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Looking up into the Heavens on a clear night under a dark sky, we can easily fool ourselves into thinking that the brightest stars we see are those closest to us. The reality could not be more different! In fact, 19 of the 25 closest stars to the Sun are invisible to our naked eye, and many are actually fo faint that even with the modest equipment owned by most amateur astronomers, they can be supremely difficult to find. Observing the Nearest Stars takes the reader on a one-year guided tour through the region of the Milky Way galaxy closest to our own solar system, concentrating on practical hints at observing this region for one's self. 63 color illustrations and detailed star charts guide the viewer to find for themselves every star within 12 light years of the sun and visible from the Continental United States.
As our closest stellar companion and composed of two Sun-like stars and a third small dwarf star, Alpha Centauri is an ideal testing ground of astrophysical models and has played a central role in the history and development of modern astronomy—from the first guesses at stellar distances to understanding how our own star, the Sun, might have evolved. It is also the host of the nearest known exoplanet, an ultra-hot, Earth-like planet recently discovered. Just 4.4 light years away Alpha Centauri is also the most obvious target for humanity’s first directed interstellar space probe. Such a mission could reveal the small-scale structure of a new planetary system and also represent the first step in what must surely be humanity’s greatest future adventure—exploration of the Milky Way Galaxy itself. For all of its closeness, α Centauri continues to tantalize astronomers with many unresolved mysteries, such as how did it form, how many planets does it contain and where are they, and how might we view its extensive panorama directly? In this book we move from the study of individual stars to the study of our Solar System and our nearby galactic neighborhood. On the way we will review the rapidly developing fields of exoplanet formation and detection.
" ... Concise explanations and descriptions - easily read and readily understood - of what we know of the chain of events and processes that connect the Sun to the Earth, with special emphasis on space weather and Sun-Climate."--Dear Reader.
Contains 250 questions and answers about astronomy, particular for the amateur astronomer.
Observing the Sky The Birth of Astronomy Our senses suggest to us that Earth is the center of the universe--the hub around which the heavens turn. This geocentric (Earth-centered) view was what almost everyone believed until the European Renaissance. After all, it is simple, logical, and seemingly self-evident. Furthermore, the geocentric perspective reinforced those philosophical and religious systems that taught the unique role of human beings as the central focus of the cosmos. However, the geocentric view happens to be wrong. One of the great themes of our intellectual history is the overthrow of the geocentric perspective. Let us, therefore, take a look at the steps by which we reevaluated the place of our world in the cosmic order. Chapter Outline: Thinking Ahead The Sky Above Ancient Astronomy Astrology and Astronomy The Birth of Modern Astronomy Key Terms The Open Courses Library introduces you to the best Open Source Courses.
This star guide enables amateur astronomers to focus on a class of object, and using an observation list that begins with the easiest object, find and move progressively over a period of months to more difficult targets. Includes detailed descriptive summaries of each class of object. Amateur astronomers of all levels will find this book invaluable for its broad-ranging background material, its lists of fascinating objects, and for its power to improve practical observing skills while viewing many different types of deep-sky objects. This new edition of A Field Guide to Deep-sky Objects brings in a correction of out-of-date science along with two new chapters; Transient objects, and Naked-Eye Deep Sky Objects. This edition adds up-to-date information and on the objects mentioned above. This new edition of A Field Guide to Deep-sky Objects brings in a correction of out-of-date science along with two new chapters; Transient objects, and Naked-Eye Deep Sky Objects. This edition adds up-to-date information and on the objects mentioned above.
Recent discoveries of planet-like objects circling other sun-like stars have stirred enormous interest in what other planets may exist in the universe, and whether they could support intelligent life. This book takes us into the midst of this search for extrasolar planets. Unlike other books, it focuses on the people behind the searches -- many known personally by the author -- and the extraordinary technology that is currently on the drawing boards. The author is an experienced, award-winning science journalist who was previously technology correspondent for the Financial Times of London. He has written on many topics in astronomy and astrobiology in over 35 different newspapers and magazines worldwide.