Project Mercury will offer a developmental resume of the first American manned spaceflight programme and its associated infrastructure, including accounts of space launch vehicles. The book highlights the differences in Redstone/Atlas technology, drawing similar comparisons between ballistic capsules and alternative types of spacecraft. The book also covers astronaut selection and training, as well as tracking systems, flight control, basic principles of spaceflight and detailed accounts of individual flights.

Lonely Planet Kids' Amazing Night Sky Atlas, the follow up to our bestselling Amazing World Atlas, looks upwards to the skies for a fun- and fact-packed guide to astronomy. Featuring a mixture of photography and illustration, this hardcover book explores both the science of stargazing - explaining what can be seen in the night sky in different parts of the world - and the practicalities, with handy tips such as how to use a telescope. It also covers the background and history of astronomy, travelling around the world to discover the different stories cultures have told about the night sky and the influence the Moon, the stars and the movement of the planets have had on their people. Expert insights come from David Hawksett, a science writer, lecturer and researcher who has previously worked as the Science & Technology Consultant at Guinness World Records and written for Sky at Night Magazine. Perfect for learning at home, in the classroom or being given as a gift, Lonely Planet Kids' Amazing Night Sky Atlas will inspire budding astronomers and excite them for a lifetime of looking to the skies. Contents includes: Introduction to the Night Sky History of stargazing How to use a telescope Constellations Seasons in the Sky The Zodiac Patterns in the Sky - a global guide Planets Stars Supernovas Black Holes Nebulas Meteor Showers Eclipses Night sky legends from around the world About Lonely Planet Kids: Lonely Planet Kids - an imprint of the world's leading travel authority Lonely Planet - published its first book in 2011. Over the past 45 years, Lonely Planet has grown a dedicated global community of travellers, many of whom are now sharing a passion for exploration with their children. Lonely Planet Kids educates and encourages young readers at home and in school to learn about the world with engaging books on culture, sociology, geography, nature, history, space and more. We want to inspire the next generation of global citizens and help kids and their parents to approach life in a way that makes every day an adventure. Come explore!

The New York Times bestselling, "meticulously researched and absorbingly written" (The Washington Post) story of the trailblazers and the ordinary Americans on the front lines of the epic Apollo 11 moon mission. President John F. Kennedy astonished the world on May 25, 1961, when he announced to Congress that the United States should land a man on the Moon by 1970. No group was more surprised than the scientists and engineers at NASA, who suddenly had less than a decade to invent space travel. When Kennedy announced that goal, no one knew how to navigate to the Moon. No one knew how to build a rocket big enough to reach the Moon, or how to build a computer small enough (and powerful enough) to fly a spaceship there. No one knew what the surface of the Moon was like, or what astronauts could eat as they flew there. On the day of Kennedy's historic speech, America had a total of fifteen minutes of spaceflight experience-with just five of those minutes outside the atmosphere. Russian dogs had more time in space than US astronauts. Over the next decade, more than 400,000 scientists, engineers, and factory workers would send twenty-four astronauts to the Moon. Each hour of space flight would require one million hours of work back on Earth to get America to the Moon on July 20, 1969. "A veteran space reporter with a vibrant touch-nearly every sentence has a fact, an insight, a colorful quote or part of a piquant anecdote" (The Wall Street Journal) and in One Giant Leap, Fishman has written the sweeping, definitive behind-the-scenes account of the furious race to complete one of mankind's greatest achievements. It's a story filled with surprises-from the item the astronauts almost forgot to take with them (the American flag), to the extraordinary impact Apollo would have back on Earth, and on the way we live today. From the research labs of MIT, where the eccentric and legendary pioneer Charles Draper created the tools to fly the Apollo spaceships, to the factories where dozens of women sewed spacesuits, parachutes, and even computer hardware by hand, Fishman captures the exceptional feats of these ordinary Americans. "It's been 50 years since Neil Armstrong took that one small step. Fishman explains in dazzling form just how unbelievable it actually was" (Newsweek).

The point of this book is to provide a brief, easy-to-read but comprehensive overview of stars: where they came from; what they are made of; what will happen to them, and what they mean to us from a scientific, aesthetic and cultural point of view. The book will focus on stars and astronomy, and will keep technical physics to a minimum.

NASA-the National Aeronautics and Space Administration created in the wake of the Space Act-has and continues to accomplish those precepts every day. With many hundreds of satellites launched into space and close to 200 human spaceflights, NASA is a proven leader in space exploration. Most of the US space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle. Currently, NASA is supporting the International Space Station and is overseeing the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the Space Launch System and Commercial Crew vehicles. NASA is also responsible for the Launch Services Program which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for unmanned NASA launches. The Historical Guide to NASA and the Space Program contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on space missions, astronauts, technical terms, space shuttles, satellites and the international space station. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about NASA and space exploration.

This book introduces the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), also known as the "The Sky Eye", one of the China's big science facilities. Using easy-to-understand language, the book covers the scientific background, construction process, achievements, and effects of FAST on the development of the national economy. With a large number of intuitive and vivid images and videos, the book presents basic information on FAST for general readers who are interested in astronomy.

'Everything you wanted to know about physics but were afraid to ask' Priyamvada Natarajan, author of Mapping the Heavens __________________________ When leading theoretical physicist Professor Michael Dine was asked where you could find an accessible book that would teach you about the Big Bang, Dark Matter, the Higgs boson and the cutting edge of physics now, he had nothing he could recommend. So he wrote it himself. In This Way to the Universe, Dine takes us on a fascinating tour through the history of modern physics - from Newtonian mechanics to quantum, from particle to nuclear physics - delving into the wonders of our universe at its largest, smallest, and within our daily lives. If you are looking for the one book to help you understand physics, written in language anyone can follow, this is it. __________________________ 'An extraordinary journey into what we know, what we hope to know, and what we don't know, about the universe and the laws that govern it' Leonard Susskind, author of The Theoretical Minimum series 'This book is a rare event . . . presented by someone who is a true master' Sean Carroll, author of From Eternity to Here 'Dine's enthusiastic storytelling makes the read worth it for those who want to finally wrap their mind around string theory or the Higgs boson' Tess Joosse, Scientific American

Praise for the first edition: "A terrific blend of the science and the history." Martha Haynes, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University, New York, USA "The book is a treat... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries." Peter Hepburn, now Head Librarian, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, USA Today, we recognize that we live on a planet circling the sun, that our sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy we call the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is but one of billions born out of the Big Bang. Yet, as recently as the early twentieth century, the general public and even astronomers had vague and confused notions about what lay beyond the visible stars. Can we see to the edge of the universe? Do we live in a system that would look, from a distance, like a spiral nebula? This fully updated second edition of Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way explores how we learned that we live in a galaxy, in a universe composed of galaxies and unseen, mysterious dark matter. The story unfolds through short biographies of seven astronomers: Thomas Wright, William Herschel, and Wilhelm Struve of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the transitional figure of William Huggins; and Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble of the modern, big-telescope era. Each contributed key insights to our present understanding of where we live in the cosmos, and each was directly inspired by the work of his predecessors to decipher "the construction of the heavens." Along the way, the narrative weaves in the contributions of those in supportive roles, including Caroline Herschel-William's sister, and the first woman paid to do astronomy-and Martha Shapley, a mathematician in her own right who carried out calculations for her spouse. Through this historical perspective, readers will gain a new appreciation of our magnificent Milky Way galaxy and of the beauties of the night sky, from ghostly nebulae to sparkling star clusters. Features: Fully updated throughout to reflect the latest in our understanding of the Milky Way, from our central supermassive black hole to the prospect of future mergers with other galaxies in our Local Group. Explains the significance of current research, including from the Gaia mission mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail. Unique and broadly appealing approach. A biographical framework and ample illustrations lead the reader by easy, enjoyable steps to a well-rounded understanding of the history of astronomy. Leila Belkora (Ph.D., Astrophysics) is a science writer. She earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in solar radio astronomy. She has previously taught university physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers. She lives in Southern California and enjoys local astronomy outreach activities.

Praise for the first edition: "A terrific blend of the science and the history." Martha Haynes, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University, New York, USA "The book is a treat... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries." Peter Hepburn, now Head Librarian, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, USA Today, we recognize that we live on a planet circling the sun, that our sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy we call the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is but one of billions born out of the Big Bang. Yet, as recently as the early twentieth century, the general public and even astronomers had vague and confused notions about what lay beyond the visible stars. Can we see to the edge of the universe? Do we live in a system that would look, from a distance, like a spiral nebula? This fully updated second edition of Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way explores how we learned that we live in a galaxy, in a universe composed of galaxies and unseen, mysterious dark matter. The story unfolds through short biographies of seven astronomers: Thomas Wright, William Herschel, and Wilhelm Struve of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the transitional figure of William Huggins; and Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble of the modern, big-telescope era. Each contributed key insights to our present understanding of where we live in the cosmos, and each was directly inspired by the work of his predecessors to decipher "the construction of the heavens." Along the way, the narrative weaves in the contributions of those in supportive roles, including Caroline Herschel-William's sister, and the first woman paid to do astronomy-and Martha Shapley, a mathematician in her own right who carried out calculations for her spouse. Through this historical perspective, readers will gain a new appreciation of our magnificent Milky Way galaxy and of the beauties of the night sky, from ghostly nebulae to sparkling star clusters. Features: Fully updated throughout to reflect the latest in our understanding of the Milky Way, from our central supermassive black hole to the prospect of future mergers with other galaxies in our Local Group. Explains the significance of current research, including from the Gaia mission mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail. Unique and broadly appealing approach. A biographical framework and ample illustrations lead the reader by easy, enjoyable steps to a well-rounded understanding of the history of astronomy. Leila Belkora (Ph.D., Astrophysics) is a science writer. She earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in solar radio astronomy. She has previously taught university physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers. She lives in Southern California and enjoys local astronomy outreach activities.

Astronomer Royal Martin Rees shows how the behaviour and origins of the universe can be explained by just six numbers. How did a single genesis event create billions of galaxies, black holes, stars and planets? How did atoms assemble - here on Earth, and perhaps on other worlds - into living beings intricate enough to ponder their origins? This book describes the recent avalanche of discoveries about the universe's fundamental laws, and the deep connections that exist between stars and atoms - the cosmos and the microscopic world. Just six numbers, imprinted in the big bang, determine the essence of our world, and this book devotes one chapter to explaining each.

The Compendium of Practical Astronomy is unique. The practical astronomer, whether student, novice or accomplished amateur, will find this handbook the most comprehensive, up-to-date and detailed single guide to the subject available. It is based on Roth s celebrated German language handbook for amateur astronomers, which first appeared over 40 years ago."

Named a Top Ten Book of 2011 by Physics World, UK.There are many books that endeavor to bridge the gap between scientists and laymen, yet too many overemphasize the presentation of scientific findings as hard facts and end up alienating readers from the critical thinking processes involved in science.Whiting attempts to break away from the norm in this revolutionary review of popular astronomy books written from 1833 to 1944. He examines these important works by acknowledged authorities in the field to see how they have stood the test of time. Where the luminaries have failed, he looks for clues that the layman reader could have used to raise doubts about what was being said. The aim of this highly accessible book is to develop tools for the non-scientist to evaluate the strange and marvelous results that astronomers report, in place of the highly-developed scientific and mathematical techniques available to the scientists themselves. A must-read for all science and astronomy enthusiasts.

Over the course of several decades, scientific fact has overtaken science fiction as humankind's understanding of the universe has expanded. Mirroring this development, the cinematic depictions of space exploration over the last century have evolved from whimsical sci-fi fantasies to more fact-based portrayals. This book chronologically examines 75 films that depict voyages into outer space and offers the historical, cultural, and scientific context of each. These films range from Georges Melies' fantastical A Trip to the Moon to speculative science fiction works such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, and Contact, and fact-based accounts of actual space missions as depicted in The Right Stuff, Apollo 13, Salyut 7 and First Man. Each film is analyzed not only in terms of its direction, screenplay, and other cinematic aspects but also its scientific and historical accuracy. The works of acclaimed directors, including Fritz Lang, George Pal, Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky, Robert Wise, Ron Howard, Robert Zemeckis, Ridley Scott, and Christopher Nolan, are accorded special attention for their memorable contributions to this vital and evolving subgenre of science fiction film.

Sunsets serve as daily reminders that breathtaking beauty exists in this world-we just have to notice it. In a portable trim, Sunset Seeking invites nature-lovers, mindfulness practitioners, and pop science enthusiasts to seek out sunsets and view them with intention. Learn what makes sunsets colorful and the atmospheric factors that influence them; discover folklore about the sun and its power from different places and times; and consider how the sun's cycle affects our well-being. With a deeper understanding of sunsets comes a deeper appreciation-let this pocket guide illuminate the wonders of this daily phenomenon.

This 2000 Edition of Sir Patrick Moore 's classic book has been completely revised in the light of changes in technology. Not only do these changes include commercially available astronomical telescopes and software, but also what we know and understand about the universe.

There are many new photographs and illustrations.

Packs a great deal of valuable information into appendices which make up almost half the book. These are hugely comprehensive and provide hints and tips, as well as data (year 2000 onwards) for pretty well every aspect of amateur astronomy.

This is probably the only book in which all this information is collected in one place.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued a challenge: the United States would land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. It seemed like an impossible task and one that the Russians--who had launched the first satellite and put the first man into Earth orbit--would surely perform before us. The ingenuity, passion, and sacrifice of thousands of ordinary men and women, from all walks of life, enabled the space program to meet this extraordinary goal. In all, six crews would land on the moon before Congress withdrew financial backing for the program. This is the story of those men and women who worked behind the scenes, without fanfare or recognition, to make these missions a success. Thirty years later, they still speak of Apollo with pride, sometimes even awe. After Apollo moonwalker John Young told journalist Billy Watkins in a 1999 interview that "nobody knows anything about the people who helped make those flights so successful," Watkins made it his mission to identify the unsung heroes and learn their stories. His subjects include: BLJulian Scheer (NASA publicist): Argued for and won the inclusion of a television camera on Apollo 11, enabling Armstrong's walk on the moon to be broadcast and recorded for posterity. BLSonny Morea, lead designer of the Lunar Rover. BLHugh Brown, one of the few African Americans who worked on the Apollo program, helped monitor for Russian submarines trying to jam NASA communication during launches, and later went on to become head of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta. BLJoAnn Morgan, launch control: One of the few women involved in the space program, Morgan was designated the "lightning specialist." Herknowledge was crucial when the Apollo 12 spacecraft was struck by lightning only seconds after liftoff, nearly causing an abort. She was one of the few specialists allowed in the "firing room" during liftoff. BLJoan Roosa, widow of Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa, talks about the sacrifices of the families and their devotion to "The Program." BLJoe Schmitt, veteran suit technician was responsible for making sure the suits were leak-proof and hooked up correctly--knowing any mistake would mean instant death in space. BLJoseph Laitin, who came up with the idea for the Apollo 8 astronauts to read the first ten verses of Genesis during their Christmas Eve television broadcast from the moon. BLClancy Hatelberg, the Navy diver, who plucked the first humans to walk on the moon from the Pacific Ocean after the Apollo 11 landing.

"That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind," were the words spoken by Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong as he stepped off the footpad of the Lunar Module Eagle. This was the first and most famous manned mission to land on the Moon. As a 19-year-old college journalist, author David Chudwin covered the launch from Florida in July 1969. Chudwin was the only journalist with official NASA press credentials representing the college press and had extraordinary access to the astronauts, rocket scientists, launch pads, rockets, and control centers. 2019 will be the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 -- a time to look back to celebrate that mission, and forward to our future in space. Divided into three parts, this book provides: the author's account of covering the first landing on the Moon in 1969; lessons learned from the Apollo program and their relevance to future space activities; and our future in space including new rockets, space stations, and trips back to the Moon and to Mars.

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.

Why, today, would anyone undertake a plan to launch a spacecraft some 30 years in the future, and on a journey that would take some 40 years to complete? Paul Gilster investigates the science, and the spirit, of the NASA and JPL researchers who are actually at work on just such a project.

From the reviews:

"Gilster introduces the challenges of imagining and planning interstellar exploration by leading readers through the difficulties of reaching and exploring the nearest bright star, Alpha Centauri. Seeded by ideas and concepts of the late Robert Forward, the narrative is framed as a learning process undertaken simultaneously by writer and reader. Although Alpha Centauri is astronomically nearby, a postulated trip by robot spacecraft, followed by manned exploration, would take 50 to 1,000 years, depending on the type of spacecraft propulsion used. Various methods for interstellar travel are introduced and discussed, including solar sails that use the power of starlight, nuclear fusion, antimatter hybrid systems, and beamed laser propulsion. One challenge is to get there in a reasonable time so that funding support, public interest, and events on Earth will not divert attention from the mission. Another challenge is timing the mission relative to available technology, because with better technology it might be possible to send a later robot on the same mission in less time. The book has no figures, tables, or illustrations but does include 30 pages of notes and an adequate 14-page index. Though the concepts presented are often fanciful, this book will appeal to readers who wonder about the future of exploration beyond the solar system. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Generalreaders; professionals." (W. E. Howard III, CHOICE, March 2005)

Updated with a new introduction by the author for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, For All Mankind is both an extraordinary adventure story and an important historical document. Between December 1968 and December 1972, twenty-four men captured the imagination of the world as they voyaged to the moon. In For All Mankind, Harry Hurt presents a dramatic, engrossing and expansive account of those journeys. Based on extensive research and exclusive interviews with the Apollo astronauts, For All Mankind remains one of the most comprehensive and revealing firsthand accounts of space travel ever assembled. In their own words, the astronauts share the sights, sounds, thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams they experienced during their incredible voyages. In a compelling narrative structured as one trip to the moon, Harry Hurt recounts all the drama and danger of the lunar voyages, from the anxiety of the astronauts' prelaunch procedures through the euphoria of touchdown on the lunar surface.

Drawing on his vast knowledge and direct experience of most of the key events in astronomy and space exploration during this century, Patrick Moore takes a sideways look at the historical reports and contemporary thought behind a wide range of astronomical topics. The Wandering Astronomer presents his personal accounts of the towering characters of 20th-century astronomy, intriguing facts about puzzling astronomical phenomena, and amusing stories about the quirkier side of astronomy and space exploration. This collection of essays covers everything from the case of vanishing planets to UFOs over Selsey. Entertaining and informative, it will be enjoyable reading for both seasoned and amateur astronomers as well as general science readers. About the Author Author and broadcaster Patrick Moore is a lunar specialist who makes observations from his home in Selsey on most clear nights. He has written more than 100 books, and for the past 43 years he has presented BBC TV's Sky at Night program without missing a single episode. Moore served in the RAF during WWII and has been involved in astronomy since he was a boy. In 1967 he was awarded the OBE for his services to astronomy, and in 1988 he received the CBE. He also recently received a knighthood in the New Years Honours list.

From its beginnings, NASA was convinced that its real mission was to create the opportunity for a much different and better society on Earth, namely through human space flight. Pursuit of such a goal has led the agency to persist in certain activities even when they conflict with the wishes of Congress and the President. Recent changes in the international environment, changes that began well before September 11, 2001, have brought the military back into the field of human space flight, a situation that holds certain hazards for NASA since the military is more powerful politically. Dramatic changes could be in store, changes that could severely damage NASA's capacity for continuing what it sees as its primary objective. While most analyses see the agency as riddled with incompetence, Handberg argues that NASA's troubles are a product of its internal values. He begins with an historical overview of the major themes in NASA's history, followed by chapters on specific areas of concentration, such as the space station, space transportation, space science, and internal reforms. He also discusses the long-term future of the agency and human space flight in general, both domestically and internationally.

Honeysuckle Creek reveals the pivotal role that the tracking station at Honeysuckle Creek, near Canberra, played in the first moon landing. Andrew Tink gives a gripping account of the role of its director Tom Reid and his colleagues in transmitting some of the most-watched images in human history as Neil Armstrong took his first step. Part biography and part personal history, this book makes a significant contribution to Australia's role in space exploration and reveals a story little known until now. As Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr, the director of flight operations for Apollo 11, acknowledged: 'The name Honeysuckle Creek and the excellence which is implied by that name will always be remembered and recorded in the annals of manned space flight'.

The ideal book for the amateur astronomer or anyone curious about our place in the universe, "A Year of the Stars" takes the reader on a fascinating journey of discovery through the seasons of the starry night sky. Complete with beautiful maps, drawings, photos, and a very useful glossary, this is the perfect book for savouring the experience of skywatching the whole year through.