Asteroids and How to Observe Them

Asteroids, particularly those that might present a hazard to life on Earth by impacting our planet, are important. In this age of giant telescopes (Keck and Hubble) and space probes (NEAR) the minor planets have advanced from being tiny points of light to front-page news when they approach Earth. This book looks at the asteroids (minor planets) themselves, their origins, orbits and composition, and at how amateur astronomers can play a part in their detection, tracking and imaging.