Astrophotography with the Schmidt telescope - S. Marx and W. Pfau

The objective of this book is to present a photograph collection of astronomical objects taken with large Schmidt telescopes. It incorporates material from not only the telescope at the Karl-Schwarzschild-Observatory at Tautenberg, but also the telescopes at the Anglo-Australian Observatory and the European Southern Observatory. The Schmidt telescope is a special photographic telescope that uses a spherical, rather than a parabolic, main mirror. This results in an extremely large field of view and good resolution. The book contains photographs of galactic nebulae of different species, galactic and globular clusters of stars, stellar fields, external galaxies, and comets. Facing each photograph is a text page introducing the object to the reader and explaining its appearance, characteristic data, and its physical nature. The authors also provide extensive information on the history of the astronomical telescope, the Schmidt telescope, and the life of its inventor, Bernhard Schmidt. Astrophotography with the Schmidt Telescope presents scientific facts in a readable, enjoyable format. All who are interested in astronomy, the natural sciences, and history will enjoy this book, whether specialists or nonspecialists in the field. Originally published by Urania Verlag, Leipzig.