Dwarf planets (which were formerly called asteroids except for the planet Pluto) & the smaller Solar System bodies still called asteroids today are making front page news particularly those that are newly discovered & those that might present a hazard to life on Earth by impacting our planet. In this age of giant telescopes & space probes these small Solar System bodies have advanced from being tiny points of light to bodies worthy of widespread study. This book describes the dwarf planets & asteroids themselves their origins orbits & composition & at how amateur astronomers can play a part in their detection tracking & imaging. The book is divided into two parts. Part I describes physical properties (including taxonomic types) of dwarf planets & asteroids how they formed in the early life of the Solar System & how they evolved to their present positions groups & families. It also covers the properties used to define these small Solar System bodies: magnitude rotation rates (described by their light-curves) & orbital characteristics. Part II opens with a description of the hardware & software an amateur or practical astronomer needs to observe & also to image asteroids. Then numerous observing techniques are covered in depth. Finally there are lists of relevant amateur & professional organizations & how to submit your own observations to them.