Despite its apparent unchanging appearance in the daytime sky, the Sun is incredibly dynamic and shrouded in mystery. In this guide, Dr. Ryan French explores history, science, and modern observations to uncover the mysteries of the Sun.

From ancient astronomers who hailed the Sun as a deity, to new age space exploration, the way we observe the Sun has come a long way. Humanity’s scientific journey to understand the Sun has included many intriguing and humorous tales from over the centuries. In today’s age, it is far easier to become a sun observer. Learn about cutting-edge space observations of the Sun and how to access these images from home. Uncover further methods of observing the Sun safely from your own back garden using off-the-shelf solar telescopes, DIY pin-hole cameras and solar projectors.

The perfect gift for anyone wishing to learn more about our local star.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin left humanity's first footprints on the Moon, July 20, 1969. "A beautiful demonstration of how curiosity and wonder brought our planet together to accomplish the impossible." - Dagogo Altraide, creator of ColdFusion and author of New Thinking #1 New Release in History of Astronomy, Space Science, and Aeronautics & Astronautics The plaque they left behind reads, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." But was the Apollo 11 moon landing mission really a global endeavor? How did people outside the United States view these "rocket men"? Against the political backdrop of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, was it, indeed, "For all mankind"? Dr. Tanya Harrison and Dr. Danny Bednar have talked to individuals from a variety of locations outside the United States, to see how this event touched the lives of people across the world. Enthusiasts of space travel, the Apollo missions, and the moon landings will love this book. These previously untold stories reveal the impact of the moon landings around the globe, and what having a "man on the moon" meant to the international community. In this exciting book... Find interviews with eight non-Americans to get their perspectives Be inspired by their memories of the event Learn more about one of the most historic events in human history If you liked A Man on the Moon, Rocket Men or First Man, you will love For All Humankind.

The most distant planets in our solar system, Uranus and Neptune were unknown by the ancients - Uranus was discovered in the 1780s and Neptune only in the 1840s. Our discovery and observation of both planets has been hampered by their sheer distance from Earth: there has only been one close encounter, Voyager 2 in the late 1980s. The Voyager mission revealed many enticing details about the planets and their moons, but also left many more questions unanswered. This book is an informative and accessible introduction to Uranus, Neptune and their moons. It takes the reader on a journey from discovery to the most recent observations made from space- and ground-based telescopes, and will appeal to amateur and professional astronomers alike.

"If you buy just one guide...you won't do better than this" - BBC Sky at Night Magazine "I will continue to enjoy 'Philip's Stargazing' as the months go by" - Helen Sharman, Astronaut "Very useful indeed" - Chris Lintott, Sky at Night presenter Discover the latest in stargazing with the new and definitive guide to the night sky. Whether you're a seasoned astronomer or just starting out, Philip's Stargazing 2022 is the only book you'll need. Compiled by experts and specially designed for use in Britain and Ireland, Stargazing 2022 acts as a handily illustrated and comprehensive companion. - 12 Brand-New Maps for year-round astronomical discovery - Month-to-Month information. Daily Moon Phase Calendar, highlighting special lunar events throughout the year - Planet Watch for ideal viewing days in 2022 - Avoid light pollution with our detailed Dark Sky Map - Expert advice and insight throughout from internationally renowned Professor Nigel Henbest - A 'Behind the Scenes' look at astrophotography from expert Robin Scagell - Complete calendar of major astronomical events, including the Top 20 Sky Sights of 2022 - Jargon Buster, explaining common or confusing terms - The planets' movements explained from solar and lunar eclipses to meteor showers and comets

Covering both homemade and commercial products, this book provides the reader with simple and straightforward information about the modeling, building, and use of binoscopes. Binoscopes can be thought of as binoculars enlarged to the size of telescopes - essentially, a combination of the two. Constructing a binoscope is easier than most people think, but it still demands attention to detail and proper background knowledge. The author goes on to provide additional information about the products currently on the market, should the reader choose to purchase one instead of building it. Lastly, the book also compares binoscopes with telescopes in great detail, outlining the differences the reader can expect to see in the night sky from using both. The celestial views obtained with a binoscope, compared to a single telescope of the same aperture, are a very different experience. The new edition emphasizes the obvious advantages of viewing celestial objects through a binoscope. There are also many new photos and additional information on the latest equipment and some very special and rare equipment a collector might be interested in. Newly added cartoons and additional images of beautiful deep sky objects in each of the chapters makes reading the book a more enjoyable experience. Finally, there is a new comet discovery form and guide to follow for such discoveries, and a complete list of Messier objects for those interested in searching for these.

Unofficially they called themselves the TFNG, or the Thirty-Five New Guys. Officially, they were NASA's Group 8 astronauts, selected in January 1978 to train for orbital missions aboard the Space Shuttle. Prior to this time only pilots or scientists trained as pilots had been assigned to fly on America's spacecraft, but with the advent of the innovative winged spacecraft the door was finally opened to non-pilots, including women and minorities. In all, 15 of those selected were categorised as Pilot Astronauts, while the other 20 would train under the new designation of Mission Specialist. Altogether, the Group 8 astronauts would be launched on a total of 103 space missions; some flying only once, while others flew into orbit as many as five times. Sadly, four of their number would perish in the Challenger tragedy in January 1986. In their latest collaborative effort, the authors bring to life the amazing story behind the selection of the first group of Space Shuttle astronauts, examining their varied backgrounds and many accomplishments in a fresh and accessible way through deep research and revealing interviews. Throughout its remarkable 30-year history as the workhorse of NASA's human spaceflight exploration, twice halted through tragedy, the Shuttle fleet performed with magnificence. So too did these 35 men and women, swept up in the dynamic thrust and ongoing development of America's Space Shuttle program. "This book on the Group 8 Astronauts, the TFNGs, is an excellent summation of the individuals first selected for the new Space Shuttle Program. It provides insight into what it took to first get the Space Shuttle flying. For any space enthusiast it is a must read." - Robert L. Crippen PLT on STS-1 "As a reader, I had many moments where long, lost memories of the triumph and tragedy of the space shuttle program were brilliantly reawakened at the turn of a page. Loved it! This is a must-have book for every space enthusiast's library." - TFNG Mission Specialist Astronaut Richard 'Mike' Mullane, author of Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut "Many of the anecdotes in the book brought back memories of challenges, opportunities, and a team of men and women who were committed not just to the space program, but to one another...I've gone back to it several times as a reference source." - TFNG Steve Hawley, 5-time Space Shuttle Mission Specialist Astronaut "The TFNG book is incredible and amazingly thorough! The detail in the book is awesome! It is my go-to book for any of the details I've forgotten." - TFNG Dr. Rhea Seddon, 3-time Space Shuttle Mission Specialist Astronaut. "I can't believe how detailed and complete it is!!! FANTASTIC work!!!" - TFNG Robert L."Hoot" Gibson, 5-time Space Shuttle Pilot & Commander and former Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office

For the legions of sky watchers everywhere - an at - a - glance moon calendar with the dates and times of every moon phase, eclipse, and perigee and apogee over the course of 2023.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a permanently manned earth-orbiting complex where astronauts carry out research into a wide range of scientific activities. It comprises modules built in the USA, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. Author David Baker examines how the ISS was built, the logistics modules and freighters operated by its user nations, how the ISS works as an integrated facility, life on board, what the ISS does, the research carried out and who benefits.

Informal, story-telling approach Star charts, photos, and illustrations Interesting anecdotes, mythologies, and histories about the stars and constellations Brightest and best stars, star clusters and asterisms, nebulae, galaxies, variable stars and more Month by month, star by star, object by object, Stephen James O Meara takes readers on a celestial journey to many of the most prominent stars and constellations visible from mid-northern latitudes. Filled with interesting anecdotes about the stars and constellations and their intriguing histories, this book is both a useful guide for amateur astronomers, and a great first-time reference for those just starting out. After describing a constellation s mythology, readers are guided in locating and identifying its brightest stars in the sky, as well as any other bright targets of interest - colorful stars, double or multiple stars, star clusters and asterisms, nebulae, galaxies, variable stars, and more. This book will help beginning stargazers become familiar with the stars and constellations visible from their backyards, and explore the brightest and best stars, nebulae, and clusters visible through inexpensive, handheld binoculars. Steve O'Meara on skywatching with binoculars - Listen to the Podcast interview by EarthSky: About Steve O'Meara Stephen James O Meara, award-winning visual observer, is columnist and contributing editor for Astronomy magazine and former Eye on the Sky columnist for Sky & Telescope. He is the recipient of the prestigious Caroline Herschel Award, the Lone Stargazer Award, as well as the Omega Centauri Award for his efforts in advancing astronomy through observation, writing, and promotion, and for sharing his love of the sky. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 3637 O Meara in his honor. As the first to sight Halley s Comet on its return in 1985, his remarkable skills continually reset the standard of quality for other visual observers.
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This fascinating book provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of modern cosmology. In particular, the book discusses the formation of the Cosmic Microwave Background and the evolution of large scale structures in the universe, the distribution of galaxies and clusters of galaxies on very large distance scales. Following a brief introduction, the authors describe the scientific method - how science is done. They then discuss observational cosmology, the instruments and what observations can be done with them, and what is derived from those observations. After discussing the constituents of the universe, including dark matter and dark energy, the authors provide an outline of the forces that shape the universe, with particular emphasis on gravitation. Following this, the reader is taken on a journey in time from the present day back to the very beginning of the universe, a period called inflation, which sets the initial conditions for the subsequent evolution of the universe. The book ends with a brief chapter on what lies beyond. Written by two experts, the book is aimed at the interested lay-person with little or no physics background, but an interest in modern cosmology.

The book is divided into two parts. In the first, the reader is taken on an ideal 'world tour' of many wonderful and enigmatic places in almost every continent, in search of traces of astronomical knowledge and lore of the sky. In the second part, Giulio Magli uses the elements presented in the tour to show that the fundamental idea which led to the construction of the astronomically-related giant monuments was the foundation of power, a foundation which was exploited by 'replicating' the sky. A possible interpretive model then emerges that is founded on the relationship the ancients had with "nature", in the sense of everything that surrounded them, the cosmos. The numerous monumental astronomically aligned structures of the past then become interpretable as acts of will, expressions of power on the part of those who held it; the will to replicate the heavenly plane here on earth and to build sacred landscapes. Finally, having formulated his hypothesis, Professor Magli returns to visit one specific place in detail, searching for proof. This in-depth examination studies the most compelling, the most intensively studied, the most famous and, until recently, the most misunderstood sacred landscape on the planet - Giza, in Egypt. The archaeoastronomical analysis of the orientation of the Giza pyramids leads to the hypothesis that the pyramids of Cheops and Chephren belong to the same construction project.

An in-depth guide for aspiring astronomers and Moon observers from the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Includes detailed Moon maps and covers the history of lunar observation and exploration, the properties of the Moon, its origin and orbit. This is the ideal book for Moon observers covering essential equipment, and the key events to look out for. Detailed advice is given on how to choose a telescope and how to capture the Moon in sketches. Discover all you need to know about eclipses, blue moons, supermoons, conjunctions and occultations. A comprehensive section covers astrophotography using lenses, telescopes, Smartphones, including video and how to process your images. Comes with a photographic atlas of lunar features with plates and annotated maps. A glossary of key terms, index of lunar features and software references are also provided.

The scale of the cosmos can be baffling, with distances so vast and timescales to long that it's easy to dismiss them as being completely divorced from our everyday life. But in this new book Dr Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, shows you the myriad ways we are intrinsically connected to the rest of the universe and how everything on Earth - from the ground beneath our feet to the technology in our pockets - has origins in space. Discover how rocks from space reveal what conditions are like at our planet's core, how the desolate surface of the moon holds ancient clues to Earth's earliest life forms, and how buried treasure in the Nile reveals the watery past of Mars. Discover how the atoms of your own body were forged in the heart of a star, how you can see the echo of creation on your TV, and the ways in which technology developed for observing the most far-flung corners of space is now used to diagnose potentially fatal human diseases. The Intimate Universe is a curated tour of the most fascinating phenomena and discoveries in astronomy, revealing how we are inextricably, inspirationally linked to the cosmos.

Looking at the night sky, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s all quiet up there in space. But you’d be wrong. Extreme events are forever unfolding: galaxies explode, cosmic debris hurtles through the heavens and our own Milky Way is on a collision course with the giant Andromeda galaxy.

Mayhem moulded the cosmos, shaped life on Earth and at times threatened to end it. With an enduring sense of wonder, through cataclysms great and small, Bob Berman presents a destructive history of our universe.

This book is the first to provide a comprehensive, readily understandable report on the European Space Agency's Gaia mission that will meet the needs of a general audience. It takes the reader on an exciting journey of discovery, explaining how such a scientific satellite is made, presenting the scientific results available from Gaia to date, and examining how the collected data will be used and their likely scientific consequences. The Gaia mission will provide a complete and high-precision map of the positions, distances, and motions of the stars in our galaxy. It will revolutionize our knowledge on the origin and evolution of the Milky Way, on the effects of mysterious dark matter, and on the birth and evolution of stars and extrasolar planets. The Gaia satellite was launched in December 2013 and has a foreseen operational lifetime of five to six years, culminating in a final stellar catalogue in the early 2020s. This book will appeal to all who have an interest in the mission and the profound impact that it will have on astronomy.

Now available in paperback, this beautifully illustrated volume ranges across the entire history of Jupiter studies, from the naked-eye observations of the Babylonians and the Greeks, through the telescopic discoveries of Galileo and T.E.R. Phillips, to the explosion of information received from space probes. It brings our understanding of Jupiter right up to date and includes preliminary findings from the Juno space probe, while also providing valuable practical information for those who wish to make their own observations of the planet. Introducing planetary science in an accessible and engaging way, Jupiter will appeal to those who wish to have a better understanding of this magnificent planet and its unique place in the solar system.

The sweeping diversity of complex life on Earth, Ward and Brownlee argue, evolved out of an extraordinary set of physical conditions and chance events that would be extremely hard to duplicatea "a "though not impossible. Many planets throughout the vastness of the Universe may be teeming with microbial life, but advancement beyond this stage is very rare. Everyone with an interest in the possible extent of life in the Universe and the nature of life's evolution on our own planet will be fascinated by Rare Earth. .,."likely to cause a revolution in thinking..." The New York Times .,."[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..." Newsday (New York) .,."a sobering and valuable perspective..." Science .,."a startling new hypothesis..." Library Journal .,."Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..." The Economist .,."provocative, significant, and sweeping..." Northwest Science & Technology .,."a stellar example of clear writing..." American Scientist

The Cambridge Double Star Atlas is back! It is the first and only atlas of physical double stars that can be viewed with amateur astronomical instruments. Completely rewritten, this new edition explains the latest research into double stars, and looks at the equipment, techniques and opportunities that will enable you to discover, observe and measure them. The target list has been completely revised and extended to 2500 binary or multiple systems. Each system is described with the most recent and accurate data from the authoritative Washington Double Star Catalog, including the HD and SAO numbers that are most useful in our digital age. Hundreds of remarks explain the attributes of local, rapidly changing, often measured or known orbital systems. The color atlas charts by Wil Tirion have been updated to help you easily find and identify the target systems, as well as other deep-sky objects. This is an essential reference for double star observers.

This book is a distinctively original biography of Galileo Galilei, probably the last eclectic genius of the Italian Renaissance, who was not only one of the greatest scientists ever, but also a philosopher, a theologian, and a man of great literary, musical, and artistic talent - "The Tuscan Artist", as the poet John Milton referred to him. Galileo was exceptional in simultaneously excelling in the Arts, Science, Philosophy, and Theology. These diverse aspects of his life were closely intertwined; indeed, it may be said that he personally demonstrated that human culture is not divisible, but rather one, with a thousand shades. Galileo also represented the bridge between two historical epochs. As the philosopher Tommaso Campanella, a contemporary of Galileo, recognized at the time, Galileo was responsible for ushering in a new age, the Modern Age. This book, which is exceptional in the completeness of its coverage, explores all aspects of the life of Galileo, as a Tuscan artist and giant of the Renaissance, in a stimulating and reader-friendly way.

This book tells the story of the catastrophic impact of the giant 10 Km asteroid Chicxulub into the ancient Gulf of Mexico 65.5 million years ago. The book begins with a discussion of the nature of asteroids and the likelihood of future Earth-impacts. The story then turns to the discovery of a global sediment layer attributed to the fallout from the impact and a piecing together of the evidence that revealed a monster crater, buried under the Gulf. Reviewed is the myriad of geological and fossil evidence that suggested the disastrous sequence of events occurring when a "nuclear-like" explosion ripped through the sea, Earth, and atmosphere, thus forming the mega-crater and tsunami. The aftermath of the Chicxulub's event initiated decades and more of major global climate changes including a "Nuclear Winter" of freezing darkness and blistering greenhouse warming. A chapter is dedicated to the science of tsunamis and their model generation, including a portrayal of the globally rampaging Chicxulub waves. The asteroid's global devastation killed off some 70% of animal and plant life including the dinosaurs. The study of an ancient Cambrian fossil bed suggests how "roll of the dice" events can affect the future evolution of life on Earth. We see how Chicxulub's apparent destruction of the dinosaurs, followed by the their replacement with small mammals, altered forever the progress of human evolution. This book presents a fascinating glimpse through the lens of the natural sciences - the geology, climatology, and oceanography, of the effects of an enormous astronomical event.

Given the fact that there are perhaps 400 billion stars in our Galaxy alone, and perhaps 400 billion galaxies in the Universe, it stands to reason that somewhere out there, in the 14-billion-year-old cosmos, there is or once was a civilization at least as advanced as our own. The sheer enormity of the numbers almost demands that we accept the truth of this hypothesis. Why, then, have we encountered no evidence, no messages, no artifacts of these extraterrestrials? In this second, significantly revised and expanded edition of his widely popular book, Webb discusses in detail the (for now!) 75 most cogent and intriguing solutions to Fermi's famous paradox: If the numbers strongly point to the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations, why have we found no evidence of them? Reviews from the first edition: "Amidst the plethora of books that treat the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence, this one by Webb ... is outstanding. ... Each solution is presented in a very logical, interesting, thorough manner with accompanying explanations and notes that the intelligent layperson can understand. Webb digs into the issues ... by considering a very broad set of in-depth solutions that he addresses through an interesting and challenging mode of presentation that stretches the mind. ... An excellent book for anyone who has ever asked 'Are we alone?'." (W. E. Howard III, Choice, March, 2003) "Fifty ideas are presented ... that reveal a clearly reasoned examination of what is known as 'The Fermi Paradox'. ... For anyone who enjoys a good detective story, or using their thinking faculties and stretching the imagination to the limits ... 'Where is everybody' will be enormously informative and entertaining. ... Read this book, and whatever your views are about life elsewhere in the Universe, your appreciation for how special life is here on Earth will be enhanced! A worthy addition to any personal library." (Philip Bridle, BBC Radio, March, 2003) Since gaining a BSc in physics from the University of Bristol and a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Manchester, Stephen Webb has worked in a variety of universities in the UK. He is a regular contributor to the Yearbook of Astronomy series and has published an undergraduate textbook on distance determination in astronomy and cosmology as well as several popular science books. His interest in the Fermi paradox combines lifelong interests in both science and science fiction.

The story of the search for life on Mars-and the moral issues confronting us as we prepare to send humans there Does life exist on Mars? The question has captivated humans for centuries, but today it has taken on new urgency. NASA plans to send astronauts to Mars orbit by the 2030s. SpaceX wants to go by 2024, while Mars One wants to land a permanent settlement there in 2032. As we gear up for missions like these, we have a responsibility to think deeply about what kinds of life may already inhabit the planet--and whether we have the right to invite ourselves in. This book tells the complete story of the quest to answer one of the most tantalizing questions in astronomy. But it is more than a history. Life on Mars explains what we need to know before we go. David Weintraub tells why, of all the celestial bodies in our solar system, Mars has beckoned to us the most. He traces how our ideas about life on Mars have been refined by landers and rovers, terrestrial and Mars-orbiting telescopes, spectroscopy, and even a Martian meteorite. He explores how finding DNA-based life on the Red Planet could offer clues about our distant evolutionary past, and grapples with the profound moral and ethical questions confronting us as we prepare to introduce an unpredictable new life form-ourselves-into the Martian biosphere. Life on Mars is also a book about how science is done-and undone-in the age of mass media. It shows how Mars mania has obscured our vision since we first turned our sights on the planet and encourages a healthy skepticism toward the media hype surrounding Mars as humanity prepares to venture forth.

Covering both astronomical and geophysical perspectives, this book describes changes in the Earth's orientation, specifically precession and nutation, and how they are observed and computed in terms of tidal forcing and models of the Earth's interior. Following an introduction to key concepts and elementary geodetic theory, the book describes how precise measurements of the Earth's orientation are made using observations of extra-galactic radio-sources by Very Long Baseline Interferometry techniques. It demonstrates how models are used to accurately pinpoint the location and orientation of the Earth with reference to the stars, and how to determine variations in its rotation speed. A theoretical framework is also presented that describes the role played by the structure and properties of the Earth's deep interior. Incorporating suggestions for future developments in nutation theory for the next generation models, this book is ideal for advanced-level students and researchers in solid Earth geophysics, planetary science and astronomy.

This book journeys into one of the most fascinating intellectual adventures of recent decades - understanding and exploring the final fate of massive collapsing stars in the universe. The issue is of great interest in fundamental physics and cosmology today, from both the perspective of gravitation theory and of modern astrophysical observations. This is a revolution in the making and may be intimately connected to our search for a unified understanding of the basic forces of nature, namely gravity that governs the cosmological universe, and the microscopic forces that include quantum phenomena. According to the general theory of relativity, a massive star that collapses catastrophically under its own gravity when it runs out of its internal nuclear fuel must give rise to a space-time singularity. Such singularities are regions in the universe where all physical quantities take their extreme values and become arbitrarily large. The singularities may be covered within a black hole, or visible to faraway observers in the universe. Thus, the final fate of a collapsing massive star is either a black hole or a visible naked singularity. We discuss here recent results and developments on the gravitational collapse of massive stars and possible observational implications when naked singularities happen in the universe. Large collapsing massive stars and the resulting space-time singularities may even provide a laboratory in the cosmos where one could test the unification possibilities of basic forces of nature.