Astronomy and Space Science

by Thomas Levenson , Language: English

The captivating, all-but-forgotten story of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and the search for a planet that never existedFor more than fifty years, the world’s top scientists searched for the “missing” planet Vulcan, whose existence was mandated by Isaac Newton’s theories of gravity. Countless hours were spent on the hunt for the elusive orb, and some of the era’s most skilled astronomers even claimed to have found it.There was just one problem: It was never there.In The Hunt for Vulcan, Thomas Levenson follows the visionary scientists who inhabit the story of the phantom planet, starting with Isaac Newton, who in 1687 provided an explanation for all matter in motion throughout the universe, leading to Urbain-Jean-Joseph Le Verrier, who almost two centuries later built on Newton’s theories and discovered Neptune, becoming the most famous scientist in the world.

by David Love , Language: English

A contemporary of Galileo and a forerunner of Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) was a pioneering German scientist and a pivotal figure in the history of astronomy. This colorful, well-researched biography brings the man and his scientific discoveries to life, showing how his contributions were every bit as important as those of Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton. It was Kepler who first advocated the completely new concept of a physical force emanating from the sun that controls the motion of the planets–today we call this gravity and take it for granted.

by Steven L Manly , Language: English

The idea of a multiple universe reality is no longer considered speculative or implausible by many physicists; rather, it is deemed inescapable. Distinct concepts of the multiverse spring from quantum mechanics, cosmology, string theory-based cosmology, and ideas about a mathematics based reality that borders on the religious.In this accessible and entertaining book, Dr. Manly guides you on a tour of the many multiverse concepts and provides the non-technical background to understand them.Visions of the Multiverse explores questions such as:Just what is a multiverse?What are the different concepts of the multiverse and how are they related?Is it possible to determine if we live in a multiverse…or even in multiple types of multiverses?How do religious concepts of the afterlife and popular ideas based on the Law of Attraction relate to the scientific visions of the multiverse?Dr.

by Christopher Mark Harrison , Language: English

Authors: Harrison, Christopher MarkNominated as an outstanding Ph.D. thesis by the Durham University, UKDemonstrates that the currently accepted models of galaxy formation are correct in parts but have parts that are not reproduced by observationsIncludes a concise review on the properties of supermassive black holes and their predicted role in the formation of galaxiesAwarded the Durham University’s Physics Thesis Prize and Keith Nicholas Prize for outstanding performance based on the work presented in this thesisThis prize-winning Ph.D

by J Richard Gott , Language: English

J. Richard Gott was among the first cosmologists to propose that the structure of our universe is like a sponge made up of clusters of galaxies intricately connected by filaments of galaxies–a magnificent structure now called the “cosmic web” and mapped extensively by teams of astronomers. Here is his gripping insider’s account of how a generation of undaunted theorists and observers solved the mystery of the architecture of our cosmos.
The Cosmic Web begins with modern pioneers of extragalactic astronomy, such as Edwin Hubble and Fritz Zwicky.

by Andrew Nagy , Michel Blanc , Rick Chappell , Norbert Krupp , Language: English

Editors: Nagy, A.F., Blanc, M., Chappell, C.R., Krupp, N. (Eds.)Addresses the current state of understanding of the sources of plasma populations around all “magnetized planets” in the solar systemCombines a generic description of the basic processes at work on all planets with individual specialized chapters on each of the planetsProvides a historical perspective—a detailed one for the Earth, and a description of the different steps of exploration for the other planetsThis volume reviews what we know of the corresponding plasma source for each intrinsically magnetized planet.

by Leonardo Magini , Germaine Aujac , Adam Victor , Language: English

This book offers a detailed and fascinating picture of the astonishing astronomical knowledge on which the Roman calendar, traditionally attributed to the king Numa Pompilius (reign 715-673 B.C.), was based. This knowledge, of Mesopotamian origins, related mainly to the planetary movements and to the occurrence of eclipses in the solar system. The author explains the Numan year and cycle and illustrates clearly how astronomical phenomena exerted a powerful influence over both public and private life.

by Jay Gallentine , Language: English

Infinity Beckoned illuminates a critical period of space history when humans dared an expansive leap into the inner solar system. With an irreverent and engaging style, Jay Gallentine conveys the trials and triumphs of the people on the ground who conceived and engineered the missions that put robotic spacecraft on the heavenly bodies nearest our own. These dedicated space pioneers include such individuals as Soviet Russia’s director of planetary missions, who hated his job but kept at it for fifteen years, enduring a paranoid bureaucracy where even the copy machines were strictly regulated.B

by Stephen Hawking , Language: English

A landmark volume in science writing by one of the great minds of our time, Stephen Hawking’s book explores such profound questions as: How did the universe begin—and what made its start possible? Does time always flow forward? Is the universe unending—or are there boundaries? Are there other dimensions in space? What will happen when it all ends? Told in language we all can understand, A Brief History of Time plunges into the exotic realms of black holes and quarks, of antimatter and “arrows of time,” of the big bang and a bigger God—where the possibilities are wondrous and unexpected.

by N/A , Language: English

When we look upon the heavens on a cloudless night we see a few thousand stars, but the astronomer with his big telescope brings into view nearly 100,000,000 bright star-worlds. The astronomer tells us that those star-worlds are mainly suns, and that our sun is one of those stars, and rather a small one at that.The question. What is the sun? has been asked for thousands of years, but never has been answered satisfactorily. The distinguished author of "Solar Physics," Mr. Lockyer, tells us: "The riddle of the sun yet remains unread.&

by C R Kitchin , Language: English

Long used in undergraduate and introductory graduate courses, Astrophysical Techniques, Sixth Edition provides a comprehensive account of the instruments, detectors, and techniques employed in astronomy and astrophysics. Emphasizing the underlying unity of all astronomical observations, this popular text provides a coherent state-of-the-art account of the instruments and techniques used in current astronomy and astrophysics. As in earlier editions, the author aims to reduce the trend towards fragmentation of astronomical studies.

by William F Hamilton , Language: English

by W J Witteman , Language: English

This comprehensive monograph deals with detectors, signal processors and related noise phenomena. Detailed quantitative analyses are developed in a consistent format for thermal detectors, vacuum detectors, semiconductor detectors and avalanche detectors, as well as their accompanying noise currents. For signal processing applocations, the monograph treats in detail the operational amplifier, signal averagers, waveform analyzers, correlation techniques and heterodyne detection. Several original extensions are reported, especially for correlation devices and heterodyne detection with noise rejection.

by D R Flower , Language: English

In the interstellar medium – the space between the stars in galaxies – new stars are born from material that is replenished by the debris ejected by stars when they die. This book, first published in 2007, is a comprehensive manual for studying the collisional and radiative processes observed in the interstellar medium. This second edition has been thoroughly updated and extended to cover related topics in radiation theory. It considers the chemistry of the interstellar medium both at the present epoch and in the early Universe, and discusses the physics and chemistry of shock waves.

by C Iliadis , Language: English

Thermonuclear reactions in stars is a major topic in the field of nuclear astrophysics, and deals with the topics of how precisely stars generate their energy through nuclear reactions, and how these nuclear reactions create the elements the stars, planets and – ultimately – we humans consist of. The present book treats these topics in detail. It also presents the nuclear reaction and structure theory, thermonuclear reaction rate formalism and stellar nucleosynthesis. The topics are discussed in a coherent way, enabling the reader to grasp their interconnections intuitively.

by Koichi M T Yamada , G Winnewisser , Language: English

This book deals with the astrophysics and spectroscopy of the interstellar molecules. In the introduction, overview and history of interstellar observations are described in order to help understanding how the modern astrophysics and molecular spectroscopy have been developed interactively. The recent progress in the study of this field is briefly summarized. Furthermore, the basic knowledge of molecular spectroscopy, which is essential to correctly comprehend the astrophysical observations, is presented in a compact form.

by Mario Vietri , Language: English

Written by one of today’s most highly respected astrophysicists, Foundations of High-Energy Astrophysics is an introduction to the mathematical and physical techniques used in the study of high-energy astrophysics. Here, Mario Vietri approaches the basics of high-energy astrophysics with an emphasis on underlying physical processes as opposed to a more mathematical approach. Alongside more traditional topics, Vietri presents new subjects increasingly considered crucial to understanding high-energy astrophysical sources, including the electrodynamics of cosmic sources, new developments in the theory of standard accretion disks, and the physics of coronae, thick disks, and accretion onto magnetized objects.T

by Kenji Ishikawa , Verte Corp , Language: English

As you rocket across the night sky, you’ll become acquainted with modern astronomy and astrophysics, as well as the classical discoveries and theories on which they’re built. You’ll even learn why some scientists believe finding extraterrestrial life is inevitable!You’ll also learn about: Discoveries made by Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Hubble, and other seminal astronomers Theories of the universe’s origins, evolution, and geometry The ways you can measure and observe heavenly bodies with different telescopes, and how astronomers calculate distances in space Stellar classifications and how the temperature, size, and magnitude of a star are related Cosmic background radiation, what the WMAP satellite discovered, and scientists’ predictions for the future of the universe

by Will Gater , Giles Sparrow , Language: English

An invaluable, user-friendly guide to discovering and navigating the night sky, The Night Sky Month by Month shows the sky as it is seen around the world in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Suitable for newcomers to stargazing and expert astronomers alike, The Night Sky Month by Month explains our place within the universe, examines sky watching equipment, introduces each month’s main attractions-bright stars, prominent constellations, and meteor showers-and charts the positions of the planets up to 2019.

by L F Burlaga , Language: English

Spacecraft such as the Pioneer, Vela, and Voyager have explored the interplanetary medium between the orbits of Mercury and Pluto. The insights derived from these missions have been successfully applied to magnetospheric, astro-solar, and cosmic ray physics. This book is an overview of these insights, using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows as the framework for interpreting objects and processes observed in the interplanetary medium. Topics include various types of MHD shocks and interactions among them, tangential and rotational discontinuities, force-free field configurations, the formation of merged interaction regions associated with various types of flows, the destruction of flows, the growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and formation of a heliospheric vortex street, the development of multifractal fluctuations on various scales, and the evolution of multifractal intermittent turbulence.

by Katherine M Blundell , Language: English

Black holes are a constant source of fascination to many due to their mysterious nature. This Very Short Introduction, addresses a variety of questions, including what a black hole actually is, how they are characterized and discovered, and what would happen if you came too close to one.Professor Katherine Blundell looks at the seemingly paradoxical, mysterious, and intriguing phenomena of black holes. Outlining their nature and characteristics, both those resulting from the spectacular collapse of heavy stars, and the giant black holes found at the centres of galaxies, she separates scientific fact from science fiction, and demonstrates the important role they play in the cosmos.

by M Camenzind , Language: English

In astronomy, a compact star (sometimes called a compact object) is a star that is a white dwarf, a neutron star or a black hole. Our Galaxy is populated by billions of white dwarfs, a few hundred million neutron stars and probably by a few hundred thousand black holes. Of all these objects, only a very tiny fraction has been detected so far by astronomical instruments, just a few thousand white dwarfs, about 2000 neutron stars, and only a few dozen black holes. Of all these objects, only black holes can appreciably grow in mass.

by Bruce T Draine , Language: English

This is a comprehensive and richly illustrated textbook on the astrophysics of the interstellar and intergalactic medium–the gas and dust, as well as the electromagnetic radiation, cosmic rays, and magnetic and gravitational fields, present between the stars in a galaxy and also between galaxies themselves.Topics include radiative processes across the electromagnetic spectrum; radiative transfer; ionization; heating and cooling; astrochemistry; interstellar dust; fluid dynamics, including ionization fronts and shock waves; cosmic rays; distribution and evolution of the interstellar medium; and star formation.

by Julius Benton , Language: English

Modern comprehensive review of the formation, astronomy, and structure of Saturn and its ring system, and observing techniques for amateursVery latest detailed theories and physical descriptionsHow to observe and image the Saturn, its moon and ring, using a variety of telescope apertures and magnifications