Astronomy: Reference Materials

Almost every page of the Atlas is richly illustrated with colour photographs, maps, and detailed diagrams. This reference book commences with a survey of the Sun and the solar system, followed by the stars and the Galaxy, and concludes with the extragalactic universe and cosmology. An elaborate 24-page glossary and index has been added to increase the ease with which this sumptuous and lavish encyclopedia can be used for quick reference.

This classic star atlas is ideal for both beginning astronomers and more experienced observers worldwide. The clear, full-color maps show stars, clusters and galaxies visible with binoculars or a small telescope. The atlas also features constellation boundaries and the Milky Way, and lists objects that are interesting to observe. This new edition features a clearer map of the Moon's surface, showing craters and features; a second Moon map, mirror reversed for users of telescopes with star diagonals; enhanced index charts showing the constellations more clearly; and a new data table listing stars hosting planetary systems. It is now spiral bound, making it ideal for use at the telescope.

The Caldwell Catalogue, compiled by the late Sir Patrick Moore (1923-2012), has delighted amateur astronomers worldwide since its publication in 1995. Twenty years on, Stephen James O'Meara revisits his guide to these 109 deep-sky delights, breathing new life into them and the 20 additional observing targets included as an appendix. This second edition retains O'Meara's detailed visual descriptions and sketches, accompanied by stunning new images taken by amateur photographer Mario Motta and observations by Magda Streicher.

The bright galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae catalogued in the late 1700s by the famous comet hunter Charles Messier are still the most widely observed celestial wonders in the sky. The second edition of Stephen James O'Meara's acclaimed observing guide to the Messier Objects features improved star charts for helping you find the objects, a much more robust telling of the history behind their discovery - including a glimpse into Messier's fascinating life - and updated astrophysical facts to put it all into context. These additions, along with new photos taken with the most advanced amateur telescopes, bring O'Meara's first edition more than a decade into the twenty-first century. Expand your universe and test your viewing skills with this truly modern Messier guide. It is a must for all budding night watchers.

This handbook is a guide to exploring the classical night sky and its wonderful telescopic sights. All 88 officially recognized constellations are presented in natural groups which are related by their origin and location in the sky. Each group is explained by a fascinating story which tells what each constellation represents, how it appears in the sky, and why the other constellations of the group are close by, or related in some other manner. Specific instructions are given for finding each constellation, how to spell and pronounce the constellation and star names, plus the origins of the star names. Finder charts show each constellation group and a large area of sky around the group. These charts also indicate pointer stars which aid in finding the constellations.

Today's amateur and professional astronomers take images of the stars using affordable digital cameras known as CCD (charge coupled devices). This improved technology has made astrophotography possible for everyone; however CCD cameras have features exclusive to astronomy and so there is a learning curve. Astrophotography: The Essential Guide to Photographing the Night Sky features practical guidance from an astrophotographer with years of experience explaining astronomy to hobbyists.

Commercially-made astronomical telescopes are better and less expensive than ever before, and their optical and mechanical performance can be superb. When a good-quality telescope fails to perform as well as it might, the reason is quite probably that it needs a little care and attention! Here is a complete guide for anyone who wants to understand more than just the basics of astronomical telescopes and accessories, and how to maintain them in the peak of condition.

Expert astronomers Chris North and Paul Abel, provide a fascinating guided tour of our Solar System and explain its many wonders. They look at all the major players, including our more familiar cosmic neighbors--the Sun, the planets and their moons--as well as the occasional visitors to our planet--asteroids, meteors and comets--in addition to distant stars and what might lie beyond our Solar System, including the mysterious Earth Mark II.

Astronomy needs statistical methods to interpret data, but statistics is a many-faceted subject that is difficult for non-specialists to access. This handbook helps astronomers analyze the complex data and models of modern astronomy. This second edition has been revised to feature many more examples using Monte Carlo simulations, and now also includes Bayesian inference, Bayes factors and Markov chain Monte Carlo integration. Chapters cover basic probability, correlation analysis, hypothesis testing, Bayesian modelling, time series analysis, luminosity functions and clustering. Exercises at the end of each chapter guide readers through the techniques and tests necessary for most observational investigations. The data tables, solutions to problems, and other resources are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521732499. Bringing together the most relevant statistical and probabilistic techniques for use in observational astronomy, this handbook is a practical manual for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professional astronomers.

Stargazing with a Telescope demystifies the process of buying and using a telescope. The features and benefits of the different types of viewing instruments are evaluated in straightforward terms, and color illustrations help to clarify the choices. Equipment covered includes: Binoculars: a range of choices for astronomers at any level Refractors: classic telescopes that are easy to use and maintain Reflectors: sophisticated instruments that allow night sky photography Catadioptrics: compact telescopes that are gaining popularity CCDs and webcams. New to this edition is information and guidance on taking astro-images not only with a camera but by using CCDs (charge-coupled devices), which are better for capturing nebulae and fainter objects beyond the solar system. There is also new and exciting guidance on using webcams to capture objects moving in the night sky.

Encyclopedia of Space and Astronomy covers this timely and popular topic in a clear, comprehensive manner. Offering a complete presentation of the main concepts, terms, facilities, and people in astronomy, the encyclopedia pays special attention to space-based astronomy and space exploration. Broad coverage includes terms such as astrophysics, planetary science, and cosmology, as well as both American and international astronomy and space technology.

This book presents current research in the field of space science. Topics discussed in this compilation include supernovae as probes for dark energy; structure and transport of the Martian surface material; the study for black hole in m-theory; origin of the Saturn rings; space science applications of aerogels; dynamics and disruption mechanisms of asteroids; primordial black holes, formation and evolution; black holes in higher order curvature gravity; scalar potential model of galaxies; the dark energy scale in superconductors and constraints on dark energy and dark matter from supernovae and gamma ray burst data.

An extensive astronomy reference, beautifully illustrated and expertly written. The Firefly Encyclopedia of Astronomy is organized A-Z with concise details on each topic. The pages are profusely illustrated with vivid computer graphics, photography and archival images.

This lavishly illustrated new dictionary written by an experienced writer and consultant on astronomy provides an essential guide to the universe for amateur astronomers of all ages. Around 1300 carefully selected and cross-referenced entries are complemented by hundreds of beautiful colour illustrations, taken from space missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and other major observatories on Earth and in space. Distinguished stellar illustrator Wil Tirion has drawn 20 new star maps especially for inclusion here. A myriad of named astronomical objects, constellations, observatories and space missions are described in detail, as well as biographical sketches for 70 of the most luminous individuals in the history of astronomy and space science.

2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice The launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 ushered in an exciting era of scientific and technological advancement. As television news anchors, radio hosts, and journalists reported the happenings of the American and the Soviet space programs to millions of captivated citizens, words that belonged to the worlds of science, aviation, and science fiction suddenly became part of the colloquial language. What's more, NASA used a litany of acronyms in much of its official correspondence in an effort to transmit as much information in as little time as possible. To translate this peculiar vocabulary, Paul Dickson has compiled the curious lingo and mystifying acronyms of NASA in an accessible dictionary of the names, words, and phrases of the Space Age. Aviators, fighter pilots, and test pilots coined the phrases "spam in a can" (how astronauts felt prelaunch as they sat in a tiny capsule atop a rocket booster); "tickety-boo" (things are fine), and "the Eagle has landed" (Neil Armstrong's famous quote when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon).