Astronomy For Dummies
Author(s): Stephen P. Maran
The fun and easy way to explore the night sky Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring updated star maps, charts, and an insert with gorgeous full-color photographs, Astronomy For Dummies provides an easy-to-follow introduction to the night sky. Plus, this new edition also gives you the latest theories, explanations, and insights into the basic workings of the universe. Includes updated schedules of coming eclipses of the Sun and Moon and a revised planetary appendix Covers recent discoveries in space, such as water on the Moon and Pluto's demotion from "planet" status Collects new websites, lists of telescope motels, sky-watching guides, and suggestions for beginner's telescopes and suppliers Brings you up-to-speed on the latest social trends and personal technology, such as stargazing mobile apps, NASA video, and the prevalence of "Citizen Science" networks Whether you're an amateur astronomer, space enthusiast, or enrolled in a first year astronomy course, Astronomy For Dummies has you covered.
Product Information
Stephen P. Maran, PhD, is the retired Assistant Director of Space Sciences for Information and Outreach at the NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and theformer Press Officerr of the American Astronomical Society.
Introduction 1 Part I: Stalking the Cosmos 5 Chapter 1: Seeing the Light: The Art and Science of Astronomy 7 Chapter 2: Join the Crowd: Skywatching Activities and Resources 27 Chapter 3: The Way You Watch Tonight: Terrifi c Tools for Observing the Skies 45 Chapter 4: Just Passing Through: Meteors, Comets, and Artifi cial Satellites 65 Part II: Going Once Around the Solar System 85 Chapter 5: A Matched Pair: Earth and Its Moon 87 Chapter 6: Earth s Near Neighbors: Mercury, Venus, and Mars 109 Chapter 7: Rock On: The Asteroid Belt and Near-Earth Objects 129 Chapter 8: Great Balls of Gas: Jupiter and Saturn 139 Chapter 9: Far Out! Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Beyond 151 Part III: Meeting Old Sol and Other Stars 161 Chapter 10: The Sun: Star of Earth 163 Chapter 11: Taking a Trip to the Stars 187 Chapter 12: Galaxies: The Milky Way and Beyond 217 Chapter 13: Digging into Black Holes and Quasars 241 Part IV: Pondering the Remarkable Universe 255 Chapter 14: Is Anybody Out There? SETI and Planets of Other Suns 257 Chapter 15: Delving into Dark Matter and Antimatter 277 Chapter 16: The Big Bang and the Evolution of the Universe 289 Part V: The Part of Tens 301 Chapter 17: Ten Strange Facts about Astronomy and Space 303 Chapter 18: Ten Common Errors about Astronomy and Space 307 Part VI: Appendixes 311 Appendix A: Star Maps 313 Appendix B: Glossary 321 Index 325
General Fields
- :
- : John Wiley & Sons Inc
- : John Wiley & Sons Inc
- : 1.91
- : 01 October 2012
- : 234mm X 187mm X 49mm
- : United States
- : 01 December 2012
- : books
Special Fields
- : Stephen P. Maran
- : Paperback
- : 3rd Revised edition
- : 520
- : 360
- : Illustrations (some col.)
