Offers a perspective on such age-old questions as 'What would Earth be like without the moon?' Drawing on materials from different cultures and epochs, the author walks readers down a moonlit path illuminated by more than seventy-five vintage photographs and illustrations.
This is an abbreviated volume of Universe by Freedman et al., focusing on the solar system. Known for their state-of-the-science coverage, the various Universe books place the basics of astronomy and the process of science within the grasp of introductory students. The 4th edition has been updated with new material and new discoveries.
Provides an overview of the chemistry of the solar system. This volume includes chapters on the origin of the elements and solar system abundances, the solar nebula and planet formation, meteorite classification, the major types of meteorites, the giant planets and their satellite, comets, and the formation and early differentiation of the Earth.
Astronomers and students interested in studying the Sun require a thorough understanding of the proper techniques and equipment. This title provides the information needed for safe observation as well as techniques that will make solar observation a rewarding experience.
Offers an account of the chemistry of the solar system. This book includes basic facts about the chemical composition of the different bodies in the solar system, the major chemical processes involved in the formation of the Sun, planets, and small objects, and the chemical processes that determine their chemical make-up.
Not every rock is of an earthly nature. Meteorites are our windows to other worlds, affording us rare glimpses of our own solar system when it was young. This book offers a fresh perspective on the scientific research as well as the local, human history behind sixteen major meteorite falls and finds in Alberta.
In 1858, an astronomer working at the Vatican observatory named father Pietro Angelo Secchi created his own drawings of Mars. This volume tells of people and places that have influenced mankind's relationship with the enigmatic red planet, and shows the colour drawings that Secchi made. It also includes other stories, drawings, and photographs.
This Very Short Introduction discusses the nature of planets and gas giants, and their rings and moons. It also looks beyond Pluto, in the Kuiper Belt, at the knowledge we have about planets around other stars. With many striking photos to illustrate the details, it demonstrates the unique world of every planet.
Give an insight of Mars by adopting an outline based on history rather than on subtopic (atmosphere, surface, interior). This work looks at its evolution, and incorporates the results from the space missions of Mars Express, Spirit and Opportunity. It also examines its formation from the ashes of dead stars, more than 4 5 billion years ago.
The reconstruction of past solar activity is aided by studying historical accounts, which help us understand the Sun's behavior over longer timescales. Here, the authors describe how these records can be used to obtain information relevant to today's research.
Because of its resemblance to our own planet, Titan is often described as a "frozen primitive Earth" and is therefore of interest to scientists and laypersons from a range of backgrounds. This book presents comprehensive description of Titan, the satellite of planet Saturn.
Unlike the myriad points of light in the night sky, our nearest star allows us to study the wonders of stellar workings at blindingly close range. And what do we see? In this book, two solar scientists unfold all that history and science have revealed about the Sun.
Presents the exploration and colonisation of Mars, as discussed in the papers and essays from the Mars Society's annual conferences. The essays in this second volume discuss topics like habitat infrastructure, exploration technique, and colony organisation. It also includes a CD-ROM.
The face of the Moon we see today has been substantially etched by the effects of meteor impacts. This book looks at the way the Moon has been shaped by meteorites, proposes lunar meteorites as the most likely cause of most LTPs and describes in practical detail how amateur astronomers can observe impacts on the Moon.
Details the nature and results of Tunguska investigations in the former USSR and present-day CIS. This book presents certain unusual findings of Russian and Ukrainian scholars. It considers certain so-called 'unconventional hypotheses' about the nature of the Tunguska explosion.
Expanding upon a series of lectures for graduate students and young researchers held in the summer of 2007 in Scotland, this book includes the contributions of recognized world leaders writing in their areas of expertise. It considers theories about the creation and development of planets, including our own.
This book offers an up-to-date view of what we know and understand of the moons of outer planets. It examines their complexity, their internal differentiation, their geological and/or atmospheric activity, their still poorly known history and evolution.
This informative series introduces the reader to various aspects of space and the solar system. It explores the features of the solar system, describes the machines and vehicles used to explore space and looks at the difficulties of surviving in space and the solutions that have been designed to overcome these difficulties. Ages 4-8.
This book details how amateur and practical astronomers can successfully observe Mars. It uses recent imagery and data to present an up-to-date guide to Mars' geological history and contains a unique set of maps that cover the entire Martian surface.
Provides an interesting overview of Saturn, from its initial observation centuries ago to the contemporary satellite fly-bys. After the overview is a substantial and carefully selected set of abstracts of literature pertaining to Saturn, with access given through author, title, and subject indexes.
Beginning with a refresher in relativity, experts from the United States Naval Observatory carefully develop and convey the theory vital for a sound knowledge of the motions of celestial bodies. Also takes into account recent resolutions of the International Astronomical Union.
Lunar and solar eclipses have always fascinated human beings. This title examines the ways in which theoretical understanding of eclipses originated and how ancient and medieval cultures shared, developed, and preserved their knowledge of these awe-inspiring events.
Part of the "Greenwood Guides to the Universe" series, this title covers asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets - those small bodies that revolve the Sun - and provides readers with an understanding of the state of scientific knowledge about them. It also defines a dwarf planet and explains why Pluto is one.
The Apollo moon programme has been called the last optimistic act of the twentieth century. Of the astronauts who walked on the moon, only nine are still alive. One day in the near future there will be none. This thought shocked the author, who set out to find and interview the remaining moonwalkers to find out how the experience changed them.
Shows how great stellar explosions have become extremely important to cosmologists trying to understand the evolution of our universe since the Big Bang and the scale of that universe. This book describes the very early universe, after the Big Bang, and then how 'the lights came on all over the universe as the very first stars began to shine.'
This book presents high-definition images of the moon's surface, courtesy of the Kaguya lunar orbiter's camera, to create a new type of lunar atlas. Each plate shows the surface in a manner that makes it visually appealing and scientifically understandable.
Successful plans depend not only on the availability of necessary resources but also on timing. In former times, people discovered that numerous natural phenomena are related to the movements of the moon. This book has tips and advice on working with the lunar cycles and natural harmonies
Surveys advances made in research into water on Mars together with its astrobiological implications. This volume addresses not only scientists working in the field but also nonspecialists and students in search of a high-level but accessible introduction to this field of research.
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Pluto is entrenched in the American cultural, patriotic view of the cosmos. This title explores the history of planet classification and America's obsession with the planet that has been judged a dwarf.
A product of the conference on Sun-Earth connection, held on February 9-13, 2004 at Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA, this work contains a compilation of thirty-nine articles assembled into chapters such as: multiscale features in complexity dynamics, space storms, magnetospheric substorms, turbulence and magnetic reconnection, among others.
An account of the many ways in which Sun affects our planet, how its influence has changed over the last few centuries and millennia, and the extent to which we can predict its future impact. This book integrates astronomical, geological, climatic and social aspects of the Sun.
Presents a comprehensive survey of the planetary physics and physical chemistry of our own solar system. This book covers research in these areas and the planetary sciences that have benefited from both earth-based and spacecraft-based experimentation. It reviews each major planetary body, asteroids, comets, and other small orbitals.
Exoplanets: Finding, Exploring, and Understanding Alien Worlds probes for possible answers to the fundamentals questions asked about these planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. This book examines what such planets might be like and how we can find them.
Features times of full, new, and first- and last-quarter moons for all American time zones, plus detailed information on 2012's rare blue moon, lunar and solar eclipses, brightest moons of the year, hours of moonlight each day, a moon rise/set horizon locator, prime viewing times for the moon in proximity to planets and major stars, and more.
The authors of this book are experts on the subject of extrasolar planets. By presenting an updated perspective of our planet as seen from outer space, they provide a guide for the remote detection of life on other planets and planets beyond the solar system.
Treats various aspects of solar magnetism, from its origin in the solar dynamo to its evolution and dynamics that create the variability of solar phenomena, from its well-known 11-year activity cycle to the ever-changing pattern of sunspots and active regions on the Sun.
A terrestrial planet, Mars has a thin atmosphere and surface features reminiscent both of the impact craters of the Moon and the volcanoes, valleys, deserts and polar ice caps of Earth. This book presents research on Mars which is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after Mars, the Roman god of war.
Starting from Mars outward, this handbook provides information on the satellites of the planets in the solar system. It contains tables with the orbital and physical parameters of all satellites and is illustrated throughout with modern photos of the planets and their moons as well as historical and mythological drawings.
Contains topical reviews of various topics in solar system science. This book includes contributions, which are intended for professional astronomers and planetary scientists wishing to inform themselves about progress in fields closely related to their own field of expertise.
This second addendum to the dictionary's fifth edition contains all new names published between 2006 and 2008, as well as corrections and amendments to earlier editions. As the IAU's official reference, it is full of fascinating yet authoritative information.
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles - a plasma - ejected from the upper atmosphere of the sun. It consists of electrons and protons with energies of about 1 keV. The solar wind creates the Heliosphere, a vast bubble in the interstellar medium surrounding the solar system. This book presents the research in the world on this topic.