In Part 1, the book describes the very latest thinking on solar physics in (mostly non-mathematical) detail, incorporating the latest results from research concerning the structure and behaviour of the Sun. There is particular emphasis on the surface features visible from the Earth, and how these are the result of the extraordinary processes that are taking place within the Sun.

In Part 2, the book details the techniques for observing and imaging the Sun with commercially-available equipment. The many recent advances in optical equipment now allow amateur astronomers to observe phenomena that until recently could only be seen with the extremely expensive equipment available at universities and research observatories notably H-alpha and Calcium-K telescopes.

This is a completely up-to-date solar observing book, while providing the science background necessary for an understanding of the observations with the latest equipment. It also features the most complete solar observing and imaging guide available."

Honorable Mention, Los Angeles Book Festival Book Award, Photography, 2013 Americans have been driven to explore beyond the horizon ever since the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. In the twentieth century, that drive took us to the moon and inspired dreams of setting foot on other planets and voyaging among the stars. The vehicle we built to launch those far journeys was the space shuttle-Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. This fleet of reusable spacecraft was designed to be our taxi to earth orbit, where we would board spaceships heading for strange new worlds. While the shuttle program never accomplished that goal, its 135 missions sent more than 350 people on a courageous journey into the unknown. Last Launch is a stunning photographic tribute to America's space shuttle program. Dan Winters was one of only a handful of photographers to whom NASA gave close-range access to photograph the last launches of Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour. Positioning automatically controlled cameras at strategic points around the launch pad-some as close as seven hundred feet-he recorded images of take-offs that capture the incredible power and transcendent beauty of the blast that sends the shuttle hurtling into space. Winters also takes us on a visual tour of the shuttle as a marvel of technology-from the crew spaces with their complex instrumentation, to the massive engines that propelled the shuttle, to the enormous vehicle assembly building where the shuttles were prepared for flight.

Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide in "Robotic Exploration of the Solar System" a detailed history of unmanned missions of exploration of our Solar System As in their previous book Lunar Exploration, the subject will be treated wherever possible from an engineering and scientific standpoint. Technical descriptions of the spacecraft, of their mission designs and of instrumentations will be provided. Scientific results will be discussed in considerable depth, together with details of mission management.

The books will cover missions from the 1950s until the present day, and some of the latest missions and their results will appear in a popular science book for the first time. The authors will also cover many unflown projects, providing an indication of the ideas that proved to be unfulfilled at the time but which may still be proven and useful in the future.

Just like Lunar Exploration, these books will use sources only recently made available on the Soviet space program, in addition to some obscure and rarely used references on the European space program.

The project will deliver three volumes totaling over 1000 pages that will provide comprehensive coverage of the topic with thousands of references to the professional literature that should make it the 'first port of call' for people seeking information on the topic.

Barrie Jones addresses the question "are we alone?", which is one of the most frequently asked questions by scientists and non-scientists alike. In The Search for Life Continued, this question is addressed scientifically, and the author is not afraid to include speculation. Indeed, the author believes beyond reasonable doubt that we are not alone and this belief is based firmly on frontier science of the most imaginative kind. The author concentrates on planetary systems beyond our own but starts with life on Earth, which is the only life we know to exist, and which provides guidance on how best to search for life elsewhere. Planets are the most likely abode of life and so we start the quest with the search for planets beyond the Solar System - exoplanets. The methods of searching are outlined and the nature of hundreds of exoplanetary systems so far discovered described. In the near future we expect to discover habitable Earth-like planets. But are they actually inhabited? How could we tell? All will be revealed. This full color book is written for everybody who wants to stay in close contact with the latest on possible life on other planets.

Structure and Evolution of Single Stars: An introduction is intended for upper-level undergraduates and beginning graduates with a background in physics. Following a brief overview of the background observational material, the basic equations describing the structure and evolution of single stars are derived. The relevant physical processes, which include the equation of state, opacity, nuclear reactions and neutrino losses are then reviewed. Subsequent chapters describe the evolution of low-mass stars from formation to the final white dwarf phase. The final chapter deals with the evolution of massive stars.

In Letters of Note: Space, Shaun Usher brings together fascinating correspondence about the universe beyond our planet, containing hopeful thoughts about the future of space travel, awestruck messages penned about the worlds beyond our own and celebrations of the human ingenuity that has facilitated our understanding of the cosmos. Includes letters by: Buzz Aldrin, Isaac Asimov, Marion Carpenter, Yuri Gagarin, Ann Druyan, Stanley Kubrick, Alexander Graham Bell, Neil DeGrasse Tyson & many more

For the experienced amateur astronomer who is wondering if there is something useful, valuable, and permanent that can be done with his or her observational skills, the answer is, "Yes, there is!" This is THE book for the amateur astronomer who is ready to take the next step in his or her astronomical journey. Till now there has been no text that points curious amateur astronomers to the research possibilities open to them. At the 2006 meeting of the Society for Astronomical Sciences, participants agreed that the lack of such a text was a serious gap in the astronomical book market. This book plugs that hole.

This book presents the amateur with fine examples of astronomical sketches and step-by-step tutorials in each medium, including pencil, pen and ink, chalks and pastels, painting and computer graphics programs. This unique book can teach almost anyone to create beautiful sketches of celestial objects by following simple, illustrated, step-by-step instructions. Readers can select a chapter related to their preferred class of object, and rapidly learn techniques in several media. Each chapter contains useful information regarding equipment, techniques for preserving and archiving sketches, and suggestions for accurate record keeping.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. Although this book was one of the first to be written by Alice Bailey in collaboration with the Tibetan, it is probably the most timeless, profound and least understood. "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire" deals with the underlying structure of occult teaching for the present era, with vast cosmic processes reproduced though all areas of life from universe to atom. It is, therefore, no book for the proof-demanding concrete mind, or for those who dabble in the spectacular and the phenomenal. The true student, however, the seriously applied aspirant, will find his mind stimulated and his consciousness expanded. The book is dedicated to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, and is said to be "the psychological key to the Cosmic Creation". Certainly in its revelation of relationship and correspondences throughout the Cosmos, all aspects of life unfolding through consciousness are included, based on the aphorism - "Having pervaded the entire universe with one fragment of Myself, I remain." The One Life manifests through all form within the universe as fiery energy; and the three main streams of cosmic energy, differentiated into seven systemic rays, are shown in relation to the three aspects of fire controlling all manifested life: Electric Fire, the Fire of Spirit; Solar Fire, the Fire of Mind; Fire by Friction, the Internal Fires. A large section of the book is directed to a detailed exposition of Solar Fire, the Fire of Mind, since this is the dominant energy to be understood and controlled during this second solar system. The cosmic Laws operating through the system are shown in relation to the lesser laws of planetary origin and the laws of nature, operating through substance, as distinct from the life and the consciousness of the planet. In her foreword to the book, the author mentions a five-fold purpose within its teaching; briefly: (a) To provide a compact and skeleton outline of a scheme of cosmology, philosophy and psychology which may serve as a reference and textbook; (b) As an elucidation of the relation between Spirit and Matter, demonstrating as consciousness; (c) To show the coherent development of all that is found within a solar system and to demonstrate that everything evolves; (d) To give practical information about focal points of energy found in the etheric bodies of the Solar Logos, the macrocosm, and of man, the microcosm; (e) To give some information of the place and work of those sentient lives who form the essence of objectivity, and to indicate the nature of the Hierarchies of Existences who form out of their own substance all that is seen and known. These five objectives, and more, the book encompasses; for the effect in the individual consciousness is such that theories become transcended and the mind begins to experience through contemplative thought what the words on paper reveal to the intelligence. The finite human mind can touch its cosmic origins and its fiery essence when it opens to the three cosmic Laws of Synthesis, of Attraction and of Economy. The fire of love, the flame of life within the heart, is the touchstone for all intuitive thought, and the alchemist to the dense materiality of gross substance.

The First Men on the Moon offers a lively definitive account of the Apollo 11 mission based on the in-flight transcripts post-flight debriefing, with illustrative contextual pictures, especially featuring recent scans of the original Hasselblad film and including conversations among the crew in the spacecraft that were not transmitted. The introductory chapters review the motivation to land on the Moon by the end of the 1960s, the development of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft as the means of doing so, the selection of potential landing sites, the precursor missions, and the backgrounds of the three men who were to fly Apollo 11. The final chapters will discuss what was learned of the moonrocks, and review the follow-on missions. In addition to having many a smalla (TM) in-line black-and-white illustrations with the text running around them, the book features the high-resolution scans recently produced by NASA from the original Hasselblad film, reproduced in a substantial color section. David Harland's impressive expertise in, and considerable experience wriring about, the Moon landings shines through and seemlessly unites the myriad details From the reviews of Harland's Exploring the Moon: A detailed guide to what the astronauts did during their stays on the lunar surface. Walk(s) the reader through the prospecting excursions and then incorporate(s) decades of subsequent analysis to put the explorations of dust, rocks, craters, and rilles into geologic context. SKY & TELESCOPE Very well illustrateda ] All aficionados of the Apollo program will find much to appreciate in this book].a a ]this is an interesting account of one of the mostextraordinary decades in historya ]a very different book. David Harland probably knows more about the nuts and bolts of the Russian and American space programs than any other author and it shows.a LUNAR & PLANETARY INFORMATION BULLETIN

ASTRONOMERSa (TM) OBSERVING GUIDES provide up-to-date information for amateur astronomers who want to know all about what it is they are observing. This is the basis of the first part of the book. The second part details observing techniques for practical astronomers, working with a range of different instruments.

Star Clusters and How to Observe Them is a mine of information for all levels of amateur observers, from beginners to experienced observers. It begins with a detailed yet easily assimilated description of star clusters, how they were formed as our Milky Way galaxy evolved, and how they are classified. The latest research has revealed a vast amount of fascinating information about the clusters, along with some spectacular photographs.

Modern commercially-made telescopes enable amateur astronomers to see a surprising amount of detail, and to record a" using CCD cameras, video, webcams or even film a" some remarkably beautiful and detailed images. There is detailed information on using refractors, reflectors, SCTa (TM)s (like Meade and Celestron) and computer-controlled telescopes

The book includes an Observing List cataloguing star clusters to be observed or imaged using a variety of different instruments, all of them available commercially to amateur astronomers.

See the Solar System like never before The Planets is an awe-inspiring and informative journey through the Solar System, with all-new 3D globes and models built using the latest data gathered by NASA and the European Space Agency that can be viewed from any angle and layer by layer. You can even move in for a closer look with 3D terrain models that take you on a trip to the surfaces of the rocky planets. As well as covering the Sun, the planets, hundreds of moons and thousands of asteroids and comets, The Planets includes all the major Solar System missions, right up to the latest Mars rovers. Timelines explore our relationship with each planet and infographics present fascinating Solar System facts and planet facts. The Planets is ideal for anyone interested in space exploration and all armchair astronauts or astronomers.

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)

The fourth edition of this best-selling field guide has been completely revised and updated to include the latest information from leading astronomical sources. All the time-sensitive material is new and valid through 2010: solar eclipses, phases of the moon, positions of the planets, and more. Twenty-four Monthly Sky Maps, all newly revised and in color, show exactly what you'll see when facing north or south in the night sky. Fifty-two Atlas Charts, also revised and in color, cover the entire sky, including close-ups of areas of special interest such as the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula. The hundreds of thousands of devoted users of the previous editions of this guide have been eagerly awaiting this new volume so they can continue to enjoy their hobby in the coming decades.

David Harland describes the historical development of particle physics, and explains, in a non-mathematical way, how particle physics has influenced the structure of the Universe from the very beginning of time. He demonstrates the close links between discoveries in particle physics and in cosmology up to the present. He describes how our understanding of the Universe has developed from the discovery that the Universe is expanding, to the idea that all matter originated in a hot, Big Bang, then explains the many subtle improvements to the basic theory that have been necessary to understand how the very smallest particles and earliest structures (the 'microscale') in the Universe evolved to produce the Universe as it is now (the 'macroscale'). The author also describes how scientists are attempting to develop a 'Theory of Everything' that would explain how an instant after the Big Bang a single primordial force was transformed into the four forces of nature that we observe today, which hitherto were believed to be 'fundamental'.

In Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft, authors Rex Hall and Dave Shayler review the development and operations of the Soyuz family of spacecraft. This includes the lesser-known military and unmanned versions of this reliable spacecraft. While most works on Soviet/Russian space operations focus on space station activities, the story of the Soyuz spacecraft has been largely neglected. An integral element of Salyut and Mir space station operations, the small ferry has been the mainstay of cosmonaut transportation since 1967. In addition, since 1978 the unmanned freighter version called Progress has provided a means in which to regularly re-supply a space station and so prolong its orbital lifetime. Using authentic Soviet and Russian sources this book is the first known work in the west dedicated to revealing the full story of the Soyuz series, including a complete listing of vehicle production numbers.

One of the great paradoxes of modern times is that the more scientists understand the natural world, the more we discover that our everyday beliefs about it are wrong. Astronomy, in particular, is one of the most misunderstood scientific disciplines.

With the participation of thousands of undergraduate students, Neil F. Comins has identified and classified, by origin and topic, over 1,700 commonly held misconceptions. "Heavenly Errors" provides access to all of them and explores many, including:

- Black holes suck in everything around them.

- The Sun shines by burning gas.

- Comets have tails trailing behind them.

- The Moon alone causes tides.

- Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is the hottest planet.

In the course of correcting these errors, he explains that some occur through the prevalence of pseudosciences such as astrology and UFO-logy and some enter the public conscience through the "bad astronomy" of "Star Trek, Star Wars, " and other science-fiction movies.. Perhaps most important, Professor Comins presents the reader with the methods for identifying and replacing incorrect ideas -- tools with which to probe erroneous notions so that we can begin to question for ourselves... and to think more like scientists.

The structure of Apollo - The Lost and Forgotten Missions follows the development and in flight testing of the Apollo lunar spacecraft prior to Apollo 11 as well as missions planned following that first landing. Drawing upon combinations of archival documentation from the first four manned Apollo missions and future mission plans evolved in the summer of 1969 Apollo - The Lost and Forgotten Missions will fill this void. The text explains how the machines and the men were prepared for the landing on the moon and what would have followed the initial landings.

This book describes more than 300 of the finest celestial wonders that can be viewed with common "backyard" telescopes. The author uses an abbreviated descriptive form to accommodate as much information on observation as possible for both field and armchair use. In addition to the many showpieces themselves, nearly 24 other special objects are listed. The author also points out that many of these deep-sky objects are visible to the unaided eye on a dark, clear night and prove wonderful sights in binoculars and low-power telescopes. The sun, moon, and planets in the Earth's solar system, as well as such brighter asteroids as Ceres, Juno, and Vesta, are described and their positions given, as are open star clusters, diffuse nebulas, supernova remnants, spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, the milky way, and a host of other astronomical phenomena. Unabridged republication of a book first published by the author in 1998.

The author does not attempt to give a general survey of early astronomy; rather, he chooses to present a few "episodes" and treats them in detail. However, first he provides the necessary astronomical background in his descriptive account of what you can see when you look at the sky with the naked eye, unblinkered by received knowledge, but with curiosity and wit. Chapter 1 deals with the arithmetical astronomy of ancient Mesopotamia where astronomy first was made an exact science. Next are treated Greek geometrical models for planetary motion, culminating in Ptolemy's equant models in his Almagest. Ptolemy does not assign them absolute size in this work, but, as is shown here, if we scale the models properly, they will yield good values, not only of the directions to the planets, but of the distances to them, as well. Thus one can immediately find the dimensions of the Copernican System from parameters in the Almagest - we have evidence that Copernicus did just that. Further, Islamic astronomers' modifications of Ptolemy's models by devices using only uniform circular motion are discussed, as are Copernicus's adoption of some of them. finally, it is made precise which bothersome problem was resolved by the heliocentric hypothesis, as it was by the Tychonic arrangement. Next, the Ptolemaic System, the first cosmological scheme to incorporate quantitative models, is described as Ptolemy himself did it in a recenlty recovered passage from his Planetary Hypotheses. Here he does assign absolute size to his models in order to fit them into the snugly nested spherical shells that made up his universe. This much maligned system was, in fact, a harmonious construct that remained the basis for how educated people thought of their world for a millennium and a half. Finally, after a brief review of the geometry of the ellipse, the author gives an elementary derivation of Kepler's equation, and shows how Kepler solved it, and further proves that a planet moves very nearly uniformly around the empty focus of its orbit. Thus an eccentric circular orbit with the empty "focus" as the equant point gives a good approximation to Kepler motions. The result of combining two such motions is then shown to be close to Ptolemy's planetary model. This book provides a fascinating look at the night sky and the techniques that early civilizations, particularly Babylonian and Greek, used to model planetary motions¿Aaboe does a masterful job of covering a wide array of intriguing topics in a relatively short book, and any effort expended on reading it will be well rewarded¿ talented students at the high school age and college students who are interested in these topics would likely find this book very enjoyable and enriching¿Overall, the book is fascinating to read for several reasons, including its observational astronomical viewpoint, its rich historical and cultural content, and, of course, its exposition and explanation of ancient techniques of celestial predictions and modeling. ?MAA ONLINE

This text presents numerous illustrations of the observed variability of cataclysmic variable stars. It provides a clear explanation and thorough up-to-date overview of this phenomena at a level accessible to the advanced amateur or undergraduate student.