This guide is specifically aimed at those who are using—or want to use—Sequence Generator Pro. SGP is a “session management” software package that controls the telescope, mount, camera, and ancillary equipment to target and secure images during a night of imaging astronomical objects. The book begins with a special tutorial to get up and running with SGP. With a comprehensive reference section, it takes the user in detail through the various aspects of user and equipment profiles, equipment definitions, the sequencer, and other essential elements of SGP. Finally, it focuses on how to get the most out of the ancillary programs—target databases, autoguiders, plate solvers, planetarium software, and other applications. Oftentimes, technical guides can end up being far denser than the processes they intend to explain. Many of the insights provided by SGP expert Alex McConahay are beyond what can be found in the official program documentation. In this book, the reader will find in-depth, yet straightforward practical advice on how to automate nightly astroimaging sessions with Sequence Generator Pro.

There are many books covering different facets of astrophotography, but few of them contain all the necessary steps for beginners in one accessible place. Astrophotography is Easy! fills that void, serving as a guide to anybody interested in the subject but starting totally from scratch. Assuming no prior experience, the author runs through the basics for how to take astrophotos using just a camera—including cell phones and tablets—as well as a telescope and more sophisticated equipment. The book includes proven techniques, checklists, safety guidelines, troubleshooting tips, and more. Each chapter builds upon the last, allowing readers to master basic techniques before moving on to more challenging material. Also included is a comprehensive list of additional books and resources on a variety of topics so readers can continue expanding their skills. Astrophotography Is Easy! doesn’t simply teach you the basic skills for becoming an astrophotographer: it provides you with the foundations you will need for a lifelong pursuit.

In this book, Warren Keller reveals the secrets of astro-image processing software PixInsight in a practical and easy to follow manner, allowing the reader to produce stunning astrophotographs from even mediocre data. As the first comprehensive post-processing platform to be created by astro-imagers for astro-imagers, it has for many, replaced the generic graphics editors as the software of choice. With clear instructions from Keller, astrophotographers can get the most from its tools to create amazing images. Capable of complex post-processing routines, PixInsight is also an advanced pre-processing software, through which astrophotographers calibrate and stack their exposures into completed master files. Although it is extremely powerful, PixInsight has been inadequately documented in print--until now. With screenshots to help illustrate the process, it is a vital guide.

Developed from celebrated Harvard statistics lectures, Introduction to Probability provides essential language and tools for understanding statistics, randomness, and uncertainty. The book explores a wide variety of applications and examples, ranging from coincidences and paradoxes to Google PageRank and Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). Additional application areas explored include genetics, medicine, computer science, and information theory. The print book version includes a code that provides free access to an eBook version. The authors present the material in an accessible style and motivate concepts using real-world examples. Throughout, they use stories to uncover connections between the fundamental distributions in statistics and conditioning to reduce complicated problems to manageable pieces. The book includes many intuitive explanations, diagrams, and practice problems. Each chapter ends with a section showing how to perform relevant simulations and calculations in R, a free statistical software environment.

For anyone from raw beginner to the advanced player, this book shows how to develop a dynamic poker playing style that can be adapted to varying table conditions. Photos.

In response to popular demand, Emmanuel Goldstein (aka, Eric Corley) presents a spectacular collection of the hacker culture, known as 2600: The Hacker Quarterly, from a firsthand perspective. Offering a behind-the-scenes vantage point, this book provides devoted fans of 2600 a compilation of fascinating—and controversial—articles. Cult author and hacker Emmanuel Goldstein has collected some of the strongest, most interesting, and often provocative articles that chronicle milestone events and technology changes that have occurred over the last 24 years. He divulges author names who were formerly only known as “anonymous” but have agreed to have their identity revealed. The accompanying CD-ROM features the best episodes of Goldstein’s “Off the Hook” radio shows. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.