Space And Astronomy

Contains a history of the subjects of space and astronomy, providing definitions and explanations of related topics, plus brief biographies of scientists of the twentieth century.

This updated edition shows you the universe, using the latest amazing information from astronomers around the world, and space probes around the galaxy. This book includes practical information on home astronomy and buying and using equipment.

Presents a series of 250 significant events in the history of astronomy and space exploration, from the original formation of the galaxies, to the space mission to the planet Mars, to speculation about the end of the universe.

Fully updated and including data from space-based observations, this Third Edition is a comprehensive compilation of the facts and figures relevant to astronomy and astrophysics. As well as a vast number of tables, graphs, diagrams and formulae it also includes a comprehensive index and bibliography, allowing readers to easily find the information they require. The book contains information covering a diverse range of topics in addition to astronomy and astrophysics, including atomic physics, nuclear physics, relativity, plasma physics, electromagnetism, mathematics, probability and statistics, and geophysics. This handbook contains the most frequently used information in modern astrophysics, and will be an essential reference for graduate students, researchers and professionals working in astronomy and the space sciences. A website with links to extensive supplementary information and databases can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521782425.

An illustrated tour of the universe, from our closest planetary neighbours, Mars and Venus, to star constellations, galaxies and black holes millions of light years away. With photographs, detailed illustrations and fascinating information about space, plus tips on trying astronomy at home and internet links to websites with the latest space news.

The pioneers of astronomy and space exploration have advanced humankind’s understanding of the universe. These individuals include earthbound theorists such as Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Galileo, as well as those who put their lives on the line travelling into the great unknown. Readers chronicle the lives of individuals positioned at the vanguard of astronomical discovery, laying the groundwork for space exploration past, present, and yet to come.

"... the book reminds us of an important lesson in the postwar era of big science: that government policy may lead initially to tremendous support for various fields of science and technology." --Science "... a triumph of historical analysis." --Choice "This is an excellent record of the beginnings of the NASA plantetary astronomy program in the years 1958-70." --American Historical Review "The historical circumstances that led to this country's great leap into space were unique, but it is clear that there are many lessons to be learnt from this enthralling tale and Tatarewicz tells the tale well." --Annals of Science When NASA went looking for expertise on the moon and planets following Sputnik, they found that astronomers had long since turned their telescopes away from our planets and toward the stars. Where were the scientists who could help the United States explore the solar system? The answer, as this important new study shows, was that NASA had to create them This story of the precipitous rise and decline of planetary astronomy is an important case study of science in an age of state-managed research and development. It demonstrates that the lines between science, technology, politics, and society are anything but fixed and impermeable.

Since the Space Age began a quarter-century ago, astronomers have been able to reach out and often touch celestial bodies that formerly could only be dimly viewed from afar. Probes have flown by or landed on many of the planets. Astronauts have made direct observations from Earth orbit and on the Moon. Most important, a host of satellites in Earth orbit have recorded the emissions of X-ray, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation from distant sources normally invisible beneath the atmosphere. And when the Space Telescope goes aloft, man's vision of the cosmos will be extended further still. The essays in this book describe the results of twenty-five years of space observation, summarize what has been learned so far, and speculate on the possibilities that are now within grasp. Leo Goldberg provides a point of departure by describing what astronomy was like when it was limited to peering at the night sky through Earthbound telescopes. Goldberg also expresses the hopes astronomers had for discovery in the anticipated Age of Space. The chapters that follow reveal what has been discovered about the geological features of the inner planets (James W. Head, III), the Moon (John A. Wood), the giant planets as seen during the close encounters of the Voyagers (Bradford A. Smith), and the Sun (Randolph H. Levine). The next chapters document the first ventures into deep space and describe the understanding of a previously invisible universe revealed by ultraviolet sources (Andrea K. Dupree) and X-ray sources within the Milky Way (Jonathan E. Grindlay) and beyond (Paul Gorenstein). George B. Field, who chaired the National Academy of Science committee charged with developing priorities for U.S. astronomical research in the 1980s, discusses the future of space astronomy. An epilogue by Ursula B. Marvin describes a planet body that until recently had never been seen from the vantage point of space: the Earth itself. The editors and most of the contributors are affiliated with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. James Cornell also edited, with Alan P. Lightman, Revealing the Universe: Prediction and Proof in Astronomy (MIT Press paperback).