Designed for non-science majors, this book nurtures curiosity and develops critical-thinking skills. Astronomy is an ideal subject to trace the evolution of physical sciences and their interplay with mathematics, philosophy, religion, geography, and politics. The historical approach highlights both the missteps and the self-correcting nature of science.
Surveys the red planet's place in the human imagination, beginning with ancient astrologers. We meet Mayan astrologer priests who incorporated Mars into seasonal calendars and religious ceremonies; Babylonian astrologers who discerned bad omens; figures of the Scientific Revolution who struggled to comprehend it as a world; Victorian astronomers who sought signs of intelligent life; and twentieth- and twenty-first-century scientists who have established a technological presence on its surface.
The Moon offers opportunities beyond our wildest imaginings. This book describes how the colonization of the Moon could usher in a thrilling new age of scientific exploration, and lays out what the next fifty years of lunar science might look like. With lunar telescopes situated in permanently dark polar craters and on the far side of the Moon, we could finally be poised to answer some of the most profound questions confronting humankind, including whether we are alone in the Universe and what our cosmic origins are.
Invites readers to roam the night sky for constellations, planets and moons, eclipses, comets and meteor showers, auroras, and deep-sky treasures including nebulae and galaxies-many visible to the naked eye and all with binoculars or a backyard telescope.
The authors take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia--How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone?--and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories. Populated with paradigm-shifting discoveries that help explain the building blocks of astrophysics, this relatable and entertaining book will engage and inspire readers.
After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for.
Starry Sky Adventures Arizona guides readers to 50 outdoor adventures to take under the darkest skies around. Guided adventures, including camping, backpacking, paddling, and hiking, show readers the way to safely experience the best of the night sky in astrotourism destinations, designated Dark Sky Places, and locations with outstanding natural darkness.
In a world where intergalactic wars are a common topic for movies, it is hard to imagine that the discovery of galaxies was made less than a century ago. In fact, it was one of the key astrophysical milestones of the first half of the 20th century, along with the revelation of the expansion of the Universe and the understanding of the source of the stars' energy.
This guidebook shows you how to observe a host of celestial wonders. Its distinct format of object-by-object spreads illustrates how deep-sky objects and planets actually look through a small telescope. With dedicated chapters on Northern and Southern Hemisphere objects, it's never been easier to explore the night sky, wherever you are.
Moving through the Solar System from Mercury, Venus, Mars, past comets and asteroids and the moons of the giant planets, to Pluto, and on to exoplanets, the author gives vivid descriptions of landforms that are similar to those found on Earth but that are more fantastic.
Spotlight on ScienceDirect. Science Direct is a key research database for astronomy sources. Use it to search and find full text books and journal articles.
Join scientists as they use NASA’s brand new James Webb Space Telescope to peer deep in time to hunt for the first stars and galaxies in our universe, and try to detect the fingerprints of life in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets.
A visionary astronomer in West Africa attempts a high-stakes observation of a distant asteroid vital to a NASA mission. From prehistoric ruins to Islamic skywatchers, explore the heritage and future of African astronomy.
The incredible story of how Pluto has been propelled from an unremarkable ball of ice on the edge of the solar system to a world of unimaginable complexity - where some form of alien life might exist. Featuring first-hand accounts of the incredible discoveries made by New Horizons from many of the scientists involved in the mission. A BBC Production.
With dazzling visuals and the latest discoveries, NOVA’s five-part series captures moments of high drama when the cosmos changed forever--featuring a cast list of rogue planets, colliding galaxies, and black holes more massive than a billion suns.