for screen viewing, lectures, etc..

Customer Reviews:

Like drifting above the Moon in a spacecraft!.......2006-03-16

The good news is this is extremely well done. The (to many) annoying frame boundaries and scan lines have been removed to the greatest extent possible without removing essential information. I particularly like the contrast enhancement and other software tricks that have been applied to present each photo in its best light.

To see what I mean, take a look at "The Process used to clean up scanning artifacts" on the accompanying CD.

The coverage is very thorough, though there are a few irksome "misses" that were unavoidable due to the nature of the orbiter's path.

Any "lunartic" is going to enjoy this reference book. From the visual standpoint it is a superb job and one wonders why it was not done years ago. Likewise, there were other missions whose results would benefit from this treatment, although their coverage was different and less complete. In any case, I find this an extremely interesting and valuable resource.

The bad news is that the index is bad. To find a named feature, it's not always possible to use the index (many important and common ones are missing: e.g., Aristarchus, Eratosthenes ...).

To wander through the photos in a predetermined path (without reference to a specific feature) is also a chore at times as the organization is according to the original photo numbers and not to an overlaid organizational scheme such as a high-level map. It is easy to get lost and it is sometimes hard to find your way out again. Since the processing is so well done, this is less disheartening than it would otherwise be ... I find myself staying "lost" on purpose sometimes, discovering vistas I didn't know were there before losing my way. But to a technical writer it's discouraging to see such potential missed for lack of a truly good index.

Producing an IAU Nomenclature-based index would be a great project for someone with the time!

The book comes with a CD which I haven't found to improve on the printed index: the indexes that are on the CD are PDF files that are NOT linked to the actual photos, so to use them you need multiple windows open on-screen simultaneously. It would have been far more convenient to provide the indexes in html form with links to the proper photographs.

On the plus side -- and it is a HUGE plus, in my opinion -- both medium- and high-resolution images of each photo are on the CD and they are gorgeous images, especially given the technology used to produce the original photos.

All in all, this is an extremely valuable reference, and one I am using almost daily. So perhaps I am being a bit nit-pickety here. It's only the indexing bit that prevents this getting my 5-star rating: If I could award it 4.75, I would.

The Hatfield SCT Lunar Atlas: Photographic Atlas for Meade, Celestron and other SCT Telescopes

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The Hatfield SCT Lunar Atlas: Photographic Atlas for Meade, Celestron and other SCT Telescopes
Jeremy Cook
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Atlas of the Moon: Revised, Updated Edition
Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas
Discover the Moon
New Atlas of the Moon
Binocular Highlights: 99 Celestial Sights for Binocular Users (Sky & Telescope Stargazing)

ASIN: 1852337494

Book Description

SCT and Maksutov telescopes - which of course includes the best-selling models from Meade, Celestron, and other important manufacturers - reverse the visual image left for right. It is extremely difficult to identify lunar features at the eyepiece of one of these instruments using a conventional atlas. The human brain just doesn’t cope well with trying to compare the real thing with a map that is a mirror-image of it. This new SCT version of Hatfield’s famous lunar atlas solves the problem. Photographs and key maps in The Hatfield SCT Lunar Atlas are mirror-images, to show the Moon exactly as it appears through the eyepiece of an SCT or Maksutov telescope. Identification of lunar features is made quick and easy. The Moon’s surface is shown for various sun angles, and there are inset keys that show the effects of optical libration - all mirror-imaged for SCT users. Smaller IAU-standard reference images are included, to make it simple to compare the mirrored SCT photographs and maps with those that appear in other atlases. This edition still uses the superb original photographs taken by Commander Henry Hatfield using his 12-inch reflector. The key maps, on which lunar features can be readily identified, have been reversed and updated, but retain the style and clarity that made the original justly famous.

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Quality and Ease of Use - My Indispensable Tool
What!
avoid
An easy to use moon atlas!

Photographic Atlas of the Moon
S. M. Chong , Albert Lim , and P. S. Ang
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Atlas of the Moon: Revised, Updated Edition

ASIN: 0521813921

Book Description

The Photographic Atlas of the Moon is a daily photographic guide to observing the features of the Moon through a 40cm telescope and high-resolution, low-speed film. Whole Moon images are provided for each day of the 29-day lunar cycle, with labelled features and descriptive text. Selected lunar features are shown at high magnification to highlight and clearly illustrate certain regions. All lunar features are labelled using current IAU terminology. A comprehensive set of appendices detail the phases of the Moon, give a chronology of its lunar selenography and index all lunar features named in the text.

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Customer Reviews:

Quality and Ease of Use - My Indispensable Tool.......2006-01-04

This book is one of my most reliable tools when I'm out observing the Moon. I'm currently working on earning two Observing Certificates from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, which means I spend a lot of time drawing and documenting Moon features, and this book is always by my side. The "upside-down" images make it easy to find features while observing at the telescope, since my Dobsonian telescope (like many others) also inverts the image. Lunar features are easy to find - just flip to the right day of lunation, and you'll have an accurate representation of what you can expect to see through your eyepiece. The size of the images is large enough to find even small craters, scarps, mountains etc. And since this book was made using "old fashioned" film photography, it doesn't suffer from the pixelation I've seen in many other lunar guide books which use CCD imagery. Finally, if you're interested in observing more than just the obvious lunar features, the texts that accompany each day's lunar image provide the more experienced observer with suggestions of additional features the search for.
All in all, I love this book and have been using it steadily during my observing sessions.

What!.......2005-05-11

Before you review a book it is always a good idea to read it.
Then you can make informed comments. Page 2 would have been enough to discern the authors intent about binocular vs. telescope viewing.
Now, that would have been smart.

avoid.......2003-07-27

This atlas should be called "An atlas of the moon for inverted telescopes" because all the images in this atlas are upside-down.

Planetary geologist Charles A. Wood (author of the book "the modern moon" and the editor of www.lpod.org/) writes the following about this book:

" Because this recent book (2002) is mostly images of the entire Moon for each day of the lunation it is of more use to binocular observers than telescopic ones. Some photos are good, others are over exposed."

This is exactly the point, the atlas is intended for binocular observers but the images are inverted. How smart is that?

An easy to use moon atlas!.......2003-04-26

I am not an astronomer, amateur or otherwise. I simply like to look at the moon when I have some free time. The reason I like this atlas is that it shows high resolution photographs through a 40 cm Cassegrain telescope of the terminator day by day through a whole lunar cycle. Now when I have some time to look at the moon I go to the proper page showing the present day's terminator and I see a beautiful photograph with all the main features identified on the photo and a short description/ discussion of these features on the opposing page, no page flipping required. This book is great for beginners although there is a lot of other information for those more experienced. The only drawback is the price which is expensive for 146 pages but then half of this book is high quality photographic reproductions, no blurred out features here.

The moon;: A summary of the existing knowledge of our satellite, with a complete photographic atlas,

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The moon;: A summary of the existing knowledge of our satellite, with a complete photographic atlas,
William H Pickering
Manufacturer: Doubleday, Page & company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00086K4NO

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It is what it is: A revised version of a 1960's classic
Disappointing Atlas - Low Resolution Photographs
Questionable Quality for the Millenium
Old pictures
The one and only.

The Hatfield Photographic Lunar Atlas
Jeremy Cook
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 185233018X

Book Description

Long regarded as the finest photographic lunar atlas available, The Hatfield Lunar Atlas is a model of accuracy and clarity. This new version updates some of the maps, names and technical data, but uses Commander Henry Hatfield's original - and unexcelled - photographic plates, taken with a purpose-built 30 cm reflector. The Atlas is divided into sixteen sections, each of which is made up of five or more photographic plates together with a map. Each map is based primarily of the facing plate. Where detail is lacking on this primary plate (particularly near the Moon's limb) supplementary detail is provided by one or more of the other plates in a particular section.

Customer Reviews:

It is what it is: A revised version of a 1960's classic.......2004-06-23

THE HATFIELD PHOTOGRAPHIC LUNAR ATLAS is a modern, updated and slightly revised version of the classic (~1968) AMATEUR ASTRONOMER'S PHOTOGRAPHIC LUNAR ATLAS by Sir Henry Hatfield. The original work was published just before man landed on the moon - and thus moon observation was a "craze".

This "new" version, bearing Hatfield's name, uses Hatfield's original Lunar photographs that were taken, obviously, in the 1960's.

I've read other people's reviews, most of whom complain about the quality of the photographs. These photograph's were truly remarkable in the 60's ... and 70's ... and even for the 80's into the early 90's. Are these the best photograph's for today's standards? No. But part of the beauty of this book are the remarkable vintage photographs (just as many of us marvel at the sight of vintage cars or vintage motorcycles).

Specifically, this book is a "nice" (not great) photographic atlas of the moon. The sketches are "very good" (maybe not perfect). And the book's format/layout is STILL very useful for the casual and amateur astronomer.

Yes, the RUKL MOON ATLAS is THE STANDARD. But this atlas has been out of print for several years. A copy of Rukl's was recently listed for $579 on eBay! And I've seen Rukl's sell for $100-$175 on other Internet sites.

In summary, is Hatfield's the best? No. Is it very nice? Yes. Though I'd also agree that the price for this book is a bit too high ($25 is more reasonable), when compared to Rukl's, is THE HATFIELD PHOTOGRAPHIC LUNAR ATLAS worth $35? Yes.

It is what it is: an updated reproduction of a classic. It doesn't have all of the bells & whistles a 2004 Corvette has, yet isn't it still a joy to drive a vintage Corvette? You bet it is!

Disappointing Atlas - Low Resolution Photographs.......2003-08-01

I regularly observe the moon through moderate aperture telescopes and find these low resolution images of little use. Even a three-inch refractor will show far more detail. There are better sets of photographs, covering most of the visible surface, available on the web.
However, the atlas will probably be useful to observers who are starting to find their way around the mooon's surface, as they will not be overwhelmed by fine detail.
If you want to see good quality images of the moon do not buy this book; look on the web.

Questionable Quality for the Millenium.......2002-01-08

This book of elderly, sometimes fuzzy photos and rough drawings is outrageously overpriced, even with the small Amazon discount.
Try to find a copy of the far better Rukl Moon Atlas, or write lots of letters to Kalmback to get them to reprint Rukl.
The only virtue of this book is the paucity of any Moon Atlas - a juicy opportunity for someone - Hello Msrs. Tirion, Dickinson, Ottewell, Crossen, Kepple or O'Meara?
Help, help!

Old pictures.......2001-03-18

Old pictures and quite badly drawn maps of the moon makes this book feel to expensive no matter what it costs.

Although, it gives you (as a matter of facts) very much information of the lunar surfice when it come to manmade names of the different places. Still some names misses, like the crater named after Neil Armstrong - where is it?

I also wish a book that says it is an Atlas of the moon, sold year 2001, would contain fresh photos of better quality (The Hubble Sky Telescope could maybe do something for us moonfans!) and better drawings. And why not more information about how and where the names of the places came to real and, what I really miss - pictures of parts of the earth placed on the lunar surfice to give me a view of how big the craters and the moon as a whole actually is. And why not a part in the book with pictures from the Apollo missions?! More could be done.

The one and only........2001-02-10

The importance of a good reference is incalculable for those who do any serious lunar observing, or for those who need to know exactly what they're looking at (or at least what they should be seeing). The Hatfield Atlas is by far the best lunar reference available. But rather than subject you to further ramblings-on about the merits of this book, I'll just state some straightforward points in simple fact:

The membership of our club includes about 140 dedicated amateur and professional astronomers. Many of us gather at our dark site facility to attend monthly star parties. If there is even the slightest moon that evening there may be a dozen or so telescopes trained on it well before dark. And those of us who do any serious lunar observing may already be consulting a single particular book which is kept on a desk in the observatory. Care to guess which book that is? "Yo, who's got the Hatfield's?".

The Hatfield Atlas is our 'official' lunar reference. Other references have been left out for the membership to browse and sample. Two of them drew favorable comments about their indices and cross references (and which are explicit advantages over Hatfield's). But as expected, we always go back to the Hatfield Atlas, and there are reasons. Plain and simple, you won't find better or more accurate renderings anywhere. If you want an exact reference, or if you need to match detail and gradations with what you see in the eyepiece, this is the book to have.

The first time one examines a reference of this quality, there is generally some astonishment at the high level of detail involved. My first inclination was to 'read' it from cover-to-cover, as one would regard a centennial issue of National Geographic. You will likely find the renderings here to be of equal or better quality and possibly more fascinating.

I highly recommend the Hatfield Atlas for both amateur and professional astronomers who have a need for the finest lunar reference available.

Amateur astronomer's photographic lunar atlas (The Amateur astronomer's library, v. 6)
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Amateur astronomer's photographic lunar atlas (The Amateur astronomer's library, v. 6)
Henry Hatfield
Manufacturer: Lutterworth P
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0718813537

Photographic atlas of the moon,
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Photographic atlas of the moon,
Zdenek Kopal
Manufacturer: Academic Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B0006BMDGM

A new photographic atlas of the moon;
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Moon Atlas a Gem

A new photographic atlas of the moon;
Zdenek Kopal
Manufacturer: Hale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0709123701

Customer Reviews:

Moon Atlas a Gem.......2003-05-14

This is probably one of the best Moon atlases ever published. It contains detailed pictures of both the visible and far side of the Moon along with descriptions of every plate. Many of the pictures were taken during the boom of lunar exploration during the 1960s and have not been surpassed in the three decades since. Most of them, including those of the near side, are from spacecraft and surpass anything that can be taken from Earth. In addition to 200+ fine pictures, you also receive several chapters about the physical properties of the Moon. This is not just simple facts, but a detailed scientific description of our natural satellite as we understood it in 1971. Much of the information has not changed since then. I fell in love with this book after finding it in my high school library 25 years ago. I searched in vain for a number of years for another atlas that could match its high quality. There were none. If you come across a copy and are interested in this subject matter, it is well worth the money.

Lunar Orbiter photographic atlas of the Moon (NASA SP-206)

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Classic Reference Work!

Lunar Orbiter photographic atlas of the Moon (NASA SP-206)
David E Bowker
Manufacturer: Scientific and Technical Information Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; [for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U.S. Govt. Print. Off.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: B0006C1SM6

Customer Reviews:

Classic Reference Work!.......2005-03-01

675 9x11 B&W Photographic Plates. Book is ~700 pages. 11x14" Provides complete coverage of the near & far side of the moon in greater detail than any previous publication.

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