As command module pilot of Apollo 17, the last crewed flight to the moon, Ron Evans combined precision flying and painstaking geological observation with moments of delight and enthusiasm. On his way to the launchpad, he literally jumped for joy in his spacesuit. Emerging from the command module to conduct his crucial spacewalk, he exclaimed, "Hot diggity dog!" and waved a greeting to his family. As a patriotic American in charge of command module America, Evans was nicknamed "Captain America" by his fellow crew members. Born in 1933 in St. Francis, Kansas, Evans distinguished himself academically and athletically in school, earned degrees in electrical engineering and aeronautical engineering, and became a naval aviator and a combat flight instructor. He was one of the few astronauts who served in combat during the Vietnam War, flying more than a hundred missions off the deck of the USS Ticonderoga, the same aircraft carrier that would recover him and his fellow astronauts after the splashdown of Apollo 17. Evans's astronaut career spans the Apollo missions and beyond. He served on the support crews for 1, 7, and 11 and on the Apollo 14 backup crew before being selected for Apollo 17 and flying on the final moon mission in 1972. He next trained with Soviet cosmonauts as backup command module pilot for the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission and carried out early work on the space shuttle program. Evans then left NASA to pursue a business career. He died suddenly in 1990 at the age of fifty-six.

This book is for the amateur astronomer who wants to know about the astrophysical nature of deep sky objects. The information is presented in a concise format and is equally valuable when used as background reading or, alternatively, at the telescope eyepiece. The past decades have seen an unprecedented increase in professional astronomers' understanding of astronomical objects. However, generally this information is contained in journal publications that most amateur astronomers either do not have access to or would find difficult to read. In this book, basic data on each object (e.g., magnitude, location, distance, age if known) is presented in a way that allows the reader to quickly access the information. This is followed by some remarks that capture the most fascinating astrophysical facts. Although there are thousands of deep sky objects observed by astronomers, only a small number of these are commonly observed by a wide audience. Thus, coverage here is limited to approximately 500 of the most commonly observed objects in the Northern Hemisphere and - an enhancement for the Second Edition - approximately 50 of those in the Southern Hemisphere. These are visible from the southern limits of the United States as well as from the southern continents. Another new feature of the Second Edition is the addition of amateur photographic images of all the Messier objects.

In this spellbinding account of an historic but troubled orbital mission, noted space historian Colin Burgess takes us back to an electrifying time in American history, when intrepid pioneers were launched atop notoriously unreliable rockets at the very dawn of human space exploration. A nation proudly and collectively came to a standstill on the day this mission flew; a day that will be forever enshrined in American spaceflight history. On the morning of February 20, 1962, following months of frustrating delays, a Marine Corps war hero and test pilot named John Glenn finally blazed a path into orbit aboard a compact capsule named Friendship 7. The book's tension-filled narrative faithfully unfolds through contemporary reports and the personal recollections of astronaut John Glenn, along with those closest to the Friendship 7 story, revealing previously unknown facts behind one of America's most ambitious and memorable pioneering space missions. Friendship 7. The book's tension-filled narrative faithfully unfolds through contemporary reports and the personal recollections of astronaut John Glenn, along with those closest to the Friendship 7 story, revealing previously unknown facts behind one of America's most ambitious and memorable pioneering space missions. Friendship 7 story, revealing previously unknown facts behind one of America's most ambitious and memorable pioneering space missions.

In many ways, other than getting men onto the surface of the Moon, the Russian space program was more successful than the American manned space program. Cosmonauts logged many more hours in space, were supported by a complex and extensive network of ground crews, and had state-of-the-art training facilities at the Gagarin Training Center, located at Zvezdny Gorodok (Star City) outside of Moscow and named after Yuri Gagarin (first Russian in space), which includes equipment for simulating missions aboard Soyuz and the Russian modules of the International Space Station. The Center also has a neutral buoyancy facility similar to that at the Marshall Space Flight Center. This is the first book to offer an inside look at the remarkable training and accomplishments of the Soviet Union's cosmonauts.

"The Hatfield Lunar Atlas" has become an amateur lunar observer's bible since it was first published in 1968. A major update of the atlas was made in 1998, using the same wonderful photographs that Commander Henry Hatfield made with his purpose-built 12-inch (300 mm) telescope, but bringing the lunar nomenclature up to date and changing the units from Imperial to S.I. metric This edition is important since the fact is that modern telescope optics, digital imaging equipment and computer enhancement can easily surpass what was achieved with Henry Hatfield's 12-inch telescope and a film camera. This limits the usefulness of the original atlas to visual observing or imaging rather small amateur telescopes. The new, digitally re-mastered edition vastly improves the clarity and definition of the original photographs - significantly beyond the resolution limits of the photographic grains present in earlier atlas versions - while preserving the layout and style of the original publications. This has been achieved by merging computer-visualized Earth-based views of the lunar surface, derived from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data, with scanned copies of Commander Hatfield's photographic plates, using the author's own software. The results is a "The Hatfield Lunar Atlas" for 21st century amateur telescopes up to and beyond 12-inch aperture.

The Ballet of the Planets unravels the beautiful mystery of planetary motion, revealing how our understanding of astronomy evolved from Archimedes and Ptolemy to Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. Mathematician Donald Benson shows that ancient theories of planetary motion were based on the assumptions that the Earth was the center of the universe and the planets moved in a uniform circular motion. Since ancient astronomers noted that occasionally a planet would exhibit retrograde motion-would seem to reverse its direction and move briefly westward-they concluded that the planets moved in epicyclic curves, circles with smaller interior loops, similar to the patterns of a child's Spirograph. With the coming of the Copernican revolution, the retrograde motion was seen to be apparent rather than real, leading to the idea that the planets moved in ellipses. This laid the ground for Newton's great achievement-integrating the concepts of astronomy and mechanics-which revealed not only how the planets moved, but also why. Throughout, Benson focuses on naked-eye astronomy, which makes it easy for the novice to grasp the work of these pioneers of 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.

From Galileo's telescope to the International Space Station - a photo-filled tour through the milestones of space exploration This eclectic pop history of space exploration, by scientist-educator Sten Odenwald at NASA, examines 100 objects - all stunningly photographed - and their effect on what we know and how we think about space. Whimsical and uniquely clarifying, Space Exploration - A History in 100 Objects covers the iconic, from Sputnik to Skylab, as well as the lesser-known but utterly important: The ancient Greek Antikythera mechanism, the first known analog computer, which predicted astronomical movement. Luna 3, the first satellite to glimpse the far side of the moon. The O-ring; the humble, rubber part that doomed the Space Shuttle Challenger. Syncom 2, the first geosynchronous satellite, which made international TV possible. The V-2 rocket, the first artificial object to cross the threshold of space - and many more!

Gerald North's complete practical guide and resource package instructs amateur astronomers in observing and monitoring variable stars and other objects of variable brightness. Descriptions of the objects are accompanied by explanations of the background astrophysics, providing readers with real insight into what they are observing at the telescope. The main instrumental requirements for observing and estimating the brightness of objects by visual means and by CCD photometry are detailed, and there is advice on the selection of equipment. The book contains a CD-ROM packed with resources, including hundreds of light-curves and over 600 printable finder charts. Containing extensive practical advice, this comprehensive guide is an invaluable resource for amateur astronomers of all levels, from novices to more advanced observers. Gerald North is a lifelong amateur astronomer. In addition to being a member of the British Astronomical Association since 1977, he is also the author of many books, including Advanced Amateur Astronomy (Cambridge, 1997) and Observing the Moon (Cambridge, 2000).

A thorough introduction to the computation of celestial mechanics, covering everything from astronomical and computational theory to the construction of rapid and accurate applications programs. The book supplies the necessary knowledge and software solutions for determining and predicting positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, minor planets and comets, solar eclipses, stellar occultations by the Moon, phases of the Moon and much more. This completely revised edition takes advantage of C++, and individual applications may be efficiently realized through the use of a powerful module library. The accompanying CD-ROM contains the complete, fully documented and commented source codes as well as executable programs for Windows 98/2000/XP and LINUX.

The 24th century: humankind has become a spacefaring civilization, colonizing the solar system and beyond. While no alien forms of life have yet been encountered in this expansion into space, colonists suddenly encounter machines of alien origin - huge robots able to reproduce themselves. Called replicators by the colonists, they seem to have but a single goal: to destroy all organic life they come in contact with.
Since the colonial governments have no means to fight this menace directly, they instead promise huge rewards to whoever destroys a replicator. As a result, the frontier attracts a new kind of adventurers, the Hunters, who work to find and destroy the replicators. Mike Edwards, a skilled young maintenance technician and robotics expert at a faraway outpost, will not only become one of them - but be the very first one to unlock the secret behind the replicators origin and mission.
The scientific and technical aspects underlying the plot - in particular space travel, robotics and self-replicating spacecraft - are introduced and discussed by the author in an extensive non-technical appendix."

The title page calls the author of this 1888 work 'A Lady Astronomer'. She was Elizabeth Brown (1830 99), and the shadow she was pursuing was the eclipse of the sun on 19 August 1887, which could be best observed in northern Russia. Brought up by her father to make weather observations and to use a telescope, she became a member of the Liverpool Astronomical Society - on behalf of which she undertook her Russian expedition - and was later active in founding the British Astronomical Association. (The Royal Astronomical Society did not at this point admit women.) The book describes her journey, from her arrival at Hull to meet her travelling companion, to Russia, and home again. The actual viewing of the eclipse, at Kineshma, 200 miles north-east of Moscow, was spoiled by cloud cover, but her lively and observant account of her adventures is a fascinating record by a pioneering female scientist."

As a casual read through any of the major amateur astronomical magazines will demonstrate, there are filters available for all aspects of optical astronomy. This book provides a ready resource on the use of the following filters, among others, for observational astronomy or for imaging: Light pollution filtersPlanetary filtersSolar filtersNeutral density filters for Moon observationDeep-sky filters, for such objects as galaxies, nebulae and more

Deep-sky objects can be imaged in much greater detail than was possible many years ago. Amateur astronomers can take photographs that rival those of professional observatories The ability to do this has been brought about by the revolution in CCD cameras and improved filters.

The book pinpoints which astronomical objects are best observed with which filters. Post-processing (using "Photoshop") is also discussed, since it is helpful in further improving filtered astro images.

The last part of the book is an observational guide to 100 deep sky objects that benefit from the use of filters all personally observed by the author with notes on the filters used (or potentially of use) in their observation and imaging. There are also notes on their celestial coordinates, magnitudes and other pertinent information."

Forget Hawaii or the Mediterranean. Soon - very soon - you'll be able to add a much more exotic stamp to your passport: space. How will you get there, what will the trip be like and how much training will you need? All you need to know is right here in this guide. Tourists in Space: A Practical Guide supplies all the advice and information you need to make your spaceflight the most rewarding experience of your life. This definitive, real-world guide is packed with helpful facts and suggestions on everything from training, equipment, safety and in-flight procedures to techniques for avoiding space motion sickness and bone demineralization. You'll also find: * Advice on choosing your training agency * Techniques for minimizing the risk of space motion sickness * Information you need to prepare for your medical examination, training and flight * Tips on activities near your training location and much more.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in our Solar System. This has been prompted by the launching of giant orbiting telescopes and space probes, the discovery of new planetary moons and heavenly bodies that orbit the Sun, and the demotion of Pluto as a planet. In one generation, our place in the heavens has been challenged, but this is not unusual. Throughout history, there have been a number of such world views. Initially, Earth was seen as the center of the universe and surrounded by orbiting planets and stars. Then the Sun became the center of the cosmos. Finally, there was no center, just a vast array of galaxies with individual stars, some with their own retinue of planets. This allowed our Solar System to be differentiated from deep-sky objects, but it didn't lose its mystery as more and more remarkable bodies were discovered within its boundaries. This book tells the exciting story of how we have conceptualized and mapped our Solar System from antiquity to modern times. In addition to the complete text, this story is made more vivid by: * 162 Solar System and planetary maps, diagrams, and images (over a third in color); * direct quotes and figures from antiquarian, contemporary, and Space Age documents and photographs that allow the reader to track how humans have viewed the Solar System from original sources; * nine tables that compare the various world views, relative planetary positions, and components of the Solar System with each other. Broad in scope and rich in imagery, this book will draw the reader into the story of our Solar System and how it has been mapped since the beginning of recorded time.

Starting from Newton's times this follow-up to the author's Springer book "Our Place in the Universe - Understanding Fundamental Astronomy from Ancient Discoveries" addresses the question of "our place in the Universe" from astronomical, physical, chemical, biological, philosophical and social perspectives. Using the history of astronomy to illustrate the process of discovery, the emphasis is on the description of the process of how we learned and on the exploration of the impacts of discoveries rather than on the presentation of facts. Thus readers are informed of the influence of science on a broad scale. Unlike the traditional way of teaching science, in this book, the author begins by describing the observations and then discusses various attempts to find answers (including unsuccessful ones). The goal is to help students develop a better appreciation of the scientific process and learn from this process to tackle real-life problems.

April 12, 2011 was the 50th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering journey into space. To commemorate this momentous achievement, Springer-Praxis has produced a mini-series of books that reveals how humanity's knowledge of flying, working, and living in space has grown in the last half century.
"Partners in Space" focuses on the early to late 1990s, a time in the post-Soviet era when relations between East and West steadily - though not without difficulty - thawed and the foundations of real harmony and genuine co-operation were laid for the first time with Shuttle-Mir and the International Space Station. This book explores the events which preceded that new ear, including the political demise of Space Station Freedom and the consequences of the fall of the Soviet Union on a once-proud human space program. It traces the history of "the Partnership" through the often traumatic times of Shuttle-Mir and closes on the eve of the launch of Zarya, the first component of today's International Space Station.

Fora general audience interested insolving mysteries in art, history, and literature using the methods of science, 'forensic astronomy' is a thrilling new field of exploration. Astronomical calculations are the basis of the studies, which have the advantage of bringing to readers both evocative images and a better understanding of the skies.
Weather facts, volcano studies, topography, tides, historical letters and diaries, famous paintings, military records, and the friendly assistance of experts in related fields add variety, depth, and interest to the work. The chosen topics are selected for their wide public recognition and intrigue, involving artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, and Ansel Adams; historical events such as the Battle of Marathon, the death of Julius Caesar, the American Revolution, and World War II; and literary authors such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Joyce, and Mary Shelley. This book sets out to answer these mysteries indicated with the means and expertise of astronomy, opening the door to a richer experience of human culture and its relationship with nature.
Each subject is carefully analyzed. As an example using the study of sky paintings by Vincent van Gogh, the analytical method would include:
- computer calculations of historical skies above France in the 19th century
- finding and quoting the clues found in translations of original letters by Van Gogh
- making site visits to France to determine the precise locations when Van Gogh set up his easel and what celestial objects are depicted.
For each historical event influenced by astronomy, there would be a different kind of mystery to be solved. As an example:
- How can the phase of the Moon and time of moonrise help to explain a turning point of the American Civil War - the fatal wounding of Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville in 1863?
For each literary reference to astronomy, it was determined which celestial objects were being described and making an argument that the author is describing an actual event. For example, what was the date of the moonlit scene when Mary Shelley first had the idea for her novel Frankenstein?

These and more fun riddles will enchant and delight the fan of art and astronomy. "

A talented mathematician trained at Trinity College, Dublin, Sir Robert Stawell Ball (1840-1913) was best known in the early twentieth century for his immensely popular books on astronomy. He also gave the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures on five occasions. First published in 1905, this concise guide to the basics of astronomy assumes almost no prior knowledge of the subject. Beginning with simple phenomena such as the seasons and the effects of atmospheric refraction, Ball expands quickly into month-by-month indexes of the night sky, star charts, and explanations of some of the lesser-known stellar and solar features, from the paths of sunspots to details of the major nebulae. Including over eighty pages of meticulous charts and illustrations, his book remains an excellent resource for students in the history of science, and interested laypeople. Also reissued in this series are The Story of the Heavens (1885) and Star-Land (1889), alongside Ball's more technical Treatise on Spherical Astronomy (1908).

Climate change is acknowledged as being one of the most important areas of research today. Increasing global temperatures will impact all of us to a greater or lesser extent. From the point of view of research it is an enormously important and complex subject. However, little attention is paid to its relationship to astronomy, the sun in particular but not exclusively. Though directed at an astronomically inclined readership, and providing some less well-known astronomically related information, studies and concepts, this book will also appeal to a broader public, who need to understand the subject of climate change and learn of all the various theories and possible solutions.

Here is the essential companion to Welcome to the Universe, a New York Times bestseller that was inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course for non-science majors that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton. This problem book features more than one hundred problems and exercises used in the original course--ideal for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the original material and to learn to think like an astrophysicist. Whether you're a student or teacher, citizen scientist or science enthusiast, your guided tour of the cosmos just got even more hands-on with Welcome to the Universe: The Problem Book. * The essential companion book to the acclaimed bestseller* Features the problems used in the original introductory astronomy course for non-science majors at Princeton University* Organized according to the structure of Welcome to the Universe, empowering readers to explore real astrophysical problems that are conceptually introduced in each chapter* Problems are designed to stimulate physical insight into the frontier of astrophysics* Problems develop quantitative skills, yet use math no more advanced than high school algebra* Problems are often multipart, building critical thinking and quantitative skills and developing readers' insight into what astrophysicists do* Ideal for course use--either in tandem with Welcome to the Universe or as a supplement to courses using standard astronomy textbooks--or self-study* Tested in the classroom over numerous semesters for more than a decade* Prefaced with a review of relevant concepts and equations* Full solutions and explanations are provided, allowing students and other readers to check their own understanding

The first book by astronaut Tim Peake - a mesmerising collection of over 150 of Tim's stunning photographs taken on board the International Space Station, many of which have never been seen before. Including a personal commentary from Tim, this is an awe-inspiring glimpse into life outside of Planet Earth... 'Inspiring for everyone' -- ***** Reader review 'WOW!! Fantastic images' -- ***** Reader review 'Literally out of this world' -- ***** Reader review 'Photos to die for, totally fantastic' -- ***** Reader review 'This book is truly amazing!' -- ***** Reader review ______________________________ THE OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and WINNER OF THE NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 'It's impossible to look down on Earth from space and not be mesmerised by the fragile beauty of our planet. I may have been 400km up, but I have never felt closer to Earth than when I was on board the International Space Station. I'm delighted to share with you this collection of photographs with some of my thoughts from my mission. Although I briefly left the sanctuary of our planet, I rediscovered the wonder of the place we call home.' Hello, is this planet Earth? takes readers on a mesmerizing tour of Tim's historic and inspirational six-month Principia mission. Based on over 150 of Tim's stunning photographs that he took on board the international space station, many of which have not been seen before, this lavish collection showcases the beauty of earth from above, and is the perfect visual time capsule of Tim's remarkable trip, which captured the imaginations of millions of children and adults across the world. Including breath-taking aerial photos of cities illuminated at night, the northern lights and unforgettable vistas of oceans, mountains and deserts, the book can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, and comes with a personal commentary from Tim, full of his characteristic warmth and charm. The title of the book is inspired by Tim's famous 'wrong number' dialled from space, when he accidentally misdialled a woman from the space station and inquired, 'Hello, is this planet Earth?'

Storms in Space is the story of the mysterious region between Earth and the Sun, where violent storms rage unseen by human eyes. Disruption of spacecraft and satellites, television transmission failures and power blackouts are just a few of the effects of this powerful force of nature, caused by the charged particles and electromagnetic fields that dominate space. This is a highly readable synopsis of man's understanding of the space environment. The book discusses the similarities between storms on Earth and in space, and goes on to describe the causes and effects of space storms, and how they can be monitored by satellites and from observatories on Earth. The forecasting of space storms is presented, along with prospects for improved models in the future. This clear and engaging book will be valuable to space scientists, physicists, astronomers and anyone with an interest in understanding the phenomenon of space weather.

The first thing that every stargazer needs - an hour-by-hour and night-by-night moveable map of the stars 'A really useful bit of kit...a map of the night sky for any time of the year' Mark Thompson, TV Astronomer on BBC Stargazing Live * Just turn the disc and 'dial up' tonight's night sky * Accurate sky map for every hour of every night 24/7/365 * Simple and fun to use for beginners - and an essential tool for experienced astronomers * All the stars and constellations down to magnitude 5 (visible with the naked eye) * Planet Tracker for the major visible planets * Full instructions and hints on exploring the skies by season * Suitable for UK, Ireland, Northern Europe, Canada and Northern USA (51.5N plus or minus 10 degrees)

Apollo was known for its engineering triumphs, but its success also came from a disciplined management style. This excellent account of one of the most important personalities in early American human spaceflight history describes for the first time how George E. Mueller, the system manager of the human spaceflight program of the 1960s, applied the SPO methodology and other special considerations such as "all-up"testing, resulting in the success of the Apollo Program. Wernher von Braun and others did not readily accept such testing or Mueller's approach to system management, but later acknowledged that without them NASA would not have landed astronauts on the Moon by 1969. While Apollo remained Mueller's priority, from his earliest days at the agency, he promoted a robust post-Apollo Program which resulted in Skylab, the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station. As a result of these efforts, Mueller earned the sobriquet: "the father of the space shuttle." Following his success at NASA, Mueller returned to industry. Although he did not play a leading role in human spaceflight again, in 2011 the National Air and Space Museum awarded him their lifetime achievement trophy for his contributions. Following the contributions of George E. Mueller, in this unique book Arthur L. Slotkin answers such questions as: exactly how did the methods developed for use in the Air Force ballistic missile programs get modified and used in the Apollo Program? How did George E. Mueller, with the help of others, manage the Apollo Program? How did NASA centers, coming from federal agencies with cultures of their own, adapt to the new structured approach imposed from Washington? George E. Mueller is the ideal central character for this book. He was instrumental in the creation of Apollo extension systems leading to Apollo, the Shuttle, and today's ISS and thus was a pivotal figure in early American human spaceflight history.