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Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > Solar system > General

Grappling with Gravity - How Will Life Adapt to Living in Space? (Paperback, 2012): Robert W. Phillips Grappling with Gravity - How Will Life Adapt to Living in Space? (Paperback, 2012)
Robert W. Phillips
R845 R734 Discovery Miles 7 340 Save R111 (13%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Grappling with Gravity explores the physiological changes that will occur in humans and the plants and animals that accompany humans as we move to new worlds, be it to colony in the emptiness of space or settlements on the Moon, Mars, or other moons or planets. This book focuses on the biomedical aspects, while not ignoring other life-changing influences of space living. For example, what happens to people physiologically in the microgravity of space, where weight and the direction "up" become meaningless? Adapting to microgravity represents the greatest environmental challenge that life will have encountered since our ancestors moved from the seas to solid Earth. Away from Earth the human body will begin almost immediately to adapt and change, to be able to function in these strange environments. As a person adapts in space he or she will become less fit to live on Earth.

Astrology - Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life (Hardcover): Carole Taylor Astrology - Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life (Hardcover)
Carole Taylor 1
R603 R544 Discovery Miles 5 440 Save R59 (10%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

Use your star sign to reach your goals and transform your everyday life! Understand yourself, learn how to make decisions according to your star sign and advice on managing big life events through the ancient art of astrology. This spiritual and self-improvement book uses the principles of astrology to guide you to self-enrichment. Here's what you'll find in this illustrated astrology book: - Explains the technicalities of astrology in easy-to-understand language supported by contemporary graphics - Offers a psychological perspective to your ambitions, health and wellbeing, relationships, and more - With relevant information throughout the book for every reader, no matter what their birth date - ie, not just one section per Sun sign Astrology is your essential guide to making the most of all life's challenges and opportunities. In an accessible, down-to-earth style, acclaimed astrologer Carole Taylor shows you how to cast and read your own birth chart and interpret the positions of the zodiac signs, sun, moon, and other planets. You'll learn how to better understand yourself and your place in the world around you. The book of star lore features fascinating case studies and beautiful, inspiring illustrations throughout and offers psychological insights, and then pinpoints ways you can use it as a form of self-help. You'll also see how astrology can help you when you need it most, with practical advice about handling life's key moments - from your personal and professional relationships to your health, wealth, and wellbeing.

The Moon in Close-up - A Next Generation Astronomer's Guide (Paperback, Edition.): John Wilkinson The Moon in Close-up - A Next Generation Astronomer's Guide (Paperback, Edition.)
John Wilkinson
R996 R850 Discovery Miles 8 500 Save R146 (15%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Information collected by recent space probes sent to explore the Moon by the USA, the European Space Agency, Japan, China and India has changed our knowledge and understanding of the Moon, particularly its geology, since the Apollo missions. This book presents those findings in a way that will be welcomed by amateur astronomers, students, educators and anyone interested in the Moon. Enhanced by many colour photos, it combines newly acquired scientific understanding with detailed descriptions and labelled photographic maps of the lunar surface. Guided by observation methods explained in the book and 17 Study Areas presented and carefully explained in the last chapter, amateur astronomers can observe these features from Earth using telescopes and binoculars. Readers who consult the photographic maps will gain a better understanding about the Moon's topography and geology. The book is rounded out by a helpful glossary.

The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) - Mission Description and Early Results (Paperback, Softcover... The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) - Mission Description and Early Results (Paperback, Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2003)
R P Lin, B R Dennis, Arnold O. Benz
R4,058 Discovery Miles 40 580 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) satellite was launched on 5 February 2002. Its objective is to study the energy release and particle acceleration in solar flares through observations of X-rays and gamma rays. Two novel technologies are combined to obtain both spectra and images over a broad energy range. For the spectroscopy, cooled hyperpure germanium detectors are used to cover the energy range from 3 keV to 17 MeV with unprecedented keV-class resolution. Since focusing optics are not possible for making images with such high energy photons, tungsten and molybdenum absorbing grids are used to modulate the X-rays and gamma-rays coming from the Sun as the spacecraft rotates. This allows the spatial Fourier components of the source to be determined so that images can be made in spectral ranges where astronomical images have never been produced before. These new instrumental techniques require equally innovative software to reconstruct X-ray and gamma-ray spectra and images from the observations.
Ample solar activity, abundant observations, and an open data policy have attracted many researchers. Astronomers face in the RHESSI mission an exciting new scientific potential. It has unusually broad possibilities for improving our understanding of the enigmatic solar flare phenomenon that is becoming increasingly important as society depends more and more on space-based technologies.
In this volume, the functioning of RHESSI is explained, the data analysis techniques including spectroscopy and image reconstruction are introduced, and the experiences of the first few months of operation are summarized. First scientific results are presented that provide the essential base for more extended studies using RHESSI data and complementary observations by instruments on other spacecraft and at ground-based solar observatories.Scientists and students will find here the latest discoveries in solar flare research, as well as inspiration for future work. The papers will serve as references for the many new discoveries to come from the continuing RHESSI observations.

Solar Variability and Planetary Climates (Paperback, Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2007): Y. Calisesi, R.-M Bonnet, L... Solar Variability and Planetary Climates (Paperback, Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2007)
Y. Calisesi, R.-M Bonnet, L Gray, J. Langen, M. Lockwood
R4,069 Discovery Miles 40 690 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

This book provides an updated overview of the processes determining the influence of solar forcing on climate. It discusses in particular the most recent developments regarding the role of aerosols in the climate system and the new insights that could be gained from the investigation of terrestrial climate analogues. The book s structure mirrors that of the ISSI workshop held in Bern in June 2005.

Moon Power - Empowerment through cyclical living (Paperback): Merilyn Keskula Moon Power - Empowerment through cyclical living (Paperback)
Merilyn Keskula 1
R321 R293 Discovery Miles 2 930 Save R28 (9%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

The Moon is not just a static piece of cosmic matter in our night sky, but a dynamic living being. Throughout her journey around the Earth which takes about 29.5 days she shows us her different faces, growing from a silver sliver in the sky to an awe-inspiring illuminated sphere, before returning to darkness again. She changes colour and moves through a variety of star constellations reflecting the energies at play each day. The Moon gives us a map to a cyclical way of living; the blueprint for a life that breathes in harmony with the rhythm of the natural world around us. She teaches us about the importance of embracing quiet and reflective times as much as celebrating the times we experience life in its fullest expression. She informs us when to plant the seeds of our dreams and when to take stock and harvest what we have been growing. What will you discover about yourself when you tune into the moon?

Solar System - The Sun (Paperback): Solar System - The Sun (Paperback)
R130 R120 Discovery Miles 1 200 Save R10 (8%) Ships in 5 - 10 working days
Metastable Systems under Pressure (Paperback, 2010 ed.): Sylwester Rzoska, Aleksandra Drozd-Rzoska, Victor Mazur Metastable Systems under Pressure (Paperback, 2010 ed.)
Sylwester Rzoska, Aleksandra Drozd-Rzoska, Victor Mazur
R5,311 Discovery Miles 53 110 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

recently discovered advantages of amorphous forms of medicines/pharmaceutical products which focused a significant part of industry-related efforts on the GFA (Glass Forming Ability) and the glass temperature (T) versus pressure g dependences. 1 b ? 0 ? ? o ? P ? Pg P ? Pg 0 ? ? ? ? T (P ) = F (P )D (P ) =T 1 + exp ? g g ? 0 ? ? ? ? c + Pg ? ? ? ? 400 1 b 0 o ? ? ? ? P ? P P ? P g g 0 ? ? ? ? T (P ) = F (P )D (P ) =T 1 + exp ? g g 0 ? ? ? ? c ? + P max g ? ? ? ? T ~7 GPa g max P ~ 304 K Liquid g 300 1 HS glass 0 200 -1 mSG ?=0. 044 Liquid -2 100 -3 glass ?=0. 12 -1. 2 -0. 9 -0. 6 -0. 3 0. 0 log T 10 scaled -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 P (GPa) g 19 Figure 1. T he pressure evolution of the glass temperature in gl Th ye s cerol ol . id curve shows the parameterization of experimental data via the novel, modifie d Glat Sizm elon type equation, given in the Figure.

The Sun and How to Observe It (Paperback, 2009 ed.): Jamey L. Jenkins The Sun and How to Observe It (Paperback, 2009 ed.)
Jamey L. Jenkins
R1,289 R1,067 Discovery Miles 10 670 Save R222 (17%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

In Part 1, the book describes the very latest thinking on solar physics in (mostly non-mathematical) detail, incorporating the latest results from research concerning the structure and behaviour of the Sun. There is particular emphasis on the surface features visible from the Earth, and how these are the result of the extraordinary processes that are taking place within the Sun.

In Part 2, the book details the techniques for observing and imaging the Sun with commercially-available equipment. The many recent advances in optical equipment now allow amateur astronomers to observe phenomena that until recently could only be seen with the extremely expensive equipment available at universities and research observatories notably H-alpha and Calcium-K telescopes.

This is a completely up-to-date solar observing book, while providing the science background necessary for an understanding of the observations with the latest equipment. It also features the most complete solar observing and imaging guide available."

Planet Mars - Story of Another World (Paperback, 2008 ed.): Francois Forget, Francois Costard, Philippe Lognonne Planet Mars - Story of Another World (Paperback, 2008 ed.)
Francois Forget, Francois Costard, Philippe Lognonne
R984 R838 Discovery Miles 8 380 Save R146 (15%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Mars, like planet Earth, is a complex and vast world with a long history. The authors of this book give a new insight of Mars by adopting an original outline based on history rather than on subtopic (atmosphere, surface, interior). They focus on the past and present evolution of Mars and also incorporate all the recent results from the space missions of Mars Express, Spirit and Opportunity.

This book goes to the heart of current planetological research, and illustrates it with many beautiful images. The authors describe the magnificent scenery on Mars including Olympus Mons, more than 20,000 metres high and the solar systema (TM)s biggest volcano. At Marsa (TM) poles, glaciers, formed from thousands of fine strata, are evidence of past climatic fluctuations. Drs Forget and Costard and Professor LognonnA(c) introduce a new world and reveal the workings of the planet Mars. They answer the questions: How was Mars formed? Why has its evolution followed a different path to that of Earth? What do its river beds, volcanoes and glaciers tell us about its past? Could life have existed there? Does it exist there now? What processes a ~drivea (TM) Mars today?

The five parts of the book trace the history of Mars. Part 1 examines its formation from the ashes of dead stars, more than 4A-5 billion years ago. Part 2 travels through its early and turbulent youth and gradual, 3A-5-billion-year long metamorphosis. Part 3 traces the creation of great planetary structures while Part 4 explores this active planet as it is today, with its dust storms, water features and atmosphere, and shows that Mars is subject to continual climatic change. Finally in Part 5, the story of the recent exploration ofMars and current research in laboratories and space agencies in preparation for the missions of the next twenty years is recounted.

Observing the Sun with Coronado (TM) Telescopes (Paperback, 2007 ed.): Philip Pugh Observing the Sun with Coronado (TM) Telescopes (Paperback, 2007 ed.)
Philip Pugh
R1,124 R953 Discovery Miles 9 530 Save R171 (15%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

For this ground-breaking book, Philip Pugh has assembled a team of contributors who show just how much solar observation work can be accomplished with Coronado telescopes, and explain how to get the best from these marvelous instruments. The book shows that Solar prominences, filaments, flares, sunspots, plage and active regions are all visible and can be imaged to produce spectacular solar photographs.

The Moon - Resources, Future Development and Settlement (Paperback, 2nd ed. 2007): David Schrunk, Burton Sharpe, Bonnie L.... The Moon - Resources, Future Development and Settlement (Paperback, 2nd ed. 2007)
David Schrunk, Burton Sharpe, Bonnie L. Cooper, Madhu Thangavelu
R1,600 R1,327 Discovery Miles 13 270 Save R273 (17%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

The Moon: Resources, Future Development and Settlement describes feasible human settlement of the Moon in the coming century. Small scale, tele-operated and autonomous robotic in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) projects are first, followed by electric power, communication, and transportation networks manufactured from lunar resources. These infrastructure networks are field tested an commissioned in the polar regions of the Moon, and permanent human settlements are then established. Through several phases of development, the utility networks grow, and the number of permanently inhabited bases increases to inculde all areas of interest on the Moon. The book stresses that the envisioned "Planet Moon Project" will link the technological and cultural expertise of humanity to the virtually limitless resources of space. From that beginning, the people of the Earth reap substatntial benefits from space, and the human species will evolve into a spacefaring civilization.

The New Worlds - Extrasolar Planets (Paperback, 2007 ed.): Fabienne Casoli, Therese Encrenaz The New Worlds - Extrasolar Planets (Paperback, 2007 ed.)
Fabienne Casoli, Therese Encrenaz
R670 R599 Discovery Miles 5 990 Save R71 (11%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

The detection and exploration of extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting and fast moving areas of astronomical research at the present time. With over forty research programmes ongoing, and just as many planned, the search for these new worlds has become the main objective for a new generation of giant ground-based telescopes as well as many future space missions. Experimental methods and observational techniques are pushing existing instruments to their limits. The most exciting possibility offered by this research is the discovery of Earth-like extrasolar planets, with a mass comparable to that of Earth, located at the right distance from its star to host liquid water - in other words, a place where life could evolve. The authors tackle this challenging field of research by first looking at early searches for extrasolar planets, the very first discoveries and the observational techniques involved. They, then examine the very wide range of extrasolar planets that have been discovered during the past ten years and look at what we can learn about such planets by studying the bodies in our own solar system.The formation of planetary systems, the way in which such systems may evolve and the final systems of planets that result are then discussed. Finally, Drs Casoli and Encrenaz examine the possibilities for life on extrasolar planets, again using our own solar system as a model, and look to the plans for future extrasolar planet searches. A number of Appendices summarise the extrasolar planet discoveries to date.

Supernovae - and How to Observe Them (Paperback, 2007 ed.): Martin Mobberley Supernovae - and How to Observe Them (Paperback, 2007 ed.)
Martin Mobberley
R747 R661 Discovery Miles 6 610 Save R86 (12%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

This book is intended for amateur astronomers who are readers of Sky & Telescope magazine or similar astronomy periodicals - or are at least at the same level of knowledge and enthusiasm. Supernovae represent the most violent stellar explosions in the universe. This is a unique guide to supernova facts, and it is also an observing/discovery guide, all in one package. Supernovae are often discovered by amateur astronomers, and the book describes the best strategies for discovering and observing them. Moreover, it contains detailed information about the probable physics of supernovae, a subject which even today is imperfectly understood.

Raphael's Astronomical Ephemeris of the Planets' Places 1994 (Paperback): Foulsham Books Raphael's Astronomical Ephemeris of the Planets' Places 1994 (Paperback)
Foulsham Books
R151 Discovery Miles 1 510 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

This is a reference source for professional and student astrologers alike. The book has been published annually since 1821. It gives the longitudes of all the planets for each day and their latitudes and declinations for every other day, and includes tables of houses for London, Liverpool and New York. The book also contains complete lunar and planetary aspectarians together with all the neccessary data for casting horoscopes for all places in the world, both north and south of the Equator.

Planetary Ring Systems (Paperback, 2007 ed.): Ellis D. Miner, Randii R. Wessen, Jeffrey N. Cuzzi Planetary Ring Systems (Paperback, 2007 ed.)
Ellis D. Miner, Randii R. Wessen, Jeffrey N. Cuzzi
R859 R748 Discovery Miles 7 480 Save R111 (13%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

This is the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on the topic of planetary rings systems yet written. The book is written in a style and at a language level easily accessible to the interested non-expert. The authors cover the scientific significance of ring studies, the history of their discovery and characterization, the observations of Pioneer 10 at Jupiter, Pioneer 11 and Voyager 1 at Jupiter and Saturn, Voyager 2 at all four giant planets of the solar system, and Galileo at Jupiter. Each chapter includes extensive notes, references, figures and tables. A bibliography is included at the end of each chapter.

Physics of the Solar Corona - An Introduction with Problems and Solutions (Paperback, 1st ed. 2005. 2nd printing 2006): Markus... Physics of the Solar Corona - An Introduction with Problems and Solutions (Paperback, 1st ed. 2005. 2nd printing 2006)
Markus Aschwanden
R3,739 Discovery Miles 37 390 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Solar science has evolved rapidly over the past ten years as the results of a new generation of solar space missions have become available. This book provides a thorough introduction to the subject of solar physics, based on those spacecraft observations. The author introduces the solar corona, which has a temperature of several million degrees, and sets it in the context of basic plasma physics before moving on to discuss plasma instabilities and plasma heating processes. The latest results on coronal heating and radiation, which are fundamental processes in all stars, are presented. Spectacular phenomena such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections are described in detail, together with their potential effects on the Earth. The author draws together observations made at many wavelengths from hard X-rays, soft X-rays, extreme UV and radio wavelengths.

This paperback study edition of Markus Aschwanden s highly acclaimed Physics of the Solar Corona will include 50 pages of problems and solutions which will much enhance the value of the book to students."

Water and the Search for Life on Mars (Paperback, 2005 ed.): David M. Harland Water and the Search for Life on Mars (Paperback, 2005 ed.)
David M. Harland
R761 R675 Discovery Miles 6 750 Save R86 (11%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

Mars has long been believed to have been cold, dead and dry for eons, but there is now striking new proof that not only was Mars a relatively warm and wet place in geologically recent times, but that even today there are vast reserves of water frozen beneath the planet's surface. As well as casting fascinating new insights into Mars' past, this discovery is also forcing a complete rethink about the mechanisms of global planetary change and the possibility that there is microbial life on Mars. David Harland considers the issue of life on Mars in parallel with the origin of life on Earth. At the time the Viking instruments were designed, it was thought that all terrestrial life ultimately derived its energy from sunlight, and that the earliest form of life was the cyanobacteria with chlorophyll for photosynthesis. It was assumed the same would be the case on Mars and that microbial life would be on or near the surface that the Vikings had sampled.

The Moon and How to Observe It (Paperback, 2005 ed.): Peter Grego The Moon and How to Observe It (Paperback, 2005 ed.)
Peter Grego
R1,016 R870 Discovery Miles 8 700 Save R146 (14%) Ships in 18 - 22 working days

This revolutionary new book is written for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know the details of exactly what they are looking at. The Moon is the most commonly observed of all astronomical objects. This is the first book to deal equally with the Moon itself - its formation, geology, and history - as well as the practical aspects of observation.

The concept of the book - and of the series - is to present an up-to-date detailed description of the Moon, including its origins, history, and geology (part one); and then (part two) to consider how best to observe and record it successfully using commercially-available equipment.

The Moon and How to Observe It is a mine of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced

Moons: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback): David A. Rothery Moons: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
David A. Rothery
R281 R254 Discovery Miles 2 540 Save R27 (10%) Ships in 9 - 17 working days

Proving to be both varied and fascinating, moons are far more common than planets in our Solar System. Our own Moon has had a profound influence on Earth, not only through tidal effects, but even on the behaviour of some marine animals. Many remarkable things have been discovered about the moons of the giant outer planets from Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, and other spacecraft. Scientists have glimpsed volcanic activity on Io, found oceans of water on Titan, and captured photos of icy geysers bursting from Enceladus. It looks likely that microbial life beyond the Earth may be discovered on a moon rather than a planet. In this Very Short Introduction David Rothery introduces the reader to the moons of our Solar System, beginning with the early discoveries of Galileo and others, describing their variety of mostly mythological names, and the early use of Jupiter's moons to establish position at sea and to estimate the speed of light. Rothery discusses the structure, formation, and influence of our Moon, and those of the other planets, and ends with the recent discovery of moons orbiting asteroids, whilst looking forward to the possibility of finding moons of exoplanets in planetary systems far beyond our own. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

A Primer on Complex Systems - With Applications to Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas (Paperback, 1st ed. 2018): Raul... A Primer on Complex Systems - With Applications to Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas (Paperback, 1st ed. 2018)
Raul Sanchez, David Newman
R2,008 Discovery Miles 20 080 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

The purpose of this book is to illustrate the fundamental concepts of complexity and complex behavior and the best methods to characterize this behavior by means of their applications to some current research topics from within the fields of fusion, earth and solar plasmas. In this sense, it is a departure from the many books already available that discuss general features of complexity. The book is divided in two parts. In the first part the most important properties and features of complex systems are introduced, discussed and illustrated. The second part discusses several instances of possible complex phenomena in magnetized plasmas and some of the analysis tools that were introduced in the first part are used to characterize the dynamics in these systems. A list of problems is proposed at the end of each chapter. This book is intended for graduate and post-graduate students with a solid college background in mathematics and classical physics, who intend to work in the field of plasma physics and, in particular, plasma turbulence. It will also be of interest to senior scientists who have so far approached these systems and problems from a different perspective and want a new fresh angle.

The View from Space - Photographic Exploration of the Planets (Paperback, Revised): Merton Davies, Bruce Murray The View from Space - Photographic Exploration of the Planets (Paperback, Revised)
Merton Davies, Bruce Murray
R1,541 Discovery Miles 15 410 Ships in 18 - 22 working days
Impact! The Threat of Comets and Asteroids (Paperback, Revised): Gerrit L. Verschuur Impact! The Threat of Comets and Asteroids (Paperback, Revised)
Gerrit L. Verschuur
R543 Discovery Miles 5 430 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Most scientists now agree that some sixty-five million years ago, an immense comet slammed into the Yucatan, detonating a blast twenty million times more powerful than the largest hydrogen bomb, punching a hole ten miles deep in the earth. Trillions of tons of rock were vaporized and launched into the atmosphere. For a thousand miles in all directions, vegetation burst into flames. There were tremendous blast waves, searing winds, showers of molten matter from the sky, earthquakes, and a terrible darkness that cut out sunlight for a year, enveloping the planet in freezing cold. Thousands of species of plants and animals were obliterated, including the dinosaurs, some of which may have become extinct in a matter of hours. In Impact, Gerrit L. Verschuur offers an eye-opening look at such catastrophic collisions with our planet. Perhaps more important, he paints an unsettling portrait of the possibility of new collisions with earth, exploring potential threats to our planet and describing what scientists are doing right now to prepare for this awful possibility.
Every day something from space hits our planet, Verschuur reveals. In fact, about 10,000 tons of space debris fall to earth every year, mostly in meteoric form. The author recounts spectacular recent sightings, such as over Allende, Mexico, in 1969, when a fireball showered the region with four tons of fragments, and the twenty-six pound meteor that went through the trunk of a red Chevy Malibu in Peekskill, New York, in 1992 (the meteor was subsequently sold for $69,000 and the car itself fetched $10,000). But meteors are not the greatest threat to life on earth, the author points out. The major threats are asteroids and comets. The reader discovers that astronomers have located some 350 NEAs ("Near Earth Asteroids"), objects whose orbits cross the orbit of the earth, the largest of which are 1627 Ivar (6 kilometers wide) and 1580 Betula (8 kilometers). Indeed, we learn that in 1989, a bus-sized asteroid called Asclepius missed our planet by 650,000 kilometers (a mere six hours), and that in 1994 a sixty-foot object passed within 180,000 kilometers, half the distance to the moon. Comets, of course, are even more deadly. Verschuur provides a gripping description of the small comet that exploded in the atmosphere above the Tunguska River valley in Siberia, in 1908, in a blinding flash visible for several thousand miles (every tree within sixty miles of ground zero was flattened). He discusses Comet Swift-Tuttle--"the most dangerous object in the solar system"--a comet far larger than the one that killed off the dinosaurs, due to pass through earth's orbit in the year 2126. And he recounts the collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in 1994, as some twenty cometary fragments struck the giant planet over the course of several days, casting titanic plumes out into space (when Fragment G hit, it outshone the planet on the infrared band, and left a dark area at the impact site larger than the Great Red Spot). In addition, the author describes the efforts of Spacewatch and other groups to locate NEAs, and evaluates the idea that comet and asteroid impacts have been an underrated factor in the evolution of life on earth.
Astronomer Herbert Howe observed in 1897: "While there are not definite data to reason from, it is believed that an encounter with the nucleus of one of the largest comets is not to be desired." As Verschuur shows in Impact, we now have substantial data with which to support Howe's tongue-in-cheek remark. Whether discussing monumental tsunamis or the innumerable comets in the Solar System, this book will enthrall anyone curious about outer space, remarkable natural phenomenon, or the future of the planet earth.

Meteorites and their Parent Planets (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition): Harry Y. McSween Meteorites and their Parent Planets (Paperback, 2nd Revised edition)
Harry Y. McSween
R2,198 Discovery Miles 21 980 Ships in 10 - 15 working days

Meteorites and Their Parent Planets provides an engrossing overview of a highly interdisciplinary field--the study of extraterrestrial materials. The second edition of this successful book has been thoroughly revised, and describes the nature of meteorites, where they come from, and how they get to Earth. Meteorites offer important insights into processes in stars and in interstellar regions, the birth of our solar system, the formation and evolution of planets and smaller bodies, and the origin of life. The first edition was immensely popular with meteorite collectors, scientists and science students in many fields, as well as amateur astronomers. In this second edition all of the illustrations have been updated and improved, many sections have been expanded and modified based on discoveries in the past decade, and a new final chapter on the importance of meteorites has been added. Everyone with an interest in meteorites will want a copy of this book.

The Role of the Sun in Climate Change (Paperback, New): Douglas V. Hoyt, Kenneth H. Shatten The Role of the Sun in Climate Change (Paperback, New)
Douglas V. Hoyt, Kenneth H. Shatten
R2,359 Discovery Miles 23 590 Ships in 18 - 22 working days

This book reviews the physics of the concept of solar forcing, or driving, of climate change in manageable terms, tracing its history from its beginnings in the early 1800s to a resurgence of interest in the idea in recent years. Emphasis is on solar variation as a driver for climate change; other mechanisms are treated briefly.

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