William F. Denning (1848 1931) was a British astronomer famous for his planetary observations and meteor studies. Elected president of the Liverpool Astronomical Society in 1887, he wrote a series of articles on telescopes for the society's journal, which were brought together and republished in 1891 under the title Telescopic Work for Starlight Evenings. Intended as a contribution to popular astronomy, this book provides a varied introduction to telescopes and their usage. The opening essay traces the development of the telescope from antiquity, through Galileo and Newton's contributions in the seventeenth century, to contemporary progress in astronomy. Other chapters provide practical advice for conducting planetary observation and detailed studies of particular planets, as well as facts and figures about meteors and how to compute their orbit. This book provides a fascinating insight into the evolution of astronomy and will be a valuable resource for historians of science and amateur astronomers.

Information collected by recent space probes sent to explore the Moon by the USA, the European Space Agency, Japan, China and India has changed our knowledge and understanding of the Moon, particularly its geology, since the Apollo missions. This book presents those findings in a way that will be welcomed by amateur astronomers, students, educators and anyone interested in the Moon. Enhanced by many colour photos, it combines newly acquired scientific understanding with detailed descriptions and labelled photographic maps of the lunar surface. Guided by observation methods explained in the book and 17 Study Areas presented and carefully explained in the last chapter, amateur astronomers can observe these features from Earth using telescopes and binoculars. Readers who consult the photographic maps will gain a better understanding about the Moon's topography and geology. The book is rounded out by a helpful glossary.

First published in 1909, this autobiography details the astonishing life of Roger Langdon (1825 94), a country station-master and amateur astronomer. Langdon's life is a remarkable story of self-education and determination: he started work as a farmer's boy at the age of eight, ran away from the home to work for a shipowner in Jersey at fourteen, and was then employed by a blacksmith, canvas manufacturers, and a solicitor before finding work with the Great Western Railway. Langdon was from an early age interested in astronomy, and eventually constructed four telescopes and his own observatory. He developed his own method for photographing the moon and the transit of Venus, and presented a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society, which is included in the appendices. Langdon died before completing his autobiography, and the latter chapters on his scientific achievements and final years were completed by his daughter Ellen.

Written in 1877 by the French journalist Amedee Guillemin, this work appeared on British bookshelves at a time of intense interest in space, the solar system and stars. In the same year, Schiaparelli made his infamous 'discovery' of Martian canals, whetting the public's appetite for all things astronomical. Guillemin's account of comets was equally ambitious and, ultimately, more valuable. His subjects range from comet superstitions in Renaissance Italy to an accessible explanation of their orbits, constitution and brilliance. As James Glaisher notes in his Preface, 'there is no work that at all occupies the ground covered' by Guillemin. The author's imaginative prose, exemplified by his description of comets as 'long disowned stars', was translated sympathetically by Glaisher. Accompanied by eighty-five striking illustrations, including Halley's Comet as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry, The World of Comets provides a fascinating insight into both astronomy and nineteenth-century scientific enquiry.

Ever since its infancy, humankind has been seeking answers to some very basic and profound questions. Did the Universe begin? If it did, how old is it, and where did it come from? What is its shape? What is it made of? Fascinating myths and brilliant in- itions attempting to solve such enigmas can be found all through the history of human thought. Every culture has its own legends, itsownworldcreationtales, itsphilosophicalspeculations, itsre- gious beliefs. Modern science, however, cannot content itself with fanciful explanations, no matter how suggestive they are. No- days, our theories about the Universe, built upon rational ded- tion, have to survive the hard test of experiment and observation. Cosmology, the science which studies the origin and evo- tion of the Universe, had to overcome enormous dif?culties before it could achieve the same level of dignity as other physical dis- plines. At ?rst, it had no serious physical model and mathematical tools that could be used to address the complexity of the problems it had to face. Then, it suffered from a chronic lack of experim- tal data, which made it almost impossible to test the theoretical speculations. Given this situation, answering rigorously the many questions on the nature of the Universe seemed nothing more than a delusion. Today, however, things have changed. We live in the golden age of cosmology: an exciting moment, when, for the ?rst time, we are able to scienti?cally understand our Univers

Radio astronomy is far from being beyond the scope of amateurs astronomers, and this practical, self-contained guide for the newcomer to practical radio astronomey is an ideal introduction. This guide is a must for anyone who wants to join the growing ranks of 21st Century backyard radio astronomers. The first part of the book provides background material and explains (in a non-mathematical way) our present knowledge of the stronger radio sources - those observable by amateurs - including the Sun, Jupiter, Meteors, Galactic and extra-galactic sources. The second part of the book deals not only with observing, but - assuming no prior technical knowledge of electronics or radio theory - takes the reader step-by-step through the process of building and using a backyard radio telescope. There are complete, detailed plans and construction information for a number of amateur radio telescopes, the simplest of which can be put together and working - using only simple tools - in a weekend. For other instruments, there are full details of circuit-board layouts, components to use and (vitally important in radio astronomy) how to construct antennae for radio astronomy.

This autobiography was first published in 1883, and recounts the life of the Scottish scientist and inventor James Nasmyth (1808-1890), who was arguably the last of the early pioneers of the machine tool industry, most famously remembered for his invention of the steam hammer. He also produced and manufactured several other important machine tools, including a hydraulic press which used water pressure to force tight-fitting machine parts together. All of these machines became popular in manufacturing, and all are still in use today in modified forms. Nasmyth retired from business in 1856 at the age of just 48, and pursued his various hobbies including astronomy; he was co-author of The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite (1874) with James Carpenter. This autobiography follows a chronological order, and a list of Nasmyth's inventions is given at the end of the book.

I have spent many wonderful nights observing at a variety of places around the world, but many of my fondest memories come from those made at the Custer Observatory in Southold on Long Island, where I grew up. I was only perhaps a dozen years old when I started out, and now more than three decades later I have logged millions of miles on the various telescopes there. Some of the best memories are of observing and discussing astronomical topics with the many really terrific people who make up Custer. It truly holds a special place in my heart. Star clusters were always among my favorite objects to observe and discuss there. This book is the result of the exposure to these objects, many of which I observed for the first time at Custer. The Custer Institute Observatory was founded in the 1920s by local resident Charles W. Elmer of Perkin-Elmer Corp. fame. The original crew met at his house in Cedar Beach a few miles down the road from the institute. In the 1930s the group built an observatory complete with Mr. Elmer's donated 5" Alvan Clark refractor. Later the observatory expanded to include a 6" Clark refractor and other even larger instruments.

John Browning (1830-1925) was the leading British manufacturer of precision scientific instruments, including spectroscopes, telescopes, microscopes, and opthalmoscopes. In How to Work with the Spectroscope (1878), he provides a complete overview of the field in which he was the undisputed expert, describing in detail the care and use of instruments ranging from the universal spectroscope to the star spectroscope to the induction coil. This volume also includes Browning's A Plea for Reflectors (1867), in which he provides an introduction to the silvered-glass reflecting telescope. Numerous illustrations of the various instruments and a complete price list of Browning's lenses and other apparatuses provide important insight into his business practices and range of expertise. Designed for the lay enthusiast no less than the dedicated scientist, these volumes are also valuable witnesses to the growth of popular science in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Britain.

**"Mars - A Cosmic Stepping Stone" connects ordinary people with the relevance of space exploration in a way not seen since Carl Sagan.

**The book encapsulates, completely and understandibly, the 'big picture' about humanity's path to uncovering its cosmic connections and how Mars is critical to that. Few, if any books in the area have attempted to do this and achieve it, since those of Sagan.

**The book presents the broadest, most complete, most up-to-date and most exciting account of humanity's fascination with, and future intentions regarding the Red Planet.

**The book is built on the authors 31 years experience of astronomy and 22 years of communicating science to the public, resulting in many unique ideas and unprecedented ways of conveying them. The author is establishing a reputation in his country for this. Such an emphasis is a priority for the book - more so than conveying facts. Few currently available books approach the subject from such a stand point.

**A new generation, the second generation since the start of space exploration, deserve literature that encapsulates the important issues of the subject and sets them on their own path of exploration.

**The book connects with issues pertanent to todays world. In a global community full of stresses, this book unfolds a positive human story that is of direct relevance to everyone. In a world full of frivolous intrepetations and portrayed fear regarding science, the book brings to the table a grounded yet enigmatic perspective that will bestow a sense of optimism and inclusion.

This book translates "thinking like a rocket scientist" into every day thinking so it can be used by anyone. It's short and snappy and written by a rocket scientist. The book illustrates the methods (the 7 secrets) with anecdotes, quotations and biographical sketches of famous scientists, personal stories and insights, and occasionally some space history. The author reveals that rocket science is just common sense applied to the extraordinarily uncommon environment of outer space and that rocket scientists are people, too. It is intended for "armchair" scientists, and for those interested in popular psychology, space history, and science fiction films.

Former NASA Astronaut Harrison Schmitt advocates a private, investor-based approach to returning humans to the Moon to extract Helium 3 for energy production, to use the Moon as a platform for science and manufacturing, and to establish permanent human colonies there in a kind of stepping stone community on the way to deeper space. With governments playing a supporting role just as they have in the development of modern commercial aeronautics and agricultural production Schmitt believes that a fundamentally private enterprise is the only type of organization capable of sustaining such an effort and, eventually, even making it pay off.

This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. The book emphasizes the consequences of contact rather than the search, and takes account of popular views. As necessary background, the book also includes brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create.

Over the last 15 years or so there has been a huge increase in the popularity of astrophotography with the advent of digital SLR cameras and CCD imagers. These have enabled astronomers to take many images and, indeed, check images as they scan the skies. Processing techniques using computer software have also made 'developing' these images more accessible to those of us who are 'chemically challenged!' And let's face it - some of the pictures you see these days in magazines, books, and on popular web forums are, frankly, amazing! So, why bother looking through the eyepiece you ask? Well, for one thing, setting up the equipment is quicker. You just take your 'scope out of the garage or, if you're lucky enough to own one, open the roof of your observatory, align the 'scope and off you go. If you have an equatorial mount, you'll still need to roughly polar align, but this really takes only a few moments. The 'imager' would most likely need to spend more time setting up. This would include very accurate polar alignment (for equatorial mounts), then finding a guide star using his or her finder, checking the software is functioning properly, and c- tinuous monitoring to make sure the alignment is absolutely precise throu- out the imaging run. That said, an imager with a snug 'obsy' at the end of the garden will have a quicker time setting up, but then again so will the 'visual' observer.

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.

Comets have inspired wonder, excitement and even fear ever since they were first observed. But they are important members of the solar system, that contain material from early in the life of the system, held in deep-freeze. This makes them key in our understanding of the formation and evolution of many Solar System bodies.

Recent ground- and space-based observations have changed much in our understanding of comets. Comets, and How to Observe Them gives a summary of our current knowledge and describes how amateur astronomers can contribute to the body of scientific knowledge of comets. This book contains many practical examples of how to construct comet light-curves, measure how fast a comet s coma expands, and determine the rotation period of the nucleus. All these examples are illustrated with drawings and photographs.

Because of their unpredictable nature comets are always interesting and sometime spectacular objects to observe and image. The second part of the book therefore takes the reader through the key observing techniques that can be used with commercially available modern observing equipment, from basic observations to more scientific measurements."

Go-To Telescopes Under Suburban Skies is the first book specifically written for amateur astronomers who own, or who are about to purchase, a computer-controlled go-to telescope. Computer control and automatic location of objects in the night sky is now a feature of even inexpensive astronomical telescopes (under $200), no longer just of the more expensive models. The advantage of the go-to capability is enormous the telescope can be aimed at any object in the sky with great speed and accuracy and so is the popularity of these instruments.

GO-TO Telescopes Under Suburban Skies provides literally hundreds more targets beyond those offered by the built-in nightly tours that feature on the telescope s computer handset (a feature incorporated by most manufacturers). Although most go-to telescopes have enormous databases of objects they can find usually running into tens of thousands the tours (that s suggested objects to look at) are always very limited. Once you ve seen the planets and bright objects that the computer suggests, you re on your own

This new book answers the question, What shall I observe next? in a way that is unique to go-to telescopes. Unlike all existing books on deep sky observing, GO-TO Telescopes Under Suburban Skies doesn't waste space on RA/Dec co-ordinates or Star Maps and Finder Charts for suggested objects. It is designed expressly to be used alongside a go-to telescope, using the NGC and SAO menus on the computer handset to quickly slew the telescope to each new target. This is unique, and makes the book much more information-rich than other observing guides.

Targets are arranged by season to maximise the chances of a given object being visible at the time of observing, and then are divided into four categories: three deep sky categories of increasing difficulty, and then one category of stars that covers things like coloured stars, multiple stars, and loose clusters/streams. The reader can quickly turn to the relevant season, and then work through the list of objects.

All existing books about practical deep-sky observing are biased towards non- go-to telescope owners and usually assume large-aperture instruments and/or dark, rural or desert skies. This book makes the more realistic assumption that the amateur astronomer has a relatively small telescope and is observing from a backyard in a suburban area.

Instead of devoting page after page to maps and co-ordinates, GO-TO Telescopes Under Suburban Skies leaves the computer to locate targets by using NGC and SAO catalog numbers, and so has the space to suggest many more fascinating deep-sky targets and provide detailed observing lists and information about what's being viewed.

In 'Columbia: Final Voyage' aerospace writer Philip Chien, who has over 20 years' experience covering the US space program, provides a unique insight into the crew members who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster. Chien interviewed all seven crew members several times and got to know them as individuals. He reviews in detail their training, their scientific work and other activities during their successful 16-day flight, the background of the accident itself and a detailed first-hand account of what happened that fateful day in February 2003. The author provides a comprehensive and personal look at both the Columbia astronauts and the STS-107 mission, together with a behind-the-scenes account of other people involved in the mission and their personal reactions to the accident.

Forward by Jonathan B. Clark, widower of Columbia astronaut Laurel Clark

Introduction by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin

How did life begin on Earth? Is it confined to our planet? Will humans one day be able to travel long distances in space in search of other life forms? Written by three experts in the space arena, Looking for Life, Searching the Solar System aims to answer these and other intriguing questions. Beginning with what we understand of life on Earth, it describes the latest ideas about the chemical basis of life as we know it, and how they are influencing strategies to search for life elsewhere. It considers the ability of life, from microbes to humans, to survive in space, on the surface of other planets, and be transported from one planet to another. It looks at the latest plans for missions to search for life in the Solar System, and how these are being influenced by new technologies, and current thinking about life on Earth. This fascinating and broad-ranging book is for anyone with an interest in the search for life beyond our planet.

The inspiring memoir of the superstar astronaut and TikTok sensation - now on her biggest space mission yet 'Today I woke up on Earth. And I will fall asleep in space' In space the sun rises and sets 16 times a day. You fly over every sea, every mountain and desert, every city and every port. The most ordinary things -- eating, sleeping, brushing your teeth or cutting your hair -- have to be relearned, until they become familiar again. This is the story of Samantha Cristoforetti's incredible journey to becoming an astronaut, and her journey beyond Earth. Her voyage as an apprentice astronaut began when she was in her early thirties: five years of intense training around the world, from Houston to Japan to the legendary Star City in Russia. Countless hours spent in centrifuges, spaceship simulators and under water for spacewalk practice. Then, one day, a rocket was waiting for her on the launch pad. And after eight minutes of wild ascent, she was on orbit, crunched up with her two crewmates in a tiny spaceship that took them to the International Space Station. With honesty and warmth, Cristoforetti chronicles the two hundred days she spent on the ISS, the joys and challenges of being in an extraordinary place, from the sublime sight of seeing Earth for the first time to more unusual concerns, such as mastering the art of floating. How do you find your bearings when there is no up and down? What is it like to run in weightlessness? And how do you cook in space? This is an enthralling, inspiring and surprisingly down-to-earth story about what it really takes to pursue your dreams.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Space Technology provides a comprehensive source of reference to the most important aspects of this fast-developing field, from basic concepts to advanced applications. With some 2300 entries, it lists the fundamental terms of the area and includes a selection of historical and highly specific entries adding context and depth. The unprecedented breadth of coverage ensures that there are entries on all major subject areas. While the emphasis is on defining the meaning of a word or phrase, entries have been written with the intention of enhancing the understanding of the subject, both for the practising specialist and the interested layman. To assist the reader in research on a given topic, related entries are highlighted in the text and other important entries are cross-referenced. The Cambridge Dictionary of Space Technology will be indispensable to anyone with an interest in space activity.

Computers and Astronomy Perhaps every generation of astronomers believes that their telescopes are the best that have ever been. They are surely all correct! The great leap of our time is that computer-designed and machined parts have led to more accurately made com- nents that give the astronomer ever better views. The manual skills of the craftsman mirror grinder have been transformed into the new-age skills of the programmer and the machine maker. (The new products did not end the work of craftsman te- scope makers, though. Many highly skilled amateur/professional opticians cont- ued to produce good-quality mirrors that are still seen today. ) Amateur-priced telescopes are now capable of highly accurate tracking and computer control that were once only the province of professionals. This has greatly increased the p- sibilities of serious astronomy projects for which tailor-made software has been developed. Add a CCD camera to these improved telescopes (see Chap. 3), and you bring a whole new dimension to your astronomy (see Fig. 1. 1). Look Before You Leap! But first, a word of caution. Unless you are already familiar with astronomy and basic telescopes, it is not wise to start spending large amounts of money on a we- featured telescope. Such an instrument might otherwise be subsequently abandoned due to a perceived overcomplexity coupled with a waning interest.

Volume 4 of The General History of Astronomy, originally published in 1984, concerns the birth of modern astrophysics in the nineteenth century, the growth of astronomical institutions to around 1920, and the development of instrumentation. The volume commences in the 1850s, with the first astronomical applications of photography and spectral analysis. It closes in the 1950s, before the explosive growth made possible by new electronic devices and computers. In Part A, there are eleven chapters, written by an international panel of eighteen authors, on subjects such as observatories, large telescopes, astronomy in the southern hemisphere, and early radio astronomy. Intended for general readership, this book formed part of an in-depth synthesis of the development of astronomy from the earliest times.

This work introduces the important emerging space powers of the world.

Brian Harvey describes the origins of the Japanese space program, from rocket designs based on WW II German U-boats to tiny solid fuel 'pencil' rockets, which led to the launch of the first Japanese satellite in 1970. The next two chapters relate how Japan expanded its space program, developing small satellites into astronomical observatories and sending missions to the Moon, Mars, comet Halley, and asteroids.

Chapter 4 describes how India's Vikram Sarabhai developed a sounding rocket program in the 1960s. The following chapter describes the expansion of the Indian space program. Chapter 6 relates how the Indian space program is looking ahead to the success of the moon probe Chandrayan, due to launch in 2008, and its first manned launching in 2014. Chapters 7, 8, and 9 demonstrate how, in Iran, communications and remote sensing drive space technology.

Chapter 10 outlines Brazil's road to space, begun in the mid-1960's with the launch of the Sonda sounding rockets. The following two chapters describe Brazil's satellites and space launch systems and plans for the future. Chapters 13 and 14 study Israel's space industry. The next chapters look at the burgeoning space programs of North and South Korea.

The book ends by contrasting and comparing all the space programs and speculating how they may evolve in the future. An appendix lists all launches and launch attempts to date of the emerging space powers.

A Spectroscopic Atlas of the Stars: A Pocket Field Guide is a standard reference book for all amateur astronomers interested in practical spectroscopy or spectrography. For the first time in one place, it identifies more than 70 (northern hemisphere) bright stars that are suitable observational targets for both amateurs and astronomy students.

Finder charts are provided for locating these sometimes-familiar stars. Data for each star includes labelled stellar spectra, a spectral profile with spectral lines identified. These are conveniently laid out on a single page, opposite tables of spectroscopic properties, and lines and wavelengths identified.

This is the first Spectral Atlas designed for amateur astronomers. It is equally relevant to college undergraduates, being intended to familiarize astronomers of any age and level of knowledge with labelled stellar spectra and their different properties. It contains much information about stars which is hard to find or inaccessible to most people.