Month: April 2021

The Total Skywatcher’s Manual

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Author: Linda Shore

275 Skills and Tricks for Exploring Stars, Planets and Beyond. The ultimate, up-to-date guide for stagazers, comet-spotters, and planet-seekers.

This straightforward volume presents a broad view of astronomy spanning known facts, evolving ideas, and frontier discoveries. The authors combine qualitative reasoning and analogies with familiar objects and phenomena to awaken readers to the excitement of the universe around them. Incorporates new understanding and emphases in contemporary astronomy, including the latest data on topics ranging from adaptive optics and solar system formation to extrasolar planets and the recent missions to Mars. Top-notch illustration program exploits the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum, including images taken at radio, infrared, ultraviolet, X-ray, or gamma-ray wavelengths, in addition to visible-light photographs. For anyone interested in learning more about astronomy.

The Young Astronomer

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Author: Ian Ridpath

Here is a book that contains useful information for the amateur astronomer.

The book contains more than 200 full-colour photographs, diagrams and charts.

This fascinating guide explains exactly what stars, planets and other objects can be seen in the sky

The Unforgotten Sisters

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Author: Gabriella Bernardi

Female Astronomers and Scientists before Caroline Herschel

Taking inspiration from Siv Cedering’s poem in the form of a fictional letter from Caroline Herschel that refers to “my long, lost sisters, forgotten in the books that record our science”, this book tells the lives of twenty-five female scientists, with specific attention to astronomers and mathematicians. Each of the presented biographies is organized as a kind of “personal file” which sets the biographer’s life in its historical context, documents her main works, highlights some curious facts, and records citations about her. The selected figures are among the most representative of this neglected world, including such luminaries as Hypatia of Alexandra, Hildegard of Bingen, Elisabetha Hevelius, and Maria Gaetana Agnesi. They span a period of about 4000 years, from En HeduAnna, the Akkadian princess, who was one of the first recognized female astronomers, to the dawn of the era of modern astronomy with Caroline Herschel and Mary Somerville. The book will be of interest to all who wish to learn more about the women from antiquity to the nineteenth century who played such key roles in the history of astronomy and science despite living and working in largely male-dominated worlds.                                                                                                                             Industry Reviews

“The book gives short biographical accounts of over twenty women from ancient times to the beginning of 19th century. … It is also interesting to read some of the opinions of the lady astronomers about what they thought about such occupation for a female – who thinks it’s wholly suitable and nothing should come in the way of a woman in science as they are in possession of equal faculties to any man.

The Space Book

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Author: Jim Bell

We live in a truly golden age of astronomy and space exploration that may allow us to unravel some of the biggest mysteries of all: How did the Universe begin? Are there other Earth-like planets out there? Are we alone? “The Space Book” is a gateway into these kinds of questions – and more – for anyone interested in the worlds beyond our planet. Expanding the series that began with the highly successful volume “The Math Book” (9781402757969), astronomer and planetary scientist Astronomer Jim Bell presents 250 of the most ground breaking astronomical events, from the formation of galaxies to the recent discovery of water ice on Mars. Beautiful photographs or illustrations accompany each entry. Open the book to any page to discover some new wonder or mystery about the Universe around us.

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.