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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.