These pages are dedicated to some of the results, both practical & theoretical, of my lifelong interest in observational astronomy and my more recent interest in its computational aspects.
In the Gallery, there are pictures taken by myself (and some by my wife) of the various solar eclipses we have tried to see over the years plus many pages of images I've captured during observations of all the major bodies in our solar system (with the exception of Pluto!), asteroids, comets and artificial satellites. I've also thrown in some NASA-sourced material plus a feature on the first Mars-rover, Sojourner.
To go to the Space Picture Gallery, click here.
My computational studies began with considerations of the theory behind solar eclipses but have now expanded to such an extent that I've been forced to give them an index all of their own! I've included new articles and added lots of extra information to many of the existing treatises over the years. Several of the articles are pretty heavy going (!) but they present information and conclusions I just haven't been able to find anywhere else. Many of the articles link to additional pages which present more detailed (and thus harder to understand!) information which could be skipped by the casual reader. I have also noted the difficulty of each article by a number.
The most recent additions are a whole set of chapters exploring several aspects of the interaction of the Moon with the Earth; an explanation of why the crescent Moon rarely points directly at the Sun, as one might imagine it should, and a discussion of some of the unique features of the Moon's orbit. There have also been updates to the article on Saros Series and to my calculation of when total solar eclipses will no longer be possible (due to the recession of the Moon), and extra information added to the sections on Orbital Dynamics and Blue Moons. So, even if you've read the original pages already, give this section another look as there's probably some new stuff there.
To go to the Theory Section, click here.
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