Understand the phases of the moon, learn to navigate by the North Star and discover how to travel through space and time from your own window in this book which uncovers how humankind has its history woven into the constellations that light up our skies. Written by NASA science writer Noelia González and fully illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows, this is the perfect introduction to the night sky for families everywhere.

Optics of the Moon presents methods for interpreting optics of surfaces on the Moon with complicated structures. For example, the book illustrates how phase-ratio techniques can lead to the detection of surface structure anomalies, describes polarimetric studies of the lunar surface and their use, and addresses many other questions relating to the regolith-like surfaces of the Moon, such as why the Moon looks like a ball at a large phase angle and like a disk in full moon, why the lunar surface has slight color variations, and why at large phase angles its polarization degree closely correlates with albedo.

Cosmonauts have lived and trained in Star City since the 1960s. In the Soviet era, it was one of the most top secret locations in the Soviet Union. Also known as The Yuri Gagarin Russian State Science Research Cosmonauts Training Centre) it is still a military research facility and consists of a training facility and a residential area for the cosmonauts and their families as well as the military and civilian personnel serving the facility. Baikonur, situated in Kazakhstan, was the world's first space launch facility and it is still the largest. Nowadays, the site is rented and administered by Russia. Direction-Space! is a fascinating study of Star City and Baikonur. Incorporating unique archive materials, it explores the reality of the space community at first hand, investigating the physical and psychological space as well the routine and lives of its residents. It offers a new insight into a subject central to the Cold War history of the Soviet Union and raises questions over attitudes and perceptions that have been formed over the years.

We know the universe has a history, but does it also have a story of self-creation to tell? Yes, in Roy R. Gould’s account. He offers a compelling narrative of how the universe—with no instruction other than its own laws—evolved into billions of galaxies and gave rise to life, including humans who have been trying for millennia to comprehend it. Far from being a random accident, the universe is hard at work, extracting order from chaos. Making use of the best current science, Gould turns what many assume to be true about the universe on its head. The cosmos expands inward, not outward. Gravity can drive things apart, not merely together. And the universe seems to defy entropy as it becomes more ordered, rather than the other way around. Strangest of all, the universe is exquisitely hospitable to life, despite its being constructed from undistinguished atoms and a few unexceptional rules of behavior. Universe in Creation explores whether the emergence of life, rather than being a mere cosmic afterthought, may be written into the most basic laws of nature. Offering a fresh take on what brought the world—and us—into being, Gould helps us see the universe as the master of its own creation, not tethered to a singular event but burgeoning as new space and energy continuously stream into existence. It is a very old story, as yet unfinished, with plotlines that twist and churn through infinite space and time.

Was there a beginning of time? Could time run backwards? Is the universe infinite or does it have boundaries? These are just some of the questions considered in the internationally acclaimed masterpiece by the world renowned physicist - generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers. It begins by reviewing the great theories of the cosmos from Newton to Einstein, before delving into the secrets which still lie at the heart of space and time, from the Big Bang to black holes, via spiral galaxies and strong theory. To this day A Brief History of Time remains a staple of the scientific canon, and its succinct and clear language continues to introduce millions to the universe and its wonders. This new edition includes recent updates from Stephen Hawking with his latest thoughts about the No Boundary Proposal and offers new information about dark energy, the information paradox, eternal inflation, the microwave background radiation observations, and the discovery of gravitational waves. It was published in tandem with the app, Stephen Hawking's Pocket Universe.

Machine Learning for Planetary Science presents planetary scientists with a way to introduce machine learning into the research workflow as increasingly large nonlinear datasets are acquired from planetary exploration missions. The book explores research that leverages machine learning methods to enhance our scientific understanding of planetary data and serves as a guide for selecting the right methods and tools for solving a variety of everyday problems in planetary science using machine learning. Illustrating ways to employ machine learning in practice with case studies, the book is clearly organized into four parts to provide thorough context and easy navigation. The book covers a range of issues, from data analysis on the ground to data analysis onboard a spacecraft, and from prioritization of novel or interesting observations to enhanced missions planning. This book is therefore a key resource for planetary scientists working in data analysis, missions planning, and scientific observation.

Magnetospheric Imaging: Understanding the Space Environment through Global Measurements is a state-of-the-art resource on new and advanced techniques and technologies used in measuring and examining the space environment on a global scale. Chapters detail this emergent field by exploring optical imaging, ultraviolet imaging, energetic neutral atom imaging, X-ray imaging, radio frequency imaging, and magnetic field imaging. Each technique is clearly described, with details about the technologies involved, how they work, and both their opportunities and limitations. Magnetospheric imaging is still a relatively young capability in magnetospheric research, hence this book is an ideal resource on this burgeoning field of study. This book is a comprehensive resource for understanding where the field stands, as well as providing a stepping stone for continued advancement of the field, from developing new techniques, to applying techniques on other planetary bodies.

Sample Return Missions: The Last Frontier of Solar System Exploration examines the discoveries and results obtained from sample return missions of the past, present, and future. It analyses the results in the context of the current state of knowledge and their relation to the formation and evolution of planetary bodies, as well as to the available technologies and techniques. It provides detailed descriptions of experimental procedures applied to returned samples. Beginning with an overview of previous missions, Sample Return Missions then goes on to provide an overview of facilities throughout the world used to analyze the returned samples. Finally, it addresses techniques for collection, transport, and analysis of the samples, with an additional focus on lessons learned and future perspectives. Providing an in-depth examination of a variety of missions, with both scientific and engineering implications, this book is an important resource for the planetary science community, as well as the experimentalist and engineering communities.

This book provides the first comprehensive historical account of the evolution of scientific traditions in astronomy, astrophysics, and the space sciences within the Max Planck Society. Structured with in-depth archival research, interviews with protagonists, unpublished photographs, and an extensive bibliography, it follows a unique history: from the post-war relaunch of physical sciences in West Germany, to the spectacular developments and successes of cosmic sciences in the second half of the 20th century, up to the emergence of multi-messenger astronomy. It reveals how the Society acquired national and international acclaim in becoming one of the world's most productive research organizations in these fields.

Earth's Magnetosphere: Formed by the Low Latitude Boundary Layer, Second Edition, provides a fully updated overview of both historical and current data related to the magnetosphere and how it is formed. With a focus on experimental data and space missions, the book goes in depth relating space physics to the Earth's magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar wind. Starting with Newton's law, this book also examines Maxwell's equations and subsidiary equations such as continuity, constitutive relations and the Lorentz transformation, Helmholtz' theorem, and Poynting's theorem, among other methods for understanding this interaction. This new edition of Earth's Magnetosphere is updated with information on such topics as 3D reconnection, space weather implications, recent missions such as MMS, ionosphere outflow and coupling, and the inner magnetosphere. With the addition of end-of-chapter problems as well, this book is an excellent foundational reference for geophysicists, space physicists, plasma physicists, and graduate students alike.