Nicolaus Copernicus gave the world perhaps the most important scientific insight of the modern age, the theory that the earth and the other planets revolve around the sun. He was also the first to proclaim that the earth rotates on its axis once every twenty-four hours. His theory was truly radical: during his lifetime nearly everyone believed that a perfectly still earth rested in the middle of the cosmos, where all the heavenly bodies revolved around it.

One of the transcendent geniuses of the early Renaissance, Copernicus was also a flawed and conflicted person. A cleric who lived during the tumultuous years of the early Reformation, he may have been sympathetic to the teachings of the Lutherans. Although he had taken a vow of celibacy, he kept at least one mistress. Supremely confident intellectually, he hesitated to disseminate his work among other scholars. It fact, he kept his astronomical work a secret, revealing it to only a few intimates, and the manuscript containing his revolutionary theory, which he refined for at least twenty years, remained "hidden among my things."

It is unlikely that Copernicus' masterwork would ever have been published if not for a young mathematics professor named Georg Joachim Rheticus. He had heard of Copernicus' ideas, and with his imagination on fire he journeyed hundreds of miles to a land where, as a Lutheran, he was forbidden to travel. Rheticus' meeting with Copernicus in a small cathedral town in northern Poland proved to be one of the most important encounters in history.

"Copernicus' Secret" recreates the life and world of the scientific genius whose work revolutionized astronomy and altered our understanding of our place in the world. It tells the surprising, little-known story behind the dawn of the scientific age.

The art and traditions of Aboriginal Australia draw on 40,000 years experience of gazing into the richness of unpolluted skies from pristine lands. They include the "emu in the sky" constellation of dark clouds, and stories about the Sun, Moon, and the Seven Sisters. Several Aboriginal groups use the rising and setting of particular stars to show when to harvest a food source. Some explain how the tides are caused by the Moon, and even explain eclipses as a conjunction of the Sun and Moon. This book explores the mystical Aboriginal astronomical stories and traditions, and the way in which they are used for practical applications such as navigation and harvesting. It describes the journey of exploration that's currently opening Western eyes to this treasury of ancient Aboriginal knowledge, and is written by two active researchers in the field: Prof. Ray Norris (an astrophysicist with CSIRO, and an Adjunct Professor at the Dept. of Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University), and his wife Cilla. In this book, Ray and Cilla bring you the results of their 6-year quest to research Aboriginal Astronomy, including: * uncovering little-known manuscripts, * visiting Aboriginal sites throughout Australia, * writing down stories from ancient communities. Few outsiders understand the depth and complexity of Aboriginal cultures. This book will give you a glimpse that will change your ideas about Aboriginal society.

An exciting new edition to the highly-regarded and perennially popular Jane's Recognition Guide series. Presented in the same style as existing Jane's Recognition Guides, this new book contains a selection of over 300 satellites, spacecraft and launch vehicles (rockets), with information on purpose, operations, specifications, and a brief history, as well as summaries of the leading space agencies and launch sites, and a look into the future. The entries (each with a colour picture) are split into: Historic Missions (Sputnik, Apollo, Mir, Voyager etc.) Historic Launchers / Space Organisations (e.g. NASA, ESA and JAXA) Launchers/Current Spacecraft Programmes Manned Spaceflight Futures This is a most comprehensive guide and a stunning tribute to the exploration of space.

The Herschel 400 is a list of 400 galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, picked from over 2,500 deep-sky objects discovered and catalogued by the great eighteenth-century astronomer Sir William Herschel and his sister Caroline. It comprises 231 galaxies, 107 open clusters, 33 globular clusters, 20 planetary nebulae, 2 halves of a single planetary nebula, and 7 bright nebulae. In this guide Steve O'Meara takes the observer through the list, season by season, month by month, night by night, object by object. He works through the objects in a carefully planned and methodical way, taking in some of the most dramatic non-Messier galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters in the night sky. Ideal for astronomers who have tackled the Messier objects, this richly illustrated guide will help the amateur astronomer hone their observing skills.

"Fred Schaaf is one of the most experienced astronomical observers of our time. For more than two decades, his view of the sky--what will be visible, when it will be visible, and what it will look like--has encouraged tens of thousands of people to turn their eyes skyward."

--David H. Levy, Science Editor, Parade magazine, discoverer of twenty-one comets, and author of Starry Night and Cosmic Discoveries

"Fred Schaaf is a poet of the stars. He brings the sky into people's lives in a way that is compelling and his descriptions have all the impact of witnessing the stars on a crystal-clear dark night."
--William Sheehan, coauthor of Mars: The Lure of the Red Planet and The Transits of Venus

The stars have captivated artists, romantics, sages, and scientists for centuries, inspir-ing countless civilizations as symbols of humanity's highest aspirations. The very word astronomy means "ordering of the stars," and studying these stunning pieces of fire is an ideal way to begin to appreciate the limitless wonders of the sky.

In this book, you'll meet the twenty-one brightest stars visible from Earth and discover their remarkable secrets. From Sirius and Alpha Centauri to Rigel and Regulus, you'll learn how to find these stars and the major constellations and discover the best ways to see them. Each star is profiled in a separate chapter, with detailed guidance on what to look for while observing it. There is fascinating information about the lore and legends connected with each star through history, as well as what the science of astronomy has to teach us about the star's physical nature based on exciting discoveries made in the last few years, including new, more accuratedata on star distances, mass, and composition.

Complete with star charts and valuable insights about the science and nature of stars, the major stellar types, and stellar evolution, this book will help you make the most of your stargazing explorations--whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced amateur astronomer.

Praise for Star Ware

"Star Ware is still a tour de force that any experienced amateur will find invaluable, and which hardware-minded beginners will thoroughly enjoy."

-- Robert Burnham, Sky & Telescope magazine

"Star Ware condenses between two covers what would normally take a telescope buyer many months to accumulate."

-- John Shibley, Astronomy magazine

Whether you're shopping for your first telescope or your fifth, don't be surprised if you feel overwhelmed by the dazzling array of product choices, bells and whistles, and the literature that describes them all. That's why you need Star Ware.

In this revised and updated Fourth Edition of the essential guide to comparing and selecting sky-watching equipment, award-winning astronomy writer Philip Harrington takes you telescope shopping the easy way. He analyzes and explains today's astronomy market and compares brands and models point by point. Star Ware gives you the confidence you need to buy the telescope and accessories that are right for you and the knowledge to get the most out of your new purchase, with:

Extensive, expanded reviews of leading models and accessories--including dozens of new products

A clear, step-by-step guide to every aspect of selecting telescopes, binoculars, filters, mounts, lenses, cameras, film, star charts, guides and references, and much more

Ten new do-it-yourself projects for building your own astronomical equipment

Easy tips on setting up, using, and caring for telescopes and other astronomical equipment

Lists of where to find everything astronomical, including Web sites and resources; distributors, dealers, and conventions; and corporate listings for products andservices

The Space Exploration annuals provide a yearly update on recent space launches, missions and results, to be published every September. The annual covers space exploration from a variety of angles, looking back at past missions, reviewing those currently under way and detailing those planned for the future, and encompassing both manned and unmanned spaceflight. The annual is written at an accessible level for both young and older space enthusiasts to provide a regular, balanced review of all the world's major space programmes, past, present and future. There is a special additional section in this year's annual entitled, 'Return to the Moon'.

"The Virtue of Heresy - Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer" is a narrative account of the 30-year struggle by the author to put the "physical" back into "physics". With sporadic assistance from a fictional alter-ego character named Haquar, the author traces the history of astronomy and physics to the point of their confluence with meta-mathematics. From there on, the fundamental hypotheses of cosmology, and indeed of physical science generally, became increasingly detached from observed reality and more like psychedelic mind games than works of empirical science. Hilton Ratcliffe guilelessly confronts these issues head-on, spicing the tale with humour and fascinating anecdotes of his association with some of the finest scientific minds of our era. His passion for true science and child-like awe at the wonders of the Universe are infused in every line. A classic.

Beyond Einstein takes readers on an exciting excursion into the discoveries that have led scientists to the brightest new prospect in theoretical physics today -- superstring theory. What is superstring theory and why is it important? This revolutionary breakthrough may well be the
fulfillment of  Albert Einstein's lifelong dream of a Theory of Everything, uniting the laws of physics into a single description explaining all the known forces in the universe. Co-authored by one of the leading pioneers in superstrings, Michio Kaku, and completely revised and updated with the newest groundbreaking research, the book approaches scientific questions with the excitement of a detective story, offering a fascinating look at the new science that may make the impossible possible.

"The Pocket Space Guide[copyright]" concept is based around the idea of providing the space aficionado with a series of books covering the entire gamut of space exploration in a user friendly format. This is a standard paperback book at a reasonable price. It is ideal for gifts for children who are interested in space. It is useful for space enthusiasts, or as a gift for that person in your family who is involved in astronautics and aviation. It is compiled with the co-operation of NASA from the extensive files of Apogee Books! Each title is 96 pages in length and features 48 pages of colour photographs. Each book is packed with relevant pictures and data for each subject, such as crew photographs for each mission, crew patches, flight statistics such as time in space, distance travelled, mission objectives and a host of the best pictures taken during each program/mission. This special display box comes complete with 6 copies of each title.

The compact and concise design of this guide to the Apollo missions belies its enormous content, with pertinent facts and color images for each mission--from Apollo 1 to Apollo 10. Providing an overall picture of the Apollo program, this guide includes sections on astronauts, mission patches, launch vehicles, command vehicles, landing vehicles, launch dates, mission objectives, flight plans, space suits, life support systems, and triumphs and failures. Both seasoned space buffs and young adults nurturing their interest in the space program will find this a perfect resource for the first 10 Apollo missions.

A Bricklayer's Guide to the Galaxy . . . The inspirational memoir of a former brickie who followed his passion for the stars and built his own observatory. Perfect for readers of Robert Macfarlane, Helen Macdonald and James Rebanks - as well as fans of Brian Cox and the BBC's Sky at Night Gary Fildes left school at sixteen, got a trade like most of his mates and was soon married with four kids. His life seemed set. But he had a secret. Something he only practised late at night with a few like-minded friends. Then one day, middle age approaching alarmingly, he acted on his lifelong passion. He finally came out. As an astronomer. Today, Gary is the founder and lead astronomer of Kielder Observatory, one of the top ten stargazing sites in the world, which he also helped to build. Situated in the beautiful forests of Kielder, Northumberland, within Europe's largest protected dark sky park, it offers some of the UK's most spectacular views of stars, planets and galaxies. An Astronomer's Tale is Gary's inspirational story: part memoir, part nature writing, part seasonal guide to the night sky. It is a book brimming with passion; and at a time when the world is captivated by space, it will leave you ready to get out there and explore the wonders of the skies for yourself.

If you always thought that it was Giovanni Schiaparelli who first coined the phrase 'Canali' pertaining to the straight lines he appeared to observe on Mars you'd be wrong. In 1858, an astronomer working at the Vatican observatory named father Pietro Angelo Secchi took it upon himself to create his own drawings of Mars. The red planet was now nearing a close approach to earth and the powerful Vatican telescope was capable of resolving detail previously invisible to most astronomers. Secchi thought he saw a series of straight lines on the Martian surface so he made an innocuous notation in his notes. His sketches and articles were published in 1859 in which he referred several times to 'Canale Atlantico' or 'Canale Ceruleo'. His regrettable choice of words would not have an impact for another eight years. This volume tells not only of people and places that have influenced mankind's relationship with the enigmatic red planet, but it also shows you the colour drawings that Secchi made, which were provided to us directly by the Vatican itself. Along with many other interesting stories, drawings and photographs this book will be a prize for both the novice or ardent student of Mars.

Although the author's inquiries are still incomplete, he brought together some of the notes he had collected, as they may induce other inquirers to go on with the work. The reader must form his own judgment as to the direction in which the evidence tends. Lockyer believed the view that our ancient monuments were built to observe and mark the rising and setting places of the heavenly bodies is now fully established with the evidence.

Fred Hoyle was one of the most widely acclaimed and colourful scientists of the twentieth century, a down-to-earth Yorkshireman who combined a brilliant scientific mind with a relish for communication and controversy. Best known for his steady-state theory of cosmology, he described a universe with both an infinite past and an infinite future. He coined the phrase 'big bang' to describe the main competing theory, and sustained a long-running, sometimes ill-tempered, and typically public debate with his scientific rivals. He showed how the elements are formed by nuclear reactions inside stars, and explained how we are therefore all formed from stardust. He also claimed that diseases fall from the sky, attacked Darwinism, and branded the famous fossil of the feathered Archaeopteryx a fake. Throughout his career, Hoyle played a major role in the popularization of science. Through his radio broadcasts and his highly successful science fiction novels he became a household name, though his outspokenness and support for increasingly outlandish causes later in life at times antagonized the scientific community. Jane Gregory builds up a vivid picture of Hoyle's role in the ideas, the organization, and the popularization of astronomy in post-war Britain, and provides a fascinating examination of the relationship between a maverick scientist, the scientific establishment, and the public. Through the life of Hoyle, this book chronicles the triumphs, jealousies, rewards, and feuds of a rapidly developing scientific field, in a narrative animated by a cast of colourful astronomers, keeping secrets, losing their tempers, and building their careers here on Earth while contemplating the nature of the stars.

"An intellectual accomplishment that illuminates the magic and the wisdom of the heavens above."—Kirkus Reviews

"Tracing our contemplation of the cosmos from the big bang to the big crunch" (The New Yorker), Marcelo Gleiser explores the shared quest of ancient prophets and today's astronomers to explain the strange phenomena of our skies—from the apocalypse foretold in Revelations to modern science's ongoing identification of multiple cataclysmic threats, including the impact of comets and asteroids on earthly life, the likelihood of future collisions, the meaning of solar eclipses and the death of stars, the implications of black holes for time travel, and the ultimate fate of the universe and time.

Presenting insights to cosmological science and apocalyptic philosophy in an "easily accessible" (Library Journal) style, Gleiser is "a rare astrophysicist as comfortable quoting Scripture as explaining formulas" (Booklist). K. C. Cole praises his ability to "[work] the entwined threads of science and religion into a vision of 'the end' that is strangely comforting and inspiring." 37 b/w illustrations.

An amazing journey throughout the universe in a search for other planets and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

"A fascinating and useful handbook to both the science and science fiction of extraterrestrial life. Cohen and Stewart are amusing, opinionated, and expert guides. I found it a terrific and informative piece of work–nothing else like it!"
–Greg Bear

"I loved it."
–Larry Niven

"Ever wonder about what aliens could be like? The world authority is Jack Cohen, a professional biologist who has thought long and hard about the vast realm of possibilities. This is an engaging, swiftly moving study of alien biology, a subject with bounds and constraints these authors plumb with verve and intelligence."
–Gregory Benford

"A celebration of life off Earth. A hearteningly optimistic book, giving a much-needed antidote to the pessimism of astrobiologists who maintain that we are alone in the universe–a stance based on a very narrow view of what could constitute life. A triumph of speculative nonfiction."
–Dougal Dixon, author of
After Man: A Zoology of the Future

An amazing journey from our moon to the most distant stars, revealing the magic and majesty of our universe.

This volume of star names is not intended for the professional astronomer, but as a reference to fill a vacancy in popular astronomical literature. It contains a sketch of the lunar and solar zodiacs which are constantly alluded to in the treating of individual constellations; as well as a detailed list of the constellations, their history among the nations, cataloging and early treatment by authors and their connection with astrology, art, folklore, literature and religion.

Complete, detailed instructions and numerous diagrams for constructing a do-it-yourself telescope. No complicated mathematics are involved, and no prior knowledge of optics or astronomy is needed to follow the text's step-by-step directions. Contents cover, among other topics, materials and equipment; tube parts and alignment; eyepieces, and related problems; setting circles; and optical principles. 1973 ed. Appendixes. Index. 6 plates. 100 figures.

In this text, science writer Barry Parker takes on one of the most fascinating and fantastical aspects of modern quantum theory - time travel. From the stuff of fiction to Einstein's theory of relativity and Hawking's view of the universe, time travel has captured modern man's excitement and been as much talked about as space travel.

"A highly readable survey of the historical prelude to the study of the origins of life, as well as selected areas of current research, including the search for extraterrestrial life."-NatureWhere did we come from? Did life arise on earth or on some other planet? What did the earliest primitive organisms look like? Untangling a century of contentious debate, the authors explore current theories of the source of life-from Martian meteors to hydrothermal vents-and then present their own elegant scenario: Life arose not in the subterranean depths, as many believe, but on Earth's tumultuous surface, where a primitive form of natural selection spawned the first genetic material, perhaps in the form of a proto-virus. Knowing exactly how life began on Earth will not only teach us more about ourselves, it will bring us closer to finding life elsewhere.

Accompanying the BBC television series, this book contains essays ranging across the whole spectrum of astronomy, space exploration and astrophysics, and tracking the story of astronomical discovery in the 1990s. For Earthbound viewers, the appearance of the Hale-Bopp and Halley's comets, followed by solar and lunar eclipses, triggered a huge upsurge in popular interest. In the same decade the Hubble Space Telescope transmitted thousands of images from deep space, shedding new light on the structure and origins of the universe, and the robot lander on the surface of Mars relayed information about surface conditions on the red planet. The essays cover these events and more, and include discussions with leading astronomers.

The New York Times Reports on Astronomy and Cosmology

"A must for every armchair cosmic voyager."—Science News

The scientists seeking to unravel the mysteries of the universe are among the most imaginative and provocative explorers of our time. Like the geographic explorers of earlier centuries, they venture into uncharted spaces, come upon new worlds, expand the knowable, and challenge thinking about the place of humans in all things.

Collected here are the most exciting moments of recent astronomical explorations, presented by the award-winning science reporters of the New York Times. Recent leaps in technology have allowed astronomers to peer deeply into the universe and to bring into focus fascinating and unsuspected phenomena. Cosmic Dispatches conveys in thrilling detail the meaning and significance of what scientists have been learning about our universe. B/W photographs, diagrams.