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Eclipse

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Author: Duncan Steel

In this sweeping saga of science and civilization, astronomer Duncan Steel explains all you need to know about eclipses. 

Whether interpreted as an auspicious omen or a sentinel of doom, eclipses have had a profound effect upon our cultural development. Throughout recorded history, they have evoked consternation, fear, and dread — as well as awe and wonderment. Ancient peoples were clearly disconcerted by them. The Romans marked pivotal battles with the Greeks by references to an eclipse. The date of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been derived by using biblical mentions of an eclipse. Perhaps most famously, Christopher Columbus extorted much-needed foodstuffs from some increasingly unfriendly native hosts by purporting to demonstrate the wrath of his most powerful God when he accurately predicted a lunar eclipse. The pattern that eclipses follow — a cycle, called the saros — was actually calculated thousands of years ago. However, it is only with the help of modern computers that we have been able to analyze and appreciate the data. Eclipses provide unique opportunities for today’s scientists to study such contrasting phenomena as the upper layers of the sun, the slowdown of our planet’s spin rate, and the effects of celestial events on human psychology. In Eclipse, Duncan Steel expertly captures our continuing fascination with all manner of eclipses — including the familiar solar and lunar varieties and other kinds involving stars, planets, asteroids, and comets as well as distant galaxies and quasars. Steel helps us see that, in astronomical terms, eclipses are really rather straightforward affairs. Moving beyond the mysticism and the magic, the science of eclipses is revealed.

Cosmic Dispatches

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Author: John Wilford

The New York Times Reports on Astronomy and Cosmology.

The scientists seeking to unravel the mysteries of the universe are among the most imaginative and provocative explorers of our time. Like the geographic explorers of earlier centuries, they venture into uncharted spaces, come upon new worlds, expand the knowable, and challenge thinking about the place of humans in all things. Collected here are the most exciting moments of recent astronomical explorations, presented by the award-winning science reporters of The New York Times. Recent leaps in technology have allowed astronomers to peer deeply into the universe and to bring into focus fascinating and unsuspected phenomena. Cosmic Dispatches conveys in thrilling detail the meaning and significance of what scientists have been learning about our universe.

Colours of the Stars

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Author: David Malin

In this book it shows how colour is related to the objects in astronomy, how the colours of stars, nebulae and galaxies can be seen and photographed, and how colour and photography enhance our astronomical understanding.

In the past astrophotographers have constantly returned to one astronomical nebula for their experiments, repeatedly photographing the first object successfully recorded by Common in 1883. The Orion Nebula figures throughout this book. Each of the eleven photographs shown in this book (details shown on page viii) tells us something different about the Orion Nebula.

Cambridge Atlas of the Constellations

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Author: Michael Bakich

Details of what figures do the constellations of the sky represent, the properties of the stars and what that they comprise and where in the sky they can be found. Details in the book enable constellations to be readily compared.

Click on the cover image above to read some pages of this book!  Constellations are not new to astronomy. Even before the era of printing, patterns of stars have been recognized by humans and their histories have been passed on from generation to generation, culture to culture. This book is the ultimate constellation reference book. Finally, a book exists that brings together a variety of information about constellations, including: the size, visibility, and relative brightness of all eighty-eight constellations; former locations of extinct constellations; the number of visible stars in each constellation; and more. Using tables, this information is presented in the first part of the book so that constellations can be readily compared and a general view of them developed. In the second part of the book, each constellation is taken in turn, with a star chart and map illustrating the associated celestial figure, supported by a comprehensive list of essential properties. This highly illustrated volume provides the most complete reference to date covering all aspects of the constellations and will be helpful for astronomers, both amateur and professional, educators and science writers.                                                                                                                                         Industry Reviews:                                                                                                                                    A fascinating cornucopia of constellation facts and figures …’ Adrian Ashford, New Scientist ‘ … one of the best … a lot of goodies for every amateur astronomer, both for the observing one and for the armchair astronomer … All of us have something to learn from this excellent book.’ Jan Sandstrom, Astronomi and Raumfahrt ‘If you want to have a reference book about constellations, then you want to have this book on your shelves.’ Pam Spence, Astronomy Now ‘The book has some novel ideas for the presentation of a wealth of unusual material and I found no mistakes. It is not a bedside book for browsing. It is a work to reside on a shelf for reference, mostly for amateur astronomers’ use, but also for anyone with an interest in the stars.’ Paul Murdin,Times Higher Education Supplement.

Backyard Astronomer’s Guide

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Authors: Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer

The modern classic, completely updated.

The newest edition of The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide includes the latest data and answers the questions most often asked by home astronomers, from beginners to experienced stargazers. Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer provide expert guidance on the right types of telescopes and other equipment; photographing the stars through a telescope; and star charts, software and other references. They cover daytime and twilight observing, planetary and deep-sky observing, and much more. With over 500 colour photographs and illustrations, The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide is one of the most valuable, beautiful and user-friendly astronomy books ever produced.  New and updated for this edition:                                                                                         A 20-page full-colour Atlas of the Milky Way provides location and context for hundreds of celestial objects mentioned throughout the book. A chapter on Astrophotography with Digital Cameras specifies what equipment works best and how to use it to collect a colour gallery of celestial portraits. Telescopes for Recreational Astronomy features assessments of a wide range of new telescopes, from models for beginners to those for veteran astronomy enthusiasts, with special emphasis on computerized telescopes and how they work.                         Accessory Catalogue spotlights the best of the accessories and flags the frivolous and irrelevant. Three practical appendices: Polar Aligning Your Telescope; Optics Cleaning and Collimation; Testing Your Telescope Optics. Any serious home astronomer must have this superb guide as an ongoing reference.

Voyages Space

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Author: Sally Ride

Astronaut Dr Sally Ride talks about:

– Space, the space shuttle, orbiting the moon

– Rocket development, the space race

– Apollo 17 mission to the moon

– Astronaut training

– Space orbit and space walking

– International Space Station plus other similar topics

30-Second Einstein

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Author: Brian Clegg

The 50 fundamentals of Einstein work, life and legacy, each explained in half a minute. The 50 engaging entries get you to grips with Einstein’s work, life and legacy, from atom to atomic bomb, at approximately the speed of light. Albert Einstein was an unparalleled scientific genius whose ideas and theories were so shockingly revolutionary, he changed the way the Universe was imagined on multiple occasions. A prodigy in his 20s and a Nobel Prize winner, Einstein was not only a brilliant physicist, but also a human rights campaigner, a political activist and the iconic archetype of the mad professor that still leads to our obsession with the man behind the world’s most famous equation, E=mc2. 30-Second Einstein provides you with a day in the company of a colossus from the world of science, and you will soon have his whole story – both his scientific attainments and his extraordinary life – in your head. With each page packed full of essential information, the 50 engaging entries get you to grips with his work, life and legacy, from atom to atomic bomb, at approximately the speed of light.

Astronomy Today

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Author: Chaisson McMillan

With Astronomy Today, trusted authors Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan communicate their excitement about astronomy, delivering thorough science with insightful pedagogy. The text emphasises critical thinking and visualisation, and it focuses on the process of scientific discovery, teaching students “how we know what we know.”

300 Astronomical Objects

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Author: Jamie Wilkins and Robert Dunn

A visual reference to the universe

300 Astronomical Objects is a handy and comprehensive reference to the most interesting celestial objects. It takes readers on a photographic tour through the galaxy, from its solar core to its outer limits, stopping to view all the highlights and give the very latest data about the universe. Convenient sidebars with each entry provide up-to-date facts and figures on every object, including mass, magnitude, density, radius, rotation period, and surface and core temperatures.
An annotated cross-section of the object enhances this information, and a full-colour photograph brings the object to life. Additional spreads bring together and explain related objects and phenomena. For example, the corresponding pages for the sun include solar power, sunspots and solar flares.
Others examples include: Mercury and its surface; The asteroid belt and 433 Eros; Jupiter and its moons, including Io, Europa and Callista; Uranus and its rings and moons, including Ariel and Titania; Outer belts and comets, such as Halley’s comet, and the Deep; Impact mission; Space telescopes, including the International Space Station. 300 Astronomical Objects is a beautiful and handy reference for the amateur astronomer.

Astronomy 101

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Author: Brent Stewart

From Sun and Moon to Wormholes and Warp Drive, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Facts about the Universe.

Explore the curiosities of our galaxy! Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what’s hidden beyond our starry sky.
From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won’t be able to get anywhere else. So whether you’re looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes, or just want to learn more about your favourite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answers–even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.