This is the book to tell the intermediate-level amateur astronomer what he needs to know about observatories. It draws on the author’s practical experience and that of many other experienced amateur astronomers. It is an ideal complement to Patrick Moore’s More Small Astronomical Observatories which is a compendium of ideas for different observatory designs. This book covers the details of design, siting and construction once a basic type has been decided upon. It is written in a way that is equally applicable to the USA and UK (where there are slightly different building regulations). Uniquely, David Arditti also considers the aesthetics of amateur observatories – fitting them in with family and neighbors, and maybe disguising them as more common garden buildings if necessary. Every amateur astronomer who wants a purpose-built observatory (and that is most of them!) will find this book absolutely invaluable both during the planning and the construction stages.

A physicist by training and specializing in materials science, David Arditti earns his living as a music writer and classical musician. He is a member of the British Astronomical Association and a committee member of the West of London Astronomical Society. He has written papers for the BAA Journal on the construction of small observatories.