BAS Observer March 2018

10 BAS OBSERVER Teach yourself astronomy by Peter Allison A stronomy is a very large field of science and can be somewhat daunting for amateurs just starting out; however, there is an abundance of online and other resources you could tap into to build your knowledge. Here we will outline just a few of our favourite learning resources. The BAS Library The BAS Library consists of over 100 books on a wide range of astronomical topics. Each month a small sample of books are brought to the monthly meeting and members can borrow books on the night. You can also browse our entire library shelves at the Sirius Optics showroom in Underwood. Later this year we hope to have our entire library catalogue listed on the BAS website so you can seek out titles and even transact a loan online. Australian Sky & Telescope Australian Sky & Telescope magazine is the monthly must-read for amateur astronomers: http://www.austskyandtel. com.au/ . The magazine covers a wide range of topics from equipment reviews to monthly observing guides and insights into astronomical research. This is a great resource for beginners and more advanced amateur astronomers, and most articles are slanted towards Southern Hemisphere astronomy. Astronomy 2018 This is the annual astronomical almanac for Australian amateur astronomers. It is a must-have booklet that provides wonderful information and details for every month of the year: http://www.quasarastronomy.com.au/ . There is hardly