Are we alone in the Universe? Was there anything before the Big Bang? Are there other universes? What makes stars shine? Where does Earth's water come from? Why is the night sky dark? Was there ever life on Mars? How do telescopes work? This engaging guide book answers all these questions and hundreds more, making it a practical reference for anyone who has ever wondered what is out in the cosmos, where it all comes from, and how it all works. Richly illustrated in color throughout, it gives simple yet rigorous explanations in non-technical language, summarizing current astronomical knowledge, without overlooking the important underlying scientific principles. This second edition includes substantial new material throughout, including the latest findings from the New Horizons, Rosetta, and Dawn space missions, and images from professional telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.

This book marks the centennial of Tebbutt's death with a major biographical account surveying his scientific contributions to astronomy, prefaced with a foreword by Sir Patrick Moore. During the second half of the nineteenth century, Tebbutt was Australia's foremost astronomer. He devoted his time and funds to astronomy, and built a truly international reputation that far surpassed Australia's leading professional astronomers of the day. This book marks the centennial of Tebbutt's death with a major biographical account. Tebbutt's remarkable record of achievement extends over more than half a century. Orchiston's book covers the whole of Tebbutt's career, from his yearly observatory reports and comet discoveries to his time as the first president of Sydney's branch of the British Astronomical Association.

Spherical trigonometry was at the heart of astronomy and ocean-going navigation for two millennia. The discipline was a mainstay of mathematics education for centuries, and it was a standard subject in high schools until the 1950s. Today, however, it is rarely taught. "Heavenly Mathematics" traces the rich history of this forgotten art, revealing how the cultures of classical Greece, medieval Islam, and the modern West used spherical trigonometry to chart the heavens and the Earth. Glen Van Brummelen explores this exquisite branch of mathematics and its role in ancient astronomy, geography, and cartography; Islamic religious rituals; celestial navigation; polyhedra; stereographic projection; and more. He conveys the sheer beauty of spherical trigonometry, providing readers with a new appreciation for its elegant proofs and often surprising conclusions.

"Heavenly Mathematics" is illustrated throughout with stunning historical images and informative drawings and diagrams that have been used to teach the subject in the past. This unique compendium also features easy-to-use appendixes as well as exercises at the end of each chapter that originally appeared in textbooks from the eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries.

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.

How did life on Earth begin? How common is it elsewhere in the Universe? Written and edited by planetary scientists and astrobiologists, this undergraduate-level textbook provides an introduction to the origin and nature of life, the habitable environments in our solar system and the techniques most successfully used for discovery and characterisation of exoplanets. This third edition has been thoroughly revised to embrace the latest developments in this field. Updated topics include the origins of water on Earth, the exploration of habitable environments on Mars, Europa and Enceladus, and the burgeoning discoveries in exoplanetary systems. Ideal for introductory courses on the subject, the textbook is also well-suited for self-study. It highlights important concepts and techniques in boxed summaries, with questions and exercises throughout the text, with full solutions provided. Online resources, hosted at www.cambridge.org/features/planets, include selected figures from the book, self-assessment questions and sample tutor assignments.

Worlds on Fire takes the reader on a fascinating tour of the mightiest volcanoes in the solar system. From Kilauea volcano in Hawaii and Mount Etna in Sicily, it leaps to the lava fields and rilles of the Moon, retraces the historic footsteps of the Apollo astronauts and describes new volcanic provinces to explore. The three largest volcanoes of Mars - Olympus Mons, Alba Patera and Arsia Mons - are profiled, amongst others. The strange world of Venus, revealed by radar, opens our perspective of volcanism to features never seen before: pancake domes of puffed-up lava, and gigantic fault rings sitting over buried magma chambers. The tour of the solar system ends with the only current eruptions outside Earth: the spectacular volcanoes of Io - Jupiter's fiery moon. This highly readable 2005 book, illustrated with the most recent imagery from spacecraft, will appeal to general readers, and students of Earth and planetary sciences.

Satellites as they cross the night sky look like moving stars, which can be accurately tracked by an observer with binoculars as well as by giant radars and large cameras. These observations help to determine the satellite's orbit, which is sensitive to the drag of the upper atmosphere and to any irregularities in the gravity field of the Earth. Analysis of the orbit can be used to evaluate the density of the upper atmosphere and to define the shape of the Earth. Desmond King-Hele was the pioneer of this technique of orbit analysis, and this book tells us how the research began, before the launch of Sputnik in 1957. For thirty years King-Hele and his colleagues at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, developed and applied the technique to reveal much about the Earth and air at a very modest cost. In the 1960s the upper-atmosphere density was thoroughly mapped out for 100 to 2000 km, revealing immense variation of density with solar activity and between day and night. In the 1970s and 1980s a picture of the upper-atmosphere winds emerged, and the profile of the pear-shaped Earth was accurately charted. The number of satellites now orbiting the earth is over 5000. This book is the story of how this inexpensive research of their orbits developed to yield a rich harvest of knowledge about the Earth and its atmosphere, in a scientific narrative that is enlivened with many personal experiences.

Fred Hoyle was a remarkable scientist, and made an immense contribution to solving many important problems in astronomy. Several of his obituaries commented that he had made more influence on the course of astrophysics and cosmology in the second half of the twentieth century than any other person. This book found its basis in a meeting that was held in recognition of his work, and contains chapters by many of Hoyle's scientific collaborators. Each chapter reviews an aspect of Fred Hoyle's work; many of the subjects remain of key relevance. The chapters are not confined to the discoveries of Hoyle's own time, but also discuss research areas that were formed out of his pioneering work, particularly on the interstellar medium and star formation, the structure of stars, nucleosynthesis, gravitational dynamics, and cosmology. This wide-ranging overview will be valuable to established researchers in astrophysics and cosmology, and also to professional historians of science.

An all-new collection of first-rate science experiments!

Are you having a hard time coming up with a good idea for the science fair? Do you want to earn extra credit in your science class? Or do you just want to learn more about how the universe really works? Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Astronomy can help you, and the best part is it won’t involve any complicated or expensive equipment.

This step-by-step guide explores 30 different topics and offers dozens of experiment ideas. The book also includes charts, diagrams, and illustrations. Here are just a few of the subjects you’ll be investigating:

• The size and rotation of celestial bodies
• Eclipses and the true movements of the sun
• The apparent magnitude of the stars
• Orbital eccentricity
• Meteors and artificial satellites

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to turn your own ideas into winning science fair projects!

Also available:

Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Biology
Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Chemistry
Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Earth Science

Since the lift-off of Sputnik in 1957, over 8,000 satellites and spacecraft have been launched from over thirty countries, costing hundreds of billions of dollars. While only about 350 people have made the incredible journey beyond our atmosphere, we all benefit in countless ways from the missions. An authoriative and accessible source that collects information on man's quest to explore the Universe, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space, provides a global perspective of our occupation and use of space, whether for scientific, industrial, commercial, technical, or military purposes. The authors set the stage by describing the space environment, orbits and ground tracks, launchers and launch sites. Subsequently, they discuss the main space applications (telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation, military), plus science missions, planetary exploration, and space stations. Extensively illustrated with more than 300 illustrations, maps, and graphs, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space will be an invaluable resource for everyone interested in our use of space, and the perfect reference for those working in the space arena. Fernand Verger is Professor Emeritus of Geography at L'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris. Isabelle Sourbés-Verger is a researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research and the Foundation for Strategic Research, Paris. Raymond Ghirardi is a cartographic engineer at the CNRS and has worked on many geopolitical projects. Xavier Pasco is a researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research and Associate Professor at the Universite de Marne la Vallee. Pasco is also a Fellow at the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Every 225 million years the Earth, and all the life on it, completes one revolution around the Milky Way Galaxy. During this remarkable journey, life is influenced by calamitous changes. Comets and asteroids strike the surface of the Earth, stars explode, enormous volcanoes erupt, and, more recently, humans litter the planet with waste. Many animals and plants become extinct during the voyage, but humble microbes, simple creatures made of a single cell, survive this journey. This book takes a tour of the microbial world, from the coldest and deepest places on Earth to the hottest and highest, and witnesses some of the most catastrophic events that life can face. Impossible Extinction tells this remarkable story to the general reader by explaining how microbes have survived on Earth for over three billion years. Charles Cockell received his doctorate from the University of Oxford, and is currently a microbiologist with rhe Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI), based at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, UK. His research focusses on astrobiology, life in the extremes and the human exploration of Mars. Cockell has been on expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic, Mongolia, and in 1993 he piloted a modified insect-collecting ultra-light aircraft over the Indonesian rainforests. He is Chair of the Twenty-one Eleven Foundation for Exploration, a charity that supports expeditions that forge links between space exploration and environmentalism.

An all-new collection of first-rate science experiments!

Are you having a hard time coming up with a good idea for the science fair? Do you want to earn extra credit in your science class? Or do you just want to learn more about how the universe really works? Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Astronomy can help you, and the best part is it won’t involve any complicated or expensive equipment.

This step-by-step guide explores 30 different topics and offers dozens of experiment ideas. The book also includes charts, diagrams, and illustrations. Here are just a few of the subjects you’ll be investigating:

• The size and rotation of celestial bodies
• Eclipses and the true movements of the sun
• The apparent magnitude of the stars
• Orbital eccentricity
• Meteors and artificial satellites

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to turn your own ideas into winning science fair projects!

Also available:

Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Biology
Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Chemistry
Janice VanCleave’s A+ Projects in Earth Science

Exploring the potential for extraterrestrial life and the origins of our own planet, this comprehensive introduction to astrobiology is updated with the latest findings. Informed by the discoveries and analyses of extrasolar planets and the findings from recent robotic missions across the solar system, scientists are rapidly replacing centuries of speculation about potential extraterrestrial habitats with real knowledge about the possibility of life outside our own biosphere-if it exists, and, if so, where. Casting new light on the biggest questions there are-how did we get here, and who else might be out there?-this third edition of Kevin W. Plaxco and Michael Gross's widely acclaimed Astrobiology incorporates a decade's worth of new developments in space to bring readers the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and engaging introduction to the field available. Plaxco and Gross examine the factors that make our Universe habitable, from the origin of chemical elements and the formation of the first galaxies and stars to the birth and composition of the planets. They describe the latest thinking about the origins of life, explain the evolution of metabolism and the development of complex organisms. In order to assess the limits for life elsewhere, they also explore life in extreme habitats and reveal how it informs the search for potential extraterrestrial habitats-ones that might support extraterrestrial life. New and updated illustrations enhance the book throughout. Sharing fascinating findings from the comet mission Dawn, the visit of New Horizons to Pluto, and the work of the Deep Carbon Observatory, which has revealed an incredible underground biosphere within our own planet, Plaxco and Gross weave together cosmology, astrophysics, geology, biochemistry, biophysics, and microbiology. From neutron star mergers to the survival skills of tardigrades, this fascinating book is an ideal primer for students or anyone curious about life and the Universe.

Are we alone in the Universe? From the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars at the beginning of the century to the more recent controversial rock from Mars and the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the prospect of otherworldly life has often titillated and occasionally consumed science and the public. The search for planetary systems, the quest to explain UFOs, and inquiries into the origin of life have fueled an abundance of popular and scientific literature. They have also provided Hollywood with fodder for some of the most popular films of our time, including ET, Aliens, Independence Day, and Contact. Lucid and accessible, Life on Other Worlds chronicles the history of the twentieth-century extraterrestrial debate. Putting the latest findings and heated controversies into a broader historical context, Steven Dick documents how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own--a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the Universe. The debate rests at the very limits of science, and attempts at confirmation only illuminate the nature of science itself. Dick shows that appreciating the history of the debate enables a better understanding of the nature of science, and is central to any forward-looking view of religion and philosophy. For anyone interested in a look over the edge of scientific discovery, Life on Other Worlds provides the exciting tale behind the greatest debate in the twentieth century. Dr. Steven J. Dick is an astronomer and historian of science at the U.S. Naval Observatory. He is the author of Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge, 1982) and Biological Universe (Cambridge, 1996).

Throughout the twentieth century, from the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars to the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, otherworldly life has often intrigued and occasionally consumed science and the public. The Biological Universe provides a rich and colorful history of the attempts during the twentieth century to answer questions such as whether "biological law" reigns throughout the universe and whether there are other histories, religions, and philosophies outside those on Earth. Covering a broad range of topics, including the search for life in the solar system, the origins of life, UFOs, and aliens in science fiction, Steven J. Dick shows how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own, a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the universe. This book will fascinate astronomers, historians of science, biochemists, and science fiction readers.

Our cosmic tour begins here. As we leave the secure confines of the Earth and journey into space, we find a plethora of strange and unexpected phenomena. Little can we anticipate from the quiet, star-studded sky the violent events in the cosmos. Stars explode. Powerful radio sources eject matter in jets. The ever-changing Universe grows more beautiful and more complex the deeper into it we go. Professor Narlikar skillfully steers us through a cosmic journey of discovery, starting from the Earth and Solar System and stepping out to the farthest reaches of the Universe. Using simple analogies, humorous anecdotes, and a wealth of illustrations, he conveys the thrill of observing strange and surprising features of the Universe. The seven wonders represent a range of mysterious phenomena, a class of spectacular events, or remarkable cosmic objects that have challenged human curiosity and defied explanation. They concern the giants and dwarfs of the stellar world, the catastrophic explosion of massive stars, pulsars--the ultimate timekeepers of the cosmos, the strange effects of gravity, illusions of space, and the majestic expansion of the Universe as a whole. With lucid prose, the author weaves together a host of exciting recent discoveries in astronomy and shows us how these motivate astronomers to unravel the wonders of tomorrow.

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, and one which has repeatedly led to fundamental changes in our view of the world. This book covers the history of our study of the cosmos from prehistory to a survey of modern astronomy and astrophysics. It does not attempt to cover everything, but deliberately concentrates on the important themes and topics, including stellar astronomy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries--the source of many important concepts in modern astronomy--and the Copernican revolution, which led to the challenge of ancient authorities in many areas other than astronomy. This is an essential text for students of the history of science and for students of astronomy who require a historical background to their studies.

In The Search for Life on Other Planets, Jakosky offers a scientific foundation for thinking there may be life elsewhere in the Universe. Using the early history of the Earth and the conditions that would allow life to exist, he creates a sound, scientific foundation for the possibility of life on planets other than our own. Jakosky integrates the mechanics of planets and recent findings from our planetary exploration program to create a rich and accessible look at the likelihood of extraterrestrials and the possibility of life on other planets. His prose is authoritative but avoids technical jargon and is well illustrated throughout. For all those interested in understanding the scientific evidence for and likelihood of extraterrestrial life, this is the most comprehensive and readable book to date. Bruce Jakosky is active in spacecraft observations, and has been involved with the Viking, Solar Mesosphere Explorer, Clementine, Mars Observer, and Mars Global Surveyor missions. Currently, he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in terrestrial and planetary geology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Are we alone in the Universe? From the furor over Percival Lowell's claim of canals on Mars at the beginning of the century to the more recent controversial rock from Mars and the sophisticated Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), the prospect of otherworldly life has often titillated and occasionally consumed science and the public. The search for planetary systems, the quest to explain UFOs, and inquiries into the origin of life have fueled an abundance of popular and scientific literature. They have also provided Hollywood with fodder for some of the most popular films of our time, including ET, Aliens, Independence Day, and Contact. Lucid and accessible, Life on Other Worlds chronicles the history of the twentieth-century extraterrestrial debate. Putting the latest findings and heated controversies into a broader historical context, Steven Dick documents how the concept of extraterrestrial intelligence is a world view of its own--a "biophysical cosmology" that seeks confirmation no less than physical views of the Universe. The debate rests at the very limits of science, and attempts at confirmation only illuminate the nature of science itself. Dick shows that appreciating the history of the debate enables a better understanding of the nature of science, and is central to any forward-looking view of religion and philosophy. For anyone interested in a look over the edge of scientific discovery, Life on Other Worlds provides the exciting tale behind the greatest debate in the twentieth century. Dr. Steven J. Dick is an astronomer and historian of science at the U.S. Naval Observatory. He is the author of Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge, 1982) and Biological Universe (Cambridge, 1996).

Take a tour of the universe with this breathtaking collection of photographs from the archives of NASA. Astonishing images of Earth from above, the phenomena of our solar system, and the celestial bodies of deep space will captivate readers and photography lovers with an interest in science, astronomy, and the great beyond. Each extraordinary photograph from the legendary space agency is paired with explanatory text that contextualises its place in the cosmic ballet of planets, stars, dust, and matter-from Earth's limb to solar flares, the Jellyfish Nebula to Pandora's Cluster. Featuring a preface by Bill Nye, this engaging volume offers up-close views of our remarkable cosmos, and sparks wonder at the marvels of Earth and space.