Dr. James Dire has bridged the gap between professional and amateur astronomy for many decades. He earned bachelors degrees in chemistry, physics and mathematics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City followed by a masters degree in physics from the University of Central Florida. He earned his PhD from The Johns Hopkins University. His dissertation was a study of the seasonal organic chemistry in the atmosphere of Saturn's large moon Titan. While at UMKC, Dire joined the Astronomical Society of Kansas City where he served as president his senior year in college. Over his career he continued to work with many amateur organizations including the Central Florida Astronomical Society (Orlando), the Baltimore Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of New Haven, the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society (New London, CT), the Cleveland County (NC) Astronomical Society, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, the Peoria Astronomical Society, and the Kauai Educational Association for Science and Astronomy. He is still very active with the latter three. Dr. Dire began doing astronomical imaging while an undergraduate, back then using film. He advanced to digital sensors using them both for research and producing splendid images. He has been a contributor author for Astronomy Technology Today almost since the journal beginning reviewing emerging astronomical equipment, books and software. He is a leading expert on amateur telescopes and related equipment. Since 2009, Dire has authored a Deep-Sky column in every issue of the Reflector. Scores of his astronomical images have appeared in these publications as well as Sky and Telescope and many newspapers. Dire has been a chemistry, physics and astronomy professor for most of his professional career. However, he has spent a majority of the past two decades as a college administrator at every level from a department chair to a president.

Chapter 1: Telescopes.- Chapter 2: Astrophotography.- Chapter 3: Star Atlases, Constellations and Celestial Nomenclature.- Chapter 4: Light, Color, Filters, Seeing and Transparency.- Chapter 5: Stars.- Chapter 6: The Moon.- Chapter 7: The Sun.- Chapter 8: Eclipses.- Chapter 9: Planetary Nebulae and Supernovae Remnants.- Chapter 10: Emission, Reflection and Dark Nebulae.- Chapter 11: Galactic Star Clusters.- Chapter 12: Globular Star Clusters.- Chapter 13: Comets.- Chapter 14: Galaxies.

Have you ever wanted to get better at observing the universe but didn't know where to begin? Have you ever wondered what you are looking at in the night sky? Whether you are just beginning or an advanced amateur astronomer, you will want to have this book in your astronomical library. This book wraps up an entire astronomy course around the study of astronomical images, all of which have been taken by the author. The fascinating images contained herein will inspire readers to explore the descriptions of astronomical objects of all types and the physical processes they undergo throughout the universe.

The author is both a career astronomy professor and an avid amateur astronomer who owns an arsenal of small telescopes for observing and conducting CCD imaging. The author's descriptions are at a level any reader can follow. Using his own images, mostly taken with smaller telescopes as opposed to Hubble, James Webb, or multi-meter mountain top observatories, show amateur astronomers and hobbyists what can be accomplished by using modest and affordable equipment. The book begins with a primer on telescopes and the myriad types on the market today. You'll read about why there are so many models as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. This is followed by an introduction to astrophotography, a complete description of paper and digital star atlases available today, and a discussion on celestial nomenclature - why are celestial objects named what they are named! You'll learn about light, and how it interacts with matter to create what we see in the night sky. Finally, you'll go on a grand tour of the Universe, from the Moon and Sun to comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies.