An inspiration to amateur and professional astronomers alike, the Yearbook of Astronomy warrants a place on the bookshelf of all sky watchers and stargazers. Maintaining its appealing style and presentation, the Yearbook of Astronomy 2019 contains an authoritative set of sky charts and comprehensive jargon-free monthly sky notes to enable backyard astronomers everywhere to plan their viewing of the year's eclipses, comets, meteor showers and deep sky objects. In addition, a variety of entertaining and informative articles present the reader with information on a wide range of topics including, among others, The Cassini-Huygens Mission to the Saturn System; 100 Years of the International Astronomical Union; The First Micro-Quasar; Getting the Measure of Double Stars; Asaph Hall: Man of Mars; and Science Fiction and the Future of Astronomy. The Yearbook of Astronomy has been around for well over half a century and, as it heads towards its Diamond Jubilee edition in 2022, continues to be essential reading for anyone lured by the magic of astronomy and who wants to extend their knowledge of the Universe and the wonders it plays host to.

The moon landing of 1969 stands as an iconic moment for both the United States and humankind. The familiar story focuses on the journey of the brave astronauts, who brought home Moon rocks and startling photographs. But Apollo's full account includes the earthbound engineers, mounds of their crumpled paper, and smoldering metal shards of exploded engines. How exactly did the nation, step by difficult step, take men to the Moon and back? In The Apollo Chronicles, fifty years after the moon landing, author Brandon R. Brown, himself the son of an Apollo engineer, revisits the men and women who toiled behind the lights. He relays the defining twentieth-century project from its roots, bringing the engineers' work and personalities to bright life on the page. Set against the backdrop of a turbulent American decade, the narrative whisks audiences through tense deadlines and technical miracles, from President John F. Kennedy's 1961 challenge to NASA's 1969 lunar triumph, as engineers confronted wave after wave of previously unthinkable challenges. Brown immerses readers in key physical hurdles-from building the world's most powerful rockets to keeping humans alive in the hostile void of space-using language free of acronyms and technical jargon. The book also pulls back from the detailed tasks and asks larger questions. What did we learn about the Moon? And what can this uniquely innovative project teach us today?

Written by an active researcher in the field, Galaxy: Mapping the Cosmos tells the rich scientific story of galaxy evolution and observation - discoveries of `spiral nebulae', the nature of galaxies and the current `World Model'. Astronomer James Geach takes us on a tour of what is currently known and unknown, discussing why the ancient science of astronomy continues to fascinate humanity. Appealing to all readers interested in astronomy and cosmology, and featuring 108 superb colour photographs, Galaxy explores the enigma of our cosmic habitat, chronicling how our home in the Universe came to be.

'It is rare to read something that so closely mixes science fiction with reality, but Space 2069 does just that ... [It's] an intelligent portrait of where we may be in the next half-century. - BBC Sky at Night Nearing half a century since the last Apollo mission, mankind has yet to return to the Moon, but that is about to change. With NASA's Artemis program scheduled for this decade, astronomer David Whitehouse takes a timely look at what the next 50 years of space exploration have in store. The thirteenth man and the first woman to walk on the Moon will be the first to explore the lunar south pole - the prime site for a future Moon base thanks to its near-perpetual sunlight and the presence of nearby ice. The first crewed mission to Mars will briefly orbit the red planet in 2039, preparing the way for a future landing mission. Surviving the round trip will be the greatest challenge any astronaut has yet faced. In the 2050s, a lander will descend to the frozen surface of Jupiter's moon Europa and attempt to drill down to its subsurface ocean in search of life. Based on real-world information, up-to-date scientific findings and a healthy dose of realism, Space 2069 is a mind-expanding tour of humanity's future in space over the next 50 years.

Ist Gott, wie ihn der christliche Glaube bekennt, vereinbar mit dem naturwissenschaftlichen Weltbild? Physiker sind sich weitgehend darin einig, dass ihre auf Experimenten in der Energie-Materie-Welt beruhende Wissenschaft in Sachen Religion nichts widerlegen oder beweisen kann. Und dennoch wird die Frage weiterhin viel diskutiert. Reiner Kummel, Professor der theoretischen Physik, beschreibt in diesem Buch das Naturverstandnis der modernen Physik, das von Relativitatstheorie und Quantenmechanik gepragt wird. Demgemass ist die Zeit die vierte Dimension der Welt. Zusammen mit den drei raumlichen Dimensionen ist sie im Urknall aus Energie entstanden. Ihr Fliessen macht sich durch die Produktion von Entropie, sprich Unordnung, bemerkbar, die unsere Gesellschaft in Krise und Umbruch treibt. Beobachtete naturliche Ereignisse und Strukturen zeigen uns eine Welt, in der Gegegensatze zusammenfallen. Der Autor weist darauf hin, dass diese "Coincidentia Oppositorum" auch Gott eignet. Sie fuhrt zur "Creatio Continua", in der Gott, uberzeitlich und jederzeit, die gesamte Schoepfung von ihrem Anfang bis zum Ende schafft und sieht. Das Buch versucht eine Darstellung des Sehens in die Zeit, an dem vielleicht auch wir einst teilhaben durfen. Es wendet sich an alle, die sich fragen, woher wir kommen und wohin wir gehen und eroeffnet eine Sicht auf Gott und die Welt, in der Glaube und Naturwissenschaft gut zusammen passen.

With a blend of exciting discoveries and important scientific theory, this innovative and readable introduction to astronomy is ideal for anyone who wants to understand what we know about the universe, and how we know it. Each chapter starts with details of a method of jow astronomers over time have observed the world, and then uses this as a springboard to discuss what they discovered, and why this was important for understanding the cosmos. The last chapter, on dark matter, also focuses on the many things we don't yet know - reminding us that astronomy, like this book, is a fast-paced and fascinating subject.

*As featured on BBC Breakfast, Radio 5Live and Steve Wright in the Afternoon on BBC Radio 2* From the Nasa astronaut who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station - what it's like out there and what it's like now, back here. Enter Scott Kelly's fascinating world and dare to think of your own a little differently. As soon as you realize you aren't going to die, space is the most fun you'll ever have... The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for most consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few of us ever have and very few of us ever will. Kelly's humanity, compassion, humour, and passion shine as he describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal. He touches on what's happened to his body, the sadness of being isolated from everyone he loves; the pressures of constant close cohabitation; the catastrophic risks of colliding with space junk, and the still more haunting threat of being absent should tragedy strike at home. From a natural storyteller Endurance is one of the finest examples the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the boundless wonder of the galaxy. * What readers are saying... 'Takes you up into space and lets you be a part of astronaut life' 'Tough to put down! Tells a side you don't often hear or read about for that matter' 'Mind blowing . . . up there with Ernest Shackleton for me' 'My husband said it is the next best thing to going into space yourself' 'Six stars!'

'A promising debut.' New Scientist Icy, rocky, sometimes dusty, always mysterious - comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants, formed within a swirling cloud of gas and dust in the area of space that eventually hosted the Sun and its planets. Locked within each of these extra-terrestrial objects is the 4.6-billion-year wisdom of Solar System events, and by studying them at close quarters using spacecraft we can coerce them into revealing their closely-guarded secrets. This offers us the chance to answer some fundamental questions about our planet and its inhabitants. Exploring comets and asteroids also allows us to shape the story of Earth's future, enabling us to protect our precious planet from the threat of a catastrophic impact from space, and maybe to even recover valuable raw materials from them. This cosmic bounty could be as useful in space as it is on Earth, providing the necessary fuel and supplies for humans as they voyage into deep space to explore more distant locations within the Solar System. Catching Stardust tells the story of these enigmatic celestial objects, revealing how scientists are using them to help understand a crucial time in our history - the birth of the Solar System, and everything contained within it.

Astronomers have successfully observed a great deal of the Universe's history, from recording the afterglow of the Big Bang to imaging thousands of galaxies, and even to visualising an actual black hole. There's a lot for astronomers to be smug about. But when it comes to understanding how the Universe began and grew up we are literally in the dark ages. In effect, we are missing the first one billion years from the timeline of the Universe. This brief but far-reaching period in the Universe's history, known to astrophysicists as the 'Epoch of Reionisation', represents the start of the cosmos as we experience it today. The time when the very first stars burst into life, when darkness gave way to light. After hundreds of millions of years of dark, uneventful expansion, one by the one these stars suddenly came into being. This was the point at which the chaos of the Big Bang first began to yield to the order of galaxies, black holes and stars, kick-starting the pathway to planets, to comets, to moons, and to life itself. Incorporating the very latest research into this branch of astrophysics, this book sheds light on this time of darkness, telling the story of these first stars, hundreds of times the size of the Sun and a million times brighter, lonely giants that lived fast and died young in powerful explosions that seeded the Universe with the heavy elements that we are made of. Emma Chapman tells us how these stars formed, why they were so unusual, and what they can teach us about the Universe today. She also offers a first-hand look at the immense telescopes about to come on line to peer into the past, searching for the echoes and footprints of these stars, to take this period in the Universe's history from the realm of theoretical physics towards the wonder of observational astronomy.

The last of the five naked-eye planets discovered in ancient times, Mercury has long been an elusive, enigmatic world. As seen from the Earth, it never emerges far from the Sun, and astronomers in the telescopic era found it challenging to work out such basic data as its rotation period, the inclination of its axis, and whether or not it possessed an atmosphere. In this up-to-date and beautifully illustrated volume, William Sheehan brings our understanding of the planet into clear focus. He deftly traces the history from the earliest observations right up to the most recent explorations using radar and spacecraft. The planet has been surveyed in great detail, revealing vast volcanic plains, water-ice deposits in craters near the poles, and a remarkable core having the highest iron content of any body of the Solar System. A fascinating world in its own right, Mercury also holds important clues for scientists attempting to better understand the origin and evolution of the Earth.

The first photo book by the Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a record-breaking Year in Space. This is an awe-inspiring collection of the photos Scott took himself while on board the International Space Station, many of which have never been seen before. Scott Kelly has seen the world in ways most of us never will. During his record-breaking 340 consecutive days on board the ISS, Scott Kelly circled the earth 5,440 times, witnessing 10,944 sunrises and sunsets - that's 16 a day. In all this time, he posted just 713 photos on Instagram. But it's not all sunrises, sunsets and #nofilter. Through the photos Kelly took during his time in space, we can learn to see the world in a new way and we are afforded a glimpse into a life that most of us will never encounter but of which many of us dream. This book will show you what it's really like to be a Nasa astronaut.

The Solar System - so what is it? We've all learned the basics at school but how much can you remember? Expert astronomers and co-presenters of The Sky at Night Chris North and Paul Abel take a fascinating guided tour of our Solar System and explain its wonders. They look at all the major players, including our more familiar neighbours - the Sun, the planets and their moons - the occasional visitors to our planet - asteroids, meteors and comets - as well as distant stars and what might be beyond our Solar System - Earth Mark II? Chris and Paul recount the history of how everything came about and the myths that once shaped astronomy. They explain the latest science and discoveries, and reveal how any amateur astronomer can view and interpret the Solar System.

The bestselling author of Fermat's Last Theorem and The Code Book tells the story of the brilliant minds that deciphered the mysteries of the Big Bang. A fascinating exploration of the ultimate question: how was our universe created? Albert Einstein once said: 'The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.' Simon Singh believes geniuses like Einstein are not the only people able to grasp the physics that govern the universe. We all can. As well as explaining what the Big Bang theory actually is and why cosmologists believe it is an accurate description of the origins of the universe, this book is also the fascinating story of the scientists who fought against the established idea of an eternal and unchanging universe. Simon Singh, renowned for making difficult ideas much less daunting than they first seem, is the perfect guide for this journey. Everybody has heard of the Big Bang Theory. But how many of us can actually claim to understand it? With characteristic clarity and a narrative peppered with anecdotes and personal histories of those who have struggled to understand creation, Simon Singh has written the story of the most important theory ever.

Caroline Herschel was a prolific writer and recorder of her private and academic life, through diaries, autobiographies for family members, notebooks and observation notes. Yet for reasons unknown she destroyed all of her notebooks and diaries from 1788 to 1797. As a result, we have almost no record of the decade in which she made her most influential mark on science when she discovered eight comets and became the first woman to have a paper read at the Royal Society. Here, for the first time, historian Dr Emily Winterburn looks deep into Caroline's life and wonders why, in the year following the marriage of her brother and constant companion, Caroline wanted no record of her life to remain. Was she consumed with grief and jealousy? By piecing together - from letters, reminiscences and museum objects - a detailed account of that time, we get to see a new side to history's 'most admirable lady astronomer' and one of the greatest pioneering female scientists of all time.

We all know the names: Grissom, Armstrong, Cernan-legends of the space age whose names resonate with people around the world and whose deeds need no introduction. We know less about the men who led the organization that planned and began the US exploration of space: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Thomas O. Paine grew up an ordinary boy in northern California during the Great Depression of the 1930s. He would go on to serve as NASA's third administrator, leading the space agency through the first historic missions that sent astronauts on voyages away from Earth. On his watch, seven Apollo flights orbited our planet and five reached our moon. From those missions came the first of twelve men to walk on the moon. Years later, in 1985, the Reagan administration would call on Paine again to chair the nation's first-ever National Commission on Space. The Paine Commission Report of 1986 challenged twenty-first-century America to "lead the exploration and development of the space frontier, advancing science, technology, and enterprise, and building institutions and systems that make accessible vast new resources and support human settlements beyond Earth orbit, from the highlands of the Moon to the plains of Mars." In Piercing the Horizon, Sunny Tsiao masterfully delivers new insights into the behind-the-scenes drama of the space race. Tsiao examines how Paine's days as a World War II submariner fighting in the Pacific shaped his vision for the future of humankind in space. The book tells how Paine honed his skills as a pioneering materials engineer at the fabled postwar General Electric Company in the 1950s, to his dealings inside the halls of NASA and with Johnson, Nixon, and later, the Reagan and Bush administrations.As robotic missions begin leaving the earth, Tsiao invites the reader to take another look at the plans that Paine articulated regarding how America could have had humans on Mars by the year 2000 as the first step to the exploration of deep space. Piercing the Horizon provides provocative context to current conversations on the case for reaching Mars, settling our solar system, and continuing the exploration of space.

Fully illustrated with 400 of the most striking and up-to-date astronomical images and covering all the major constellations and landmarks of the night sky, The Stargazer's Handbook reveals the treasures of the cosmos - what they are, where they are, and how to see them, including month-by-month guides to the changing hemispheres and tips and guides on the best stargazing equipment. This new compact edition is perfect for browsing at home or accompanying you out at night under the stars. Filled with stunning photography, this book is all you need to start discovering the universe.

Meteorites are among the rarest objects on Earth, yet they have left a pervasive mark on our planet and civilization. Arriving amidst thunderous blasts and flame-streaked skies, meteorites were once thought to be messengers from the gods, embodiments of the divine. Prized for their outlandish qualities, meteorites are a collectible, a commodity, objects of art and artists' desires and a literary muse. 'Meteorite hunting' is an adventurous, lucrative profession for some, and an addictive hobby for thousands of others. Meteorite: Nature and Culture is a unique, richly illustrated cultural history of these ancient and mysterious phenomena. Taking in a wide range of sources Maria Golia pays homage to the scientists, scholars and aficionados who have scoured the skies and combed the Earth's most unforgiving reaches for meteorites, contributing to a body of work that situates our planet and ourselves within the vastness of the Universe.Appealing to collectors and hobbyists alike, as well as any lovers of nature, marvel and paradox, this book offers an accessible overview of what science has learned from meteorites, beginning with the scientific community's reluctant embrace of their interplanetary origins, and explores their power to reawaken that precious, yet near-forgotten human trait - the capacity for awe.

Astronomy: A Complete Introduction will ensure you recognize what you are seeing in the night sky. You will investigate the sun, moon, planets comets and stars and learn how to observe them. This comprehensive guide, complete with star charts, will map out the skies and allow you to impress your friends with your knowledge of the sky at night. Astronomy: A Complete Introduction includes: Chapter 1: Introducing Astronomy Chapter 2: The spinning sky Chapter 3: Sky-watchers Chapter 4: The astronomer's telescope Chapter 5: Into space Chapter 6: The Sun Chapter 7: The Moon Chapter 8: The Sun's family Chapter 9: The inner planets Chapter 10: The outer planets Chapter 11: Minor members of the Solar System Chapter 12: The stars Chapter 13: Pattern of stars Chapter 14: Double and variable stars Chapter 15: The life and times of a star Chapter 16: The Star-clusters and nebulae Chapter 17: The depths of the universe Chapter 18: Into the future - life beyond the Earth

On October 4, 1957, the day Leave It to Beaver premiered on American television, the Soviet Union launched the space age. Sputnik, all of 184 pounds with only a radio transmitter inside its highly polished shell, became the first artificial satellite in space; while it immediately shocked the world, its long-term impact was even greater, for it profoundly changed the shape of the twentieth century. Paul Dickson chronicles the dramatic events and developments leading up to and resulting from Sputnik's launch. Supported by groundbreaking, original research and many declassified documents, Sputnik offers a fascinating profile of the early American and Soviet space programs and a strikingly revised picture of the politics and personalities behind the facade of America's fledgling efforts to get into space. The U.S. public reaction to Sputnik was monumental. In a single weekend, Americans were wrenched out of a mood of national smugness and postwar material comfort. Initial shock at and fear of the Soviets' intentions galvanized the country and swiftly prompted innovative developments that define our world today. Sputnik directly or indirectly influenced nearly every aspect of American life: from an immediate shift toward science in the classroom to the arms race that defined the Cold War, the competition to reach the moon, and the birth of the internet. By shedding new light on a pivotal era, Dickson expands our knowledge of the world we now inhabit and reminds us that the story of Sputnik goes far beyond technology and the beginning of the space age, and that its implications are still being felt today.

Thank your lucky stars for this completely comprehensive guide to our Universe. From asteroids and constellations to galaxies and planets, this star-studded look at space is the perfect package for space cadets and amateur astronomers. ?? Part of DK's best-selling Nature Guide series, Stars and Planets takes you out of this world to experience the beautiful sights and intricate details of our incredible Solar System. Packed with stunning images and expert information, you'll enjoy the whole world at your fingertips. You'll visit each and every planet and fly past the Kuiper Belt on this intrepid, intergalactic adventure. Come back down to Earth to discover all the tools and techniques you need to observe the spectacular night skies. You'll see all 88 constellations in their sparkling splendour and read the stories behind their amazing shapes and patterns. The monthly sky guide will keep your eyes on the skies all year round.?? Grab this guide and get started!

Book & CD-ROM. Forewords by Ron Howard (Director of 'Apollo 13') and Clint Howard (who played Sy in the movie). Includes CD-ROM: 4 Hours of tape loops from Apollos 13 and 15. Most of what we learn about NASA's space missions comes from statements carefully planned and massaged by managers and public relations people. With Apollo EECOM: Journey of a Lifetime we finally get an insider's view of how the Flight Controllers operated and just what they faced when events were crucial. This book is the life story of Sy Liebergot, former NASA Flight Controller, with emphasis on his years working in Mission Control. Following the disastrous tank explosion during the Apollo 13 mission, it was the Flight Controllers that made possible the safe return of the three endangered astronauts. Aboard Apollo 13, Lovell, Haise and Swigert performed wonders battling for their lives, but without the expertise, quick thinking and technical support of Mission Control, they never could have come home. Sy Liebergot was there and relates the details as they really happened. And Apollo 13 is just one of the many exciting stories he tells us. Truly an insider's view, this book discusses not just the events, but also the people that decided and enacted those events. These are the details that were never shown on anyone's TV screen; finally we get to learn what type of people the NASA Mission Controllers really were, and how they handled the demanding tasks that were theirs alone.

The race to the moon was won spectacularly by Apollo 11 on 20 July 1969. When astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their 'giant step' across a ghostly lunar landscape, they were watched by some 600 million people on Earth 250,000 miles away. 'A Man on the Moon' is the definitive account of the heroic Apollo programme: from the tragedy of the fire in Apollo 1 during a simulated launch, through the euphoria of the first moonwalk, to the discoveries made by the first scientist in space aboard Apollo 17. Drawing on hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews with the astronauts and team, this is the story of the twentieth century's greatest human achievement, minute-by-minute, in the words of those who were there.

This guide is your map for a personal stargazing tour through the New Mexico Night Sky. Included are the legends of the night sky from the region's Native American tribes.

"The Origins of Life and the Universe" is the culmination of a university science professor's search for understanding and is based on his experiences teaching the fundamental issues of physics, chemistry, and biology in the classroom. What is life? Where did it come from? How can understanding the origins of life on Earth help us understand the origins of the universe, and vice versa? These are questions that have occupied us all. This is a book, then, about the beginning of things -- of the universe, matter, stars, and planetary systems, and finally, of life itself -- topics of profound interest that are rarely considered together.

After surveying prescientific accounts of the origins of life, the book examines the concepts of modern physics and cosmology, in particular the two pillars of modern physics, relativity and quantum theory, and how they can be applied to the Big Bang model of the creation of the universe. The author then considers molecular genetics and DNA, the famed building block of life. In addition to assessing various hypotheses concerning the appearance of the first bacterial cells and their evolution into more complex eukaryotic cells, this section explains how "protocells" may have started a kind of integrated metabolism and how horizontal gene transfer may have speeded up evolution. Finally, the book discusses the possibility that life did not originate on planet Earth but first appeared on other solar planets, or perhaps in other star systems. How would such a possibility affect our understanding of the meaning of life, or of its ultimate fate in the universe? The book ends as it begins, with profound questions and penetrating answers, a state-of-the-art guide to unlocking the scientific mysteries of life and matter.