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Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > General
Published annually, Sky Guide Southern Africa is a practical resource for all stargazers, whether novice, amateur or professional. It highlights the cosmic events for each month of the upcoming year, including planetary movements, predicted eclipses and meteor showers. Star charts plot the evening sky for each season, facilitating the identification of stars and constellations. The guide contains a wealth of information about the Sun, Moon, planets, comets, meteors and bright stars, with photos, diagrams, charts and the images. The most trusted guide to the southern skies.
A contemporary of Galileo and a forerunner of Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a pioneering German scientist and a pivotal figure in the history of astronomy. This colorful, well-researched biography brings the man and his scientific discoveries to life, showing how his contributions were every bit as important as those of Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton.It was Kepler who first advocated the completely new concept of a physical force emanating from the sun that controls the motion of the planets--today we call this gravity and take it for granted. He also established that the orbits of the planets were elliptical in shape and not circular. And his three laws of planetary motion are still used by contemporary astronomers and space scientists.The author focuses not just on these and other momentous breakthroughs but also on Kepler's arduous life, punctuated by frequent tragedy and hardships. His first wife died young, and eight of the twelve children he fathered succumbed to disease in infancy or childhood. He was frequently caught up in the religious persecutions of the day. His mother narrowly escaped death when she was accused of being a witch.Intermingling historical and personal details of Kepler's life with lucid explanations of his scientific research, this book presents a sympathetic portrait of the man and underscores the critical importance of Kepler's discoveries in the history of astronomy.
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.
Who dug those canals on Mars? |
Survey of Astronomy (Teacher Guide)
(Paperback)
Master Books
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Ships in 4 - 8 working days | |
Stargazing from Game Reserves in Southern Africa
(Paperback)
Tony Fairall
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Ships in 5 - 10 working days | |
A game reserve is not only ideal for viewing animals but it's also an excellent location from which to study the stars. Stargazing from Game Reserves in Southern Africa is a lively introduction to the night skies, offering visitors to game reserves and nature parks (in fact, any out-of-town location) the opportunity to turn their binoculars skyward after dark, and to make sense of the myriad stars and recognise some of the patterns they form. The author takes readers on a celestial 'game drive', directing them towards the 'Big Five' constellations of the night sky. He provides clear steps for novice star-watchers to navigate the skies, track the planets, and even spot the moons of Jupiter and possibly the crescent of Venus. No prior knowledge of astronomy is needed to enjoy these introductory excursions into the night skies. Expertly illustrated with colour photographs, wildlife artwork, line drawings and 12 star maps, this book is a welcome addition to the collection of any outdoor enthusiast.
Handbook of Cosmic Hazards and Planetary Defense
(Hardcover, 2015 ed.)
Joseph N. Pelton, Firooz Allahdadi
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R17,921 Discovery Miles 179 210 | Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
Covers in a comprehensive fashion all aspects of cosmic hazards and possible strategies for contending with these threats through a comprehensive planetary defense strategy. This handbook brings together in a single reference work a rich blend of information about the various types of cosmic threats that are posed to human civilization by asteroids, comets, bolides, meteors, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, cosmic radiation and other types of threats that are only recently beginning to be understood and studied, such as investigation of the "cracks" in the protective shield provided by the Van Allen belts and the geomagnetosphere, of matter-antimatter collisions, orbital debris and radiological or biological contamination. Some areas that are addressed involve areas about which there is a good deal of information that has been collected for many decades by multiple space missions run by many different space agencies, observatories and scientific researchers. Other areas involving research and studies that have only recently gotten underway are discussed by some of the world's foremost experts in each of these areas, who provide up-to-date and scientifically verifiable information. Although much of the work in these various areas have been conducted by space agencies, an expanding range of work is also being carried out by observatories, by universities and other research centers, and even by private foundations and professional organizations. The purpose of this work is thus several-fold: to include the latest information and most systematic research from around the world in a single reference work; to note where there are significant gaps in knowledge where new research, spacecraft, observatories, or other initiatives are needed to fill in critical missing information; and to give the best possible information about preventative actions that might be taken against cosmic threats and identify various alternative strategies that are now under way or planned to cope with these various threats.
The Sky at Night: The Art of Stargazing
- My Essential Guide to Navigating the Night Sky
(Paperback)
Maggie Aderin-Pocock
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Ships in 5 - 10 working days | |
Look up... The Art of Stargazing is the ultimate insider's guide to the night sky in which award-winning space scientist and The Sky at Night presenter Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock shares her expertise and unique insights into the marvellous world of stars. Take a tour of the 88 constellations and explore the science, history, culture and romanticism behind these celestial bodies. In this must-have handbook for budding stargazers - and anyone looking for a little more wonder in their lives - Maggie will help you to identify stars and teach you the basics of naked-eye observation, offering fascinating facts plus advice on kit, 'dark sky' locations and much more. Also included are beautiful illustrations to accompany each constellation and an easy-to-read sky map. With Maggie by your side, the night sky will truly come alive.
Mars 2023 Wall Calendar
(Calendar)
Willow Creek Press
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R435 Discovery Miles 4 350 | Out of stock | |
Outer Space: 100 Poems
(Hardcover)
Midge Goldberg
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
Poets and astronomers often ask the same questions. Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? Throughout human history, poetry has provided stories about what people observe in the sky. Stars, planets, comets, the moon, and space travel are used as metaphors for our feelings of love, loneliness, adventurousness, and awe. This anthology includes poets, astronomers, and scientists from the 12th century BCE to today, from all around the world. Sappho, Du Fu, Hafez, and Shakespeare are joined by Gwyneth Lewis's space requiem, Tracy K. Smith on the Hubble telescope, and Charles Simic, whose poem accompanied a NASA mission. Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Edmund Halley accompany modern scientists including Rebecca Elson, Alice Gorman on the first woman in space, and Yun Wang's space journal on travel to Andromeda. This collection reaches across time and cultures to illuminate how we think about outer space, and ourselves.
Galileo
- And the Science Deniers
(Paperback)
Mario Livio
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
An "intriguing and accessible" (Publishers Weekly) interpretation of the life of Galileo Galilei, one of history's greatest and most fascinating scientists, that sheds new light on his discoveries and how he was challenged by science deniers. "We really need this story now, because we're living through the next chapter of science denial" (Bill McKibben). Galileo's story may be more relevant today than ever before. At present, we face enormous crises-such as minimizing the dangers of climate change-because the science behind these threats is erroneously questioned or ignored. Galileo encountered this problem 400 years ago. His discoveries, based on careful observations and ingenious experiments, contradicted conventional wisdom and the teachings of the church at the time. Consequently, in a blatant assault on freedom of thought, his books were forbidden by church authorities. Astrophysicist and bestselling author Mario Livio draws on his own scientific expertise and uses his "gifts as a great storyteller" (The Washington Post) to provide a "refreshing perspective" (Booklist) into how Galileo reached his bold new conclusions about the cosmos and the laws of nature. A freethinker who followed the evidence wherever it led him, Galileo was one of the most significant figures behind the scientific revolution. He believed that every educated person should know science as well as literature, and insisted on reaching the widest audience possible, publishing his books in Italian rather than Latin. Galileo was put on trial with his life in the balance for refusing to renounce his scientific convictions. He remains a hero and inspiration to scientists and all of those who respect science-which, as Livio reminds us in this "admirably clear and concise" (The Times, London) book, remains threatened everyday.
Anaximander
- And the Nature of Science
(Paperback)
Carlo Rovelli
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Ships in 5 - 10 working days | |
Now widely available in English for the first time, this is Carlo Rovelli's first book: the thrilling story of a little-known man who created one of the greatest intellectual revolutions Over two thousand years ago, one man changed the way we see the world. Since the dawn of civilization, humans had believed in the heavens above and the Earth below. Then, on the Ionian coast, a Greek philosopher named Anaximander set in motion a revolution. He not only conceived that the Earth floats in space, but also that animals evolve, that storms and earthquakes are natural, not supernatural, that the world can be mapped and, above all, that progress is made by the endless search for knowledge. Carlo Rovelli's first book, now widely available in English, tells the origin story of scientific thinking: our rebellious ability to reimagine the world, again and again.
The NASA Mars 2020 Mission
- Seeking Signs of Ancient Life and Preparing for Sample Return
(Hardcover, 1st ed. 2022)
Kenneth A. Farley, Kenneth H. Williford, Kathryn M. Stack
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R7,945 Discovery Miles 79 450 | Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
NASA's Mars 2020 mission successfully landed the Perseverance rover in Jezero crater on February 18, 2021.This book provides the definitive pre-landing documentation of the Mars 2020 mission, its scientific payload elements, and its exploration area. The chapters in this volume include detailed descriptions of: The Perseverance mission, and its relationship to a possible Mars Sample Return campaign; The geology of the mission's exploration environment in Jezero crater; and The purpose, design and operation of all seven instruments aboard the rover (Mastcam-Z, SHERLOC, RIMFAX, Supercam, MOXIE, PIXL, and MEDA) as well as the engineering cameras and the Mars helicopter Ingenuity. NASA's ambitious Mars 2020 mission extends a long arc of Martian exploration by seeking evidence that life may once have existed on Mars, and by preparing a collection of samples for possible return to Earth by a future mission. Mars 2020 will also enable future exploration by characterizing modern weather conditions and by demonstrating new technologies. Previously published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "The Mars 2020 Mission"
Taxi from Another Planet
- Conversations with Drivers about Life in the Universe
(Hardcover)
Charles S. Cockell
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R610 Discovery Miles 6 100 | Ships in 12 - 17 working days | |
Insightful, good-humored essays on the possibilities of alien life and the uses of space exploration, based on an astrobiologist's everyday conversations with his fellow humans-taxi drivers, to be precise. If you've ever sat in the back seat of a taxi, you know that cabbies like to talk. Sports or politics, your job or theirs, taxi drivers are fine conversationalists on just about any topic. And when the passenger is astrobiologist Charles Cockell, that topic is usually space and what, if anything, lives out there. Inspired by conversations with drivers all over the world, Taxi from Another Planet tackles the questions that everyday people have about the cosmos and our place in it. Will we understand aliens? What if there isn't life out in the universe? Is Mars our Plan B? And why is the government spending tax dollars on space programs anyway? Each essay in this genial collection takes questions like these as a starting point on the way to a range of insightful, even poignant, observations. Cockell delves into debates over the inevitability of life and looks to both human history and scientific knowledge to consider what first contact will be like and what we can expect from spacefaring societies. He also offers a forceful argument for the sympathies between space exploration and environmentalism. A shrewd and entertaining foray into the most fundamental mysteries, Taxi from Another Planet brings together the wisdom of scientific experts and their fellow citizens of Earth, the better to understand how life might unfold elsewhere.
Night Skies Of Botswana
(Paperback)
Stephen James O'Meara
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Ships in 5 - 10 working days | |
This easy-to-use, accessible guide to starwatching in Botswana is ideal
for
beginner and amateur stargazers. All stars described can be seen with
the naked
eye – binoculars and telescopes are not necessary.
• e book opens with stargazing tips while introducing important
astronomical concepts, describing our galaxy and the Earth’s place in
it.
• e body of the book o ers four star charts per month giving views
from
north, south, east and west, with supporting descriptions of the stars
and
constellations. Users can dip in during any month.
• e nal chapter surveys the solar system, including the Sun, Moon,
planets
and le over debris. ere’s information on a meteorite strike in
Botswana in
2018, and how to identify arti cial satellites orbiting the Earth
(including
the International Space Station).
Botswana’s ancestral stories about the stars are scattered throughout
the book,
honouring indigenous interpretations of the night skies and giving a
unique
African avour.
Genesis
- The Story of How Everything Began
(Hardcover, Main)
Guido Tonelli
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days | |
'Mind-inflating' Wired 'A grand vision of the marvels we've discovered, and the immensity of what we still don't understand' Sunday Times What if the ancient Greeks were right, and the universe really did spring into being out of chaos and the void? How could we know? And what must its first moments have been like? To answer these questions, scientists are delving into all the hidden crevices of creation. Armed with giant telescopes and powerful particle accelerators, they probe the subtle mechanisms by which our familiar world came to be, and try to foretell the manner in which it will end. The result of all this collective effort is a complex tale, stranger at times than even our most ancient creation myths. Yet its building blocks give us the power to work marvels our predecessors could scarcely comprehend. In Genesis, the CERN physicist and bestselling author Guido Tonelli does poetic justice to that great story, the accomplishment of countless minds working together across the ages.
Astrobiology - Understanding Life in the Universe, Second Edition
(Paperback, 2nd Edition)
CS Cockell
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R2,231 Discovery Miles 22 310 | Ships in 12 - 17 working days | |
A guide to understanding the formation of life in the Universe The revised and updated second edition of Astrobiology offers an introductory text that explores the structure of living things, the formation of the elements required for life in the Universe, the biological and geological history of the Earth, and the habitability of other planets. Written by a noted expert on the topic, the book examines many of the major conceptual foundations in astrobiology, which cover a diversity of traditional fields including chemistry, biology, geosciences, physics, and astronomy. The book explores many profound questions such as: How did life originate on Earth? How has life persisted on Earth for over three billion years? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What is the future of life on Earth? Astrobiology is centered on investigating the past and future of life on Earth by looking beyond Earth to get the answers. Astrobiology links the diverse scientific fields needed to understand life on our own planet and, potentially, life beyond. This new second edition: Expands on information about the nature of astrobiology and why it is useful Contains a new chapter "What is Life?" that explores the history of attempts to understand life Contains 20% more material on the astrobiology of Mars, icy moons, the structure of life, and the habitability of planets New 'Discussion Boxes' to stimulate debate and thought about key questions in astrobiology New review and reflection questions for each chapter to aid learning New boxes describing the careers of astrobiologists and how they got into the subject Offers revised and updated information throughout to reflect the latest advances in the field Written for students of life sciences, physics, astronomy and related disciplines, the updated edition of Astrobiology is an essential introductory text that includes recent advances to this dynamic field.
The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life
- The Search for Our Cosmic Roots
(Hardcover, 2009 ed.)
Pekka Teerikorpi, Mauri Valtonen, K. Lehto, Harry Lehto, Gene Byrd, …
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R2,359 Discovery Miles 23 590 | Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
Sir Isaac Newton famously said, regarding his discoveries, "If I have seen further it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."
The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life describes, complete with fascinating biographical details of the thinkers involved, the ascent to the metaphorical shoulders accomplished by the greatest minds in history. For the first time, a single book can take the reader on a journey through the history of the universe as interpreted by the expanding body of knowledge of humankind. From subatomic particles to the protein chains that form life, and expanding in scale to the entire universe, this book covers the science that explains how we came to be.
The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life contains a great breadth of knowledge, from astronomy to physics, from chemistry to biology. It includes over 350 figures that enhance the comprehension of concepts both basic and advanced, and is a non-technical, easy-to-read text at an introductory college level that is ideal for anyone interested in science as well as its history.
The Astronomical Revolution
- Copernicus - Kepler - Borelli
(Hardcover)
Alexandre Koyre
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R8,065 Discovery Miles 80 650 | Ships in 12 - 17 working days | |
Originally published in English in 1973. This volume traces the development of the revolution which so drastically altered man's view of the universe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The "astronomical revolution" was accomplished in three stages, each linked with the work of one man. With Copernicus, the sun became the centre of the universe. With Kepler, celestial dynamics replaced the kinematics of circles and spheres used by Copernicus. With Borelli the unification of celestial and terrestrial physics was completed by abandonment of the circle in favour the straight line to infinity.
Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy
(Hardcover, 2015 ed.)
Clive L. N. Ruggles
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R33,177 Discovery Miles 331 770 | Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
How human communities interpret what they perceive in the sky is
vital in fulfilling humankind s most basic need to comprehend the
universe it inhabits, both from a modern scientific perspective and
from countless other cultural standpoints, extending right back to
early prehistory. Archaeoastronomy, which is concerned with
cultural perceptions and understandings of astronomical phenomena,
is a rich cross-disciplinary field.
The central aim of Handbook of Archaeoastronomy is to provide a
reliable source for theory, method, interpretation and best
practices that will give a definitive picture of the state of the
art research in this field for serious scholars regardless of the
discipline(s) in which they are qualified. It will be equally
suitable for those already contributing to the field and those
interested in entering it. Also included are studies in
enthnoastronomy, which is concerned with contemporary practices
related to astronomy, particularly among modern indigenous
societies.
A major part of this MRW will be comprised of a set of wide-ranging
archaeoastronomical case studies both geographically and through
time, stretching right back to Palaeolithic days, and also in terms
of the types of human society and nature of their astronomical
ideas and practices. However, these will be chosen in order to best
illuminate broader issues and themes, rather than to attempt, for
example, to provide systematic coverage of recent discoveries.
Thematic articles will cover general themes such as cosmologies,
calendars, navigation, orientations and alignments, and ancient
perceptions of space and time. They will also highlight various
aspects of the social context of astronomy (its relationship to
social power, warfare, etc) and how we interpret astronomical
practices within the framework of conceptual approaches. There will
also be discussions of broad issues such as ethnocentrism,
nationalism, and astronomical dating. The methods and practices
articles will cover topics from field methodology and survey
procedures to social theory, as well as providing broad definitions
and explanations of key concepts. We will also include a number of
disciplinary perspectives on approaches to archaeoastronomy written
by leading figures in the constituent fields. These articles cover
material that, generally speaking, would be familiar to graduates
in the relevant discipline but, critically, not so to those with
different backgrounds."
X-ray Studies of the Central Engine in Active Galactic Nuclei with Suzaku
(Hardcover, 1st ed. 2016)
Hirofumi Noda
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R2,892 Discovery Miles 28 920 | Ships in 10 - 15 working days | |
The aim of this research was to use the X-ray satellite Suzaku to establish a picture of a central engine that effectively converts the gravitational energy of accreting matter onto the supermassive black hole to a huge amount of radiation in an active galactic nucleus. Although the engine is known to consist of a Comptonizing corona and an accretion disk, its image has remained unclear because primary emissions, coming directly from the engine, cannot be identified in X-ray spectra without models. The book describes a technique of time variability assisted spectral decomposition to model-independently examine X-ray signals, and how this was applied to the Suzaku archive data of active galactic nuclei. As a result, at least three distinct primary X-ray components have been discovered in an X-ray from an active galactic nucleus, presumably indicating a novel picture that the engine is composed of multiple coronae with different physical properties in an accretion flow. Furthermore, the determination of the spectral shapes of the primary X-rays has a significant impact on estimations of black hole spins, because it is essential to quantify reprocessed X-ray spectra. The successful model-independent decomposition of X-ray spectral components with flux variations of active galactic nuclei is likely to be effective in future data analyses from the soon-to-be-launched Japanese X-ray satellite ASTRO-H, which is capable of achieving unprecedented fine spectros copy and broad energy band coverage.