Month: April 2021

The Caldwell Objects

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Author: Stephen O’Meara

The Caldwell Catalogue of deep-sky objects covers the entire celestial sphere, highlighting cosmic wonders for observers worldwide. Stephen James O’Meara has tirelessly observed all 109 Caldwell objects, and this book presents his sketches and detailed visual descriptions, and discusses each object’s history and astrophysical significance.

For more than two centuries, amateur astronomers have earned their stripes by observing the 109 star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies catalogued by French comet hunter Charles Messier. Now a new list of 109 equally appealing deep-sky delights is bringing a new generation of astronomers even closer to the beauty and mystery of the night sky. Carefully compiled by Sir Patrick Moore, the Caldwell Catalogue covers the entire celestial sphere, highlighting cosmic wonders for observers worldwide. Stephen James O’Meara has tirelessly observed all 109 Caldwell objects. Deep-Sky Companions: The Caldwell Objects presents not only his beautiful sketches and detailed visual descriptions – it discusses each object’s rich history and astrophysical significance. The latest fundamental data on each object are tabulated, and the book’s star charts will lead observers to each object’s precise location. This book is co-published with Sky Publishing Corporation.

The Astronomy of Birr Castle

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Author: Patrick Moore

The story of astronomy at Birr Castle in Ireland is among the most extraordinary events in the nineteenth-century science. Here in the 1840s, a distinguished telescope-maker and astronomer, the 3rd Earl of Rosse, built his 72-inch reflecting telescope, and so began an epic investigation deeper into the universe than had til then been possible.

Incredibly the ‘leviathan’ of Parsonstown as it came to be known, was to remain the world’s largest telescope until 1917. The work of the 3rd Earl was carried on after his death by the 4th Earl. And over several decades, Birr Castle witnessed such landmarks as the revolutionary discovery that nebulae could be resolved into separate star systems beyond our own galaxy.    

The Story of Astronomy

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Author: Peter Aughton

From Babylonian Stargazers to the search for the Big Bang, the Story of Astronomy, From the ancient origins of astronomy to the Copernican revolution, and from Galileo to Hawking’s research into black holes, The Story of Astronomy charts the discoveries of some of the greatest minds in human history, and their attempts to unveil the secrets of the stars.

Stargazing – Beginners Guide to Astronomy

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Author: Radmila Topalovic and Tom Kerss

This is the perfect beginner’s guide to Astronomy for use in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and an ideal companion to the popular yearly month-by-month guide.

  • How to plan your stargazing
  • What you can see with your eyes
  • How to choose binoculars and telescopes and what you can see using them
  • Help to explore in the Solar System and the Galaxy
  • Seasonal star charts, constellation charts and specific objects to look for all you need to know to get started in Stargazing and discover the universe.

Star Hunters

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Author: Dennis Mamana

The quest to discover the secrets of the universe. Star Hunters is an exciting journey through time and space. You’ll find beautiful photography, insightful historical notes, and up-to-date scientific information, makes Star Hunters the complete story of our links to the sky.

Gaze into the night sky with Nicolaus Copernicus, or journey to Saturn with Voyager 2 mission team. In Star Hunters you’ll meet the men and women whose inventions and discoveries have expanded our knowledge of the universe. From the efforts of the Chinese and Greeks through the revolutionary work of Einstein and beyond, here is the rich history of astronomy. Featuring a lively text, beautiful colour photographs, current scientific information, and predictions for the twenty-first century, Star Hunter is the story of history’s celestial explorers and a complete guidebook to the exciting, ever-changing world of astronomy.

Space Places

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Author: Roger Ressmeyer

Space Places is the photographic record of an extraordinary 20-year odyssey to those special places where our fascination with the universe has caused us to push ourselves and our technology almost beyond the limits of imagination.

The book contains numerous photos of:

– Shuttle launches, space activities

– Planets

– Satellites

– Chinese rockets and satellites

– Russian cosmonauts and rockets

– Amazing photos of the stars and other astronomical events

Apart from the photographs the book contains a wealth of information that would interest the astronomer and space enthusiast.

Roving Mars

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Author: Steve Squyers

Spirit, Opportunity, and the Exploration of the Red Planet.

It’s the age-old question: Is there life on Mars? Steve Squyres, lead scientist of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission, sets out to answer that question and relates his findings in this riveting first-person narrative account, now in paperback.
Steve Squyres is the face and voice of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover mission. Squyres dreamed up the mission in 1987, saw it through from conception in 1995 to a successful landing in 2004, and serves as the principal scientist of its $400 million payload. He has gained a rare inside look at what it took for Rovers Spirit and Opportunity to land on the red planet in January 2004–and knows first-hand their findings.

Zone System for Astro Imaging

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Author: Ron Wodaski

The NewAstro Zone System gives astro imagers the tools they need to master Photoshop for imagine processing. These techniques apply to astro CCD cameras, digital cameras, and even film scans.

The Zone System shows you how to handle color, use Curves and Levels, and the book is filled with tutorials and Photoshop tips.

Best Processing Methods for Film Scans, Digital Cameras, and CCD Astro Cameras. Features Photoshop CS/CS2.

Moon

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Author: Scott Montgomery

The book traces the story of our relationship with our nearest neighbor. Ancient mythology clothed the Moon in mystery; mathematics and philosophy showed us that it was a satellite in a system subject to natural laws; telescopes revealed its face in detail; and the Space Race and the Apollo program made the ancient dream of reaching the Moon a reality. Gene Cernan (Commander Apollo 17 & last man to walk on the Moon) had an input into the contents of this book.

The Invisible Universe Revealed

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Author: Gerrit Verschuur

The Story of Radio Astronomy – Hidden from human view, accessible only to sensitive receivers attached to huge radio telescopes, the invisible universe beyond our senses continues to fascinate and intrigue our imaginations. Closer to home, in the Milky Way galaxy, radio astronomers listen patiently to the ticking of pulsars that tell of star death and states of matter of awesome densities. All of this happens out there in the universe hidden from our eyes, even when aided by the Hubble Space Telescope. This is the story of radio astronomy, of how radio waves are generated by stars, supernova, quasars, colliding galaxies and by the very beginnings of the universe itself. The author discusses what radio astronomers are doing in the New Mexico desert, in a remote valley in Puerto Rico, and in the green Pocahontas Valley in West Virginia, as well as dozens of other remote sites around the world. With each of these observatories, the scientists collect and analyze their data, “listening” to the radio signals from space in order to learn what, or perhaps who, is out there as well. The author specifically highlights enormous changes that have occurred in the field over the past 50 years, including the political reality of radio astronomy and what that could mean for the future.