Astronomy, space and time Books

Book SynopsisAs humanity expands its presence into space and ultimately settles beyond earth permanently, what freedoms can people expect? On the one hand space offers an escape from the traditions and entrenched patterns on Earth. On the other hand, how can you be free when the air you breathe comes from a manufacturing process controlled by someone else? In four essays, Charles Cockell explores the nature of extra-terrestrial liberty, one of the most pressing discussions in the future of political philosophy. Charles Cockell is Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Edinburgh. He has previously worked at the British Antarctic Survey and NASA and is Director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology.

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Book SynopsisKosmologie für alle, die mehr wissen wollen Dieses Sachbuch richtet sich an alle, die genauer wissen wollen, wie die Kosmologie heute unser Universum, dessen Anfang – den Urknall – und mögliches Ende erklärt. Es nimmt Sie mit auf die Suche der Wissenschaft nach Antworten auf die letzten kosmischen Fragen: Ist das Universum endlich oder unendlich? Hat es schon immer existiert? Wann und wie ist es entstanden – und wird es jemals enden? Die Autoren, die beide zu kosmologischen Fragestellungen forschen, bieten Ihnen eine leicht nachvollziehbare und konsistente Darstellung moderner kosmologischer Ideen. Sie erfahren alles über die Grundlagen der Kosmologie und das, was wir über den Urknall und unser beobachtbares Universum wissen, über Hintergründe aus der Teilchenphysik und den aktuellsten Stand der Wissenschaft zu Inflation und Co. Dabei wird Ihnen auch die eine oder andere Formel präsentiert – aber Sie benötigen dafür keine Vorkenntnisse, die über die Mathematik der Mittelstufe hinausgehen, und den notwendigen physikalischen Hintergrund dazu bekommen Sie gleich mitgeliefert. Nach der Lektüre dieses Buches wissen Sie also nicht nur, was die Physik heute über unser Universum und den ganzen Rest weiß, sondern auch warum.Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisStarting from Newton’s times this follow-up to the author’s Springer book “Our Place in the Universe - Understanding Fundamental Astronomy from Ancient Discoveries” addresses the question of “our place in the Universe” from astronomical, physical, chemical, biological, philosophical and social perspectives.Using the history of astronomy to illustrate the process of discovery, the emphasis is on the description of the process of how we learned and on the exploration of the impacts of discoveries rather than on the presentation of facts. Thus readers are informed of the influence of science on a broad scale.Unlike the traditional way of teaching science, in this book, the author begins by describing the observations and then discusses various attempts to find answers (including unsuccessful ones). The goal is to help students develop a better appreciation of the scientific process and learn from this process to tackle real-life problems.Trade Review“My overall impression is of a very carefully organized book in which clear explanations are seen as the key to understanding the process by which scientific discoveries are made. ... this book is a mostly excellent, carefully constructed, step-by-step educational path through the development of the process of doing science and resulting discoveries. Sun Kwok’s book provides an all-embracing view of how science has enabled a detailed description of our place in the Universe ... .” (Barry Kent, The Observatory, Vol. 142 (1291), December, 2022)Table of ContentsFrom Copernicus to Enlightenment.- Empirical Evidence for the Heliocentric Model.- Resolution of the Theoretical Objections to the Heliocentric Theory.- Size of the Solar System.- Celestial Navigation and Exploration of the Heavens.- New Members of the Solar System.- Is the Sun a Star?.- A New Way of Thinking.- What Are Stars Made of?.- Origin of the Solar System.- Plurality of the World.- The Nature of Nebulae.- Are all Motions Relative?.- The Nature of Light and Matter.- The Human Star Connection.- Is the Universe Finite?.- Early History of the Earth.- Common Ancestors.- Origin of Life.- Complexity in the Universe.- Evolution of the Earth through the Ages.- Earth as an Integrated System.- Life Cycles of Stars.- Life in other Worlds.- Our Place in the Universe.- The Common Link in Our Journey.- Further Reading.- Appendix I: Brightest Stars in the Sky.- Appendix II: Units of Measurement.- Appendix III: Astronomical Measurements.- Appendix IV: Photometric Method to Estimate the Distances of Stars.- Appendix V: Mass of the Milky Way.- Appendix VI: Examples of Inertial Forces.- Appendix VII: Astronomy from other Planetary Systems.- Review Exercises.- Glossary.

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Book SynopsisINTRODUCTION.- Where are everyone?.- The phases and challenges.- Part I - The astronomical parameters NS, NP and FS.- 1st Drake: The star number of the galactic disc for stars of spectral class K, G and F.- 2nd Drake: number number per star, suitable for life in the habitable area (spectral class F, G and K).- 3rd Drake: fraction of stable planets for 7 gy (duration of the stellar population).- Part II - The biological parameters of Drake: fl and fi.- 4th Drake: the transition from non-living to the living.- 5th Drake: the probability of intelligent life.- Macro-interval A: the crucial passage; The onset of the Eukaryotic Cell.- Macro-interval B: the second step; The birth of animals (Metazoi).- Macro-interval B: The "solution" of the intelligence deduced by the definition of Kardašëv, centered on energy by individual, and its birth within the metzoi (the Homo case).- The oxygen curve.- Part III- The social parameters of Drake: FC and FL.- 6th Drake: fraction of planets where life decides to communicate.- 7th Drake: temporal fraction lasting a civilization.- The complete Drake equation Still the paradox of Fermi (but in short, where are everyone?).- Winners and won in the Milky Way.- Identikit of two possible intelligent alien species.- Epilogue - The mercy of the cheetah.- Appendices.

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Book SynopsisIntroduction.- Children Of The Stars.- Towards Complexity.- Are We Extraterrestrials?.- Life On Earth.- Life In The Wanderers Of Sky.- The Universe And Life.- The New Worlds.- Is There Life On Extrasolar Planets?.- Carbon Chauvinism?.- Where Is Everybody?.- The Great Silence (Searching For Et).- We Are Not Alone.- Epilogue.- Appendix 1.- Appendix 2.- Appendix 3.

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Book SynopsisINTRODUZIONE.- FIGLI DELLE STELLE.- VERSO LA COMPLESSITÀ.- SIAMO EXTRATERRESTRI?.- LA VITA SULLA TERRA.- LA VITA NEI VAGABONDI DEL CIELO.- L'UNIVERSO E LA VITA.- I NUOVI MONDI.- C'È VITA SUI PIANETI EXTRASOLARI?.- SCIOVINISMO DEL CARBONIO?.- DOVE SONO TUTTI QUANTI?.- IL GRANDE SILENZIO  (CERCANDO E.T.).- NON SIAMO SOLI.- EPILOGO.- APPENDICE 1.- APPENDICE 2.- APPENDICE 3.

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Book SynopsisSTATE OF ASTROBIOLOGY IN THE WORLD.- CENTRO DE ASTROBIOLOGÍA 20 YEARS OF RESEARCH IN SPAIN.- ASTROBIOLOGY IN ARGENTINA. EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS EXTREMOPHILES AND MORE.- BRIEF HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF ASTROBIOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCES IN BRASIL.- CHALLENGES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ASTROBIOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCES RESEARCH IN CHILE.- ASTROBIOLOGY IN CUBA.-  ASTROBIOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCES IN COLOMBIA: ITS POTENTIAL FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH.- SOCIEDAD MEXICANA DE ASTROBIOLOGÍA SOMA MEXICAN ASTROBIOLOGY SOCIETY.- ASTROBIOLOGY IN PERÚ: FIRST ACHIEVEMENTS.- LATIN AMERICAN ASTROBIOLOGY NETWORK.

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Book SynopsisTo British television viewers, the name ‘Patrick Moore’ has been synonymous with Astronomy and Space Travel since he first appeared on The Sky at Night in 1957. To amateur astronomers he has been a source of inspiration, joy, humour and even an eccentric role model since that time. Most people know that his 55 years of presenting The Sky at Night is a world record, but what was he really like in person? What did he do away from the TV cameras, in his observatory, and within the British Astronomical Association, the organisation that inspired him as a youngster? Also, precisely what did he do during the War Years, a subject that has always been shrouded in mystery? Martin Mobberley, a friend of Patrick Moore’s for 30 years, and a former President of the British Astronomical Association, has spent ten years exhaustively researching Patrick’s real life away from the TV cameras. His childhood, RAF service, tireless voluntary work for astronomy and charity and his endless book writing are all examined in detail. His astronomical observations are also examined in unprecedented detail, along with the battles he fought along the way and his hatred of bureaucracy and political correctness. No fan of Sir Patrick Moore can possibly live without this work on their bookshelf!Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Pre-War Years.- Chapter 2: The War Years.- Chapter 3: The Post War Years.- Chapter 4: The First Books and O’Neill’s Bridge.- Chapter 5:Desmond Leslie, Cedric Allingham and Science Fiction.- Chapter 6: The BBC.- Chapter 7: Encounters with Russians and George Alcock.- Chapter 8: some Classic 1960s Broadcasts.- Chapter 9: Back to the Lunar Section.- Chapter 10: The Move to Armagh.- Chapter 11: Meteorites, Pills, Saturn and the Leonids.- Chapter 12: St. Osyth, Two British Novae, Serpents Everywhere, and an OBE.- Chapter 13: Selsey and the Race to the Moon.- Chapter 14: Apollo 11.- Chapter 15: A Bestselling Author, Nutters and More Moon Landings.- Chapter 16: Mainly BAA and TLP.- Chapter 17: Back in Charge of the Lunar Section.- Chapter 18: A Telescope, a Comet and the Monte Umbe.- Chapter 19: Kohoutek Flops and This is Your Life.- Chapter 20: Not Enough Hours in the Day.- Chapter 21: A Naked Eye Nova and a Director Resigns.- Chapter 22: An End to Lunar Section Chores.- Chapter 23: Twenty Years on TV and a Fall in the Bath!- Chapter 24: Back in the TLP Driving Seat.- Chapter 25: Nursing Mother.- Chapter 26: A British Comet Marks the End of an Era.- Chapter 27: Musings on Planet 10; Life after Mother.- Chapter 28: Halley recovered as Patrick becomes President.- Chapter 29: Fifty Years in the BAA and Halley.- Chapter 30: Supernova 1987A, Politics and a New Magazine.- Chapter 31: Business as Usual at the BBC and the BAA.- Chapter 32: A 100th Birthday and Madness in Buenos Aires.- Chapter 33: A Nasty Accident and Shoemaker-Levy 9.- Chapter 34: The Caldwell Catalogue, Neptune and More Foreign Trips.- Chapter 35: Death of a Friend, Selsey’s Tornado and Serious Health Problems.- Chapter 36: The 1999 Total Solar Eclipse and Ailing Health.- Chapter 37: A Knighthood, a BAFTA and a Fellow of the Royal Society.- Chapter 38: A Biography, a Co-presenter, a Venus Transit and a Deadly Goose Egg.- Chapter 39: A New Magazine, a Pacemaker and BANG!- Chapter 40: 50 Years of The Sky At Night.- Chapter 41: Still Alive Despite All the Odds!- Chapter 42: Life, the Universe and Everything.- Epilogue: Patrick’s Legacy.- Appendix 1: Patrick’s Variable Stars.- Appendix 2: Patrick’s Voluntary BAA Roles.- Appendix 3: Total Solar Eclipse Trips Experienced by Patrick.- Appendix 4: Patrick’s 300+ Books and Other Media Offerings.

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Book SynopsisNo longer are heavy, sturdy, expensive mounts and tripods required to photograph deep space. With today's advances in technology, all that is required is an entry-DSLR and an entry level GoTo telescope. Here is all of the information needed to start photographing the night sky without buying expensive tracking mounts. By using multiple short exposures and combining them with mostly ‘freeware’ computer programs, the effect of image rotation can be minimized to a point where it is undetectable in normal astrophotography, even for a deep-sky object such as a galaxy or nebula. All the processes, techniques, and equipment needed to use inexpensive, lightweight altazimuth and equatorial mounts and very short exposures photography to image deep space objects are explained, step-by-step, in full detail, supported by clear, easy to understand graphics and photographs.Currently available lightweight mounts and tripods are identified and examined from an economic versus capability perspective to help users determine what camera, telescope, and mount is the best fit for them. A similar analysis is presented for entry-level telescopes and mounts sold as bundled packages by the telescope manufacturers. This book lifts the veil of mystery from the creation of deep space photographs and makes astrophotography affordable and accessible to most amateur astronomers.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Short Review of Astronomy Basics.- Planetary and Lunar Imaging.- Very Short Exposure Astrophotography.- Computers.- Lightweight Altzimuth and Equatorial Mount Economics.- Altazimuth Astrophotography System.- Chapter 8: Astrophotography with a Lightweight Equatorial Mount.- Piggy-back Photography.- Astrophotography in Light-polluted Urban Areas.- DeepSky Stacker.- Processing Very Short Exposures.- Objects in the Night Sky to Photograph.- Portable Observatories.- How to Get 45 to 90 Second Exposures with a 4/5SE Mount.- How to Strengthen Tripods.- Index.

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Book SynopsisWith current technology, a voyage to Mars and back will take threeyears. That’s a lot of time for things to go wrong. But sooner or latera commercial enterprise will commit itself to sending humans to Mars.How will the astronauts survive? Some things to consider are:ith current technology, a voyage to Mars and back will take threeyears. That’s a lot of time for things to go wrong. But sooner or latera commercial enterprise will commit itself to sending humans to Mars.How will the astronauts survive? Some things to consider are:• Who decides what medical resources are used for whom?Who decides what medical resources are used for whom?• What is the relative weight of mission success and the health of thecrew?What is the relative weight of mission success and the health of thecrew?• Do we allow crewmembers to sacrifi ce their lives for the good of themission?Do we allow crewmembers to sacrifi ce their lives for the good of themission?• And what if a crewmember does perish? Do we store the body forreturn to Earth or give the member a burial in space?Questions like these, and hundreds of others, have been explored byscience fi ction, but scant attention has been paid by those designingmissions. Fortunately, the experience gained in polar exploration morethan 100 years ago provides crews and mission planners with a frameworkto deal with contingencies and it is this that forms the core of this book.Why the parallels between polar and space exploration? Because polarexploration offers a better analogy for a Mars mission today than thoseinvoked by the space community. Although astronauts are routinelycompared to Lewis and Clark, Mars-bound astronauts will be closer in theirroles to polar explorers. And, as much as space has been described as aNew Frontier, Mars bears greater similarity to the polar regions, which iswhy so much can be learned from those who ventured there.And what if a crewmember does perish? Do we store the body forreturn to Earth or give the member a burial in space?Questions like these, and hundreds of others, have been explored byscience fi ction, but scant attention has been paid by those designingmissions. Fortunately, the experience gained in polar exploration morethan 100 years ago provides crews and mission planners with a frameworkto deal with contingencies and it is this that forms the core of this book.Why the parallels between polar and space exploration? Because polarexploration offers a better analogy for a Mars mission today than thoseinvoked by the space community. Although astronauts are routinelycompared to Lewis and Clark, Mars-bound astronauts will be closer in theirroles to polar explorers. And, as much as space has been described as aNew Frontier, Mars bears greater similarity to the polar regions, which iswhy so much can be learned from those who ventured there.Table of ContentsExploration Mission Architectures.- Expedition Leadership.- Bioethics.- Launch and Outbound.- Approach and Landing.- Surviving.- Sacrifice and Death.- Inbound.- Return.

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Book SynopsisYou too can follow in the steps of the great astronomers such as Hipparchus, Galileo, Kepler and Hubble, who all contributed so much to our modern understanding of the cosmos. This book gives the student oramateur astronomer the following tools to replicate some of these seminal observations from their own homes: With your own eyes: Use your own observations and measurements to discover and confirm the phenomena of the seasons, the analemma and the equation of time, the logic behind celestial coordinates, and even the precession of the equinoxes. With a consumer-grade digital camera: Record the changing brightness of an eclipsing binary star and show that a pulsating star changes color as it brightens and dims. Add an inexpensive diffraction grating to your camera and see the variety of spectral features in the stars, and demonstrate that the Sun’s spectrum is similar to one particular type of stellar spectrum. With a backyard telescope: Add a CCD imager and you can measure the scale of the Solar System and the distance to a nearby star. You could even measure the distance to another galaxy and observe the cosmological redshift of the expanding universe. Astronomical Discoveries You Can Make, Too! doesn’t just tell you about the development of astronomy; it shows you how to discover for yourself the essential features of the universe.Trade Review“This is one of the most genuinely exciting new astronomy books I’ve seen in a long time. It shows you, for example, how you can use Galileo’s method to work out the height of mountains on the moon. … The time commitment and equipment requirements for each project are well set out, and the projects are well explained. … this book a treat for the armchair astronomer, but a real treasure trove for a team of committed explorers.” (Andy Sawers, Astronomy Now, February, 2016)Table of ContentsMotions and Positions in the Sky.- The Moon.- The Planets.- The Stars.- Astrophysics and Cosmology.- Appendices.

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Book SynopsisTitan is practically a planet in its own right, with a diameter similar to that of Mercury, methane rainstorms, organic soot and ethane seas. All of the most detailed knowledge on the moon's geology, volcanology, meteorology, marine sciences and chemistry are gathered together here to paint a factually accurate hypothetical future of early human colonization on this strange world.The views from Titan’s Mayda Outpost are spectacular, but all is not well at the moon's remote science base. On the shore of a methane sea beneath glowering skies, atmospherics researcher Abigail Marco finds herself in the middle of murder, piracy and colleagues who seem to be seeing sea monsters and dead people from the past. On the Shores of Titan’s Farthest Sea provides thrills, excitement and mystery – couched in the latest science – on one of the Solar System’s most bizarre worlds, Saturn’s huge moon Titan."This riveting story, set against a plausibly well integrated interplanetary space, carries us along with its bright and interesting characters. We feel absolutely transported to a hauntingly beautiful and alien Titan through Carroll's masterful weaving of art and science." – Jani Radebaugh, Professor of Planetary Sciences, Titan dune expert, BYU"It's a fun read! Really makes Titan come alive, literally..." – Astrophysicist and author Ralph Lorenz"Michael Carroll's new novel "On the Shores of Titan's Farthest Sea" (Springer) is a gripping, good-vs-evil tale that sparkles with imagination. It's set on the shores of Kraken Mare, the vast methane sea found high in the northern latitudes of Saturn's moon, Titan, in a future when humanity has spread throughout the solar system. The villains are wicked, the heroes are scientists (Thanks, Mike!), the story is convincing, the dialogue snappy, and the scenery is right out of our catalog of findings on this cold, hazy and alien world.If you fancy skipping forward 250 years and checking out how humankind might be navigating the very geography and landforms we have uncovered in our years touring Saturn, this book is for you!" --Carolyn Porco, leader of the Cassini Imaging Science team and the Director of the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations (CICLOPS) at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado Trade Review Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisThis updated second edition has all of the information needed for your successful forays into deep sky observing. Coe uses his years of experience to give detailed practical advice about how to find the best observing site, how to make the most of the time spent there, and what equipment and instruments to take along. There are comprehensive lists of deep sky objects of all kinds, along with Steve's own observations describing how they look through telescopes with apertures ranging from 4 inches to 36 inches (0.1 - 0.9 meters).Binocular observing also gets its due, while the lists of objects have been amended to highlight only the best targets. A new index makes finding targets easier than ever before, while the selection of viewing targets has been revised from the first edition. Most of all, this book is all about how to enjoy astronomy. The author's enthusiasm and sense of wonder shine through every page as he invites you along on a tour of some of the most beautiful and fascinating sites in the deep sky, with the improved object list making sure your choice of a faint cluster, hazy nebula or distant galaxy will all be equally rewarding.Trade Review“The definitive guide to observing deep sky objects such as globular clusters, galaxies, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants. … it gives answers to lots of practical questions that you haven't even realized you wanted to know such as why you should invite other people to observe with you, or share your hobby with others, or how could a computer be helpful with deep sky objects.” (AstroMadness.com, December, 2016)“This is a book aimed at fairly serious stargazers, even though the tone and some chapters seem suited for beginners. … Summing Up: Recommended. Professionals and practitioners.” (D. J. Van Domelen, Choice, Vol. 54 (3), November, 2016)Table of ContentsWho Can Benefit from This Book?.- Why Should You Listen to Me?.- How Do I Find the Best Observing Site?.- How Do I Maximize My Time While Observing?.- What Other Accessories Are Useful?.- Why Should I Take Notes While Observing?.- How Can I Find All These Deep-Sky Goodies when the Sky is So Huge?.- Any Other Tips?.- What Can I Observe in Galaxies Beyond the Milky Way?.- What Can I Observe in a Cluster of Galaxies?.- What Are All These Different Types of Nebulae, and What Details Can I See in Them with My Telescope?.- What Can Be Seen Within Planetary Nebulae?.- What Can Be Seen in an Open Star Cluster?.- What Can Be Observed in Globular Clusters?.- Why Would I Want to Use Binoculars to View the Sky?.- How Can I Use a Computer to Help Me Enjoy Deep-Sky Observing?.- Why Should I Set Up the Scope for a Public Viewing Session?.- Which Books on Astronomy Should I Get?.- A Magical Evening.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsDie Vorgeschichte der Entdeckung.- Die Gravitationstheorie Einsteins.- Die Physiker sagen das Schwarze Loch voraus.- Die Zeit verlangsamt ihren Lauf.- Die Himmelsmechanik im Schwerefeld eines Schwarzen Loches.- Der Lichtstrahl im Schwerefeld eines Schwarzen Loches.- Gesichtslose Schwarze Löcher.- Das rotierende Schwarze Loch.- Ein Schwarzes Loch wird niemals kleiner.- Kann man Energie aus nichtrotierenden Schwarzen Löchern erhalten?.- Die „Gravitationsbombe“.- Was ereignet sich innerhalb eines Schwarzen Loches?.- Nichts ist einfacher und nichts komplizierter als Schwarze Löcher.- Schwarze Löcher müssen im Weltall existieren.- Wieviel Schwarze Löcher gibt es in der Galaxis?.- Wie sucht man Schwarze Löcher?.- Die mögliche Entdeckung eines Schwarzen Loches.- „Supermassive“ Schwarze Löcher.- Schwarze Minilöcher und Weiße Löcher.- Teilchenerzeugung im Vakuum.- Schwarze Löcher existieren nicht ewig!.- Was strahlt ein Schwarzes Loch aus?.- Der Entstehungsprozeß primordialer Schwarzer Löcher.- Gibt es primordiale Schwarze Löcher im All?.- Schwarze Super-Minilöcher.- Schlußbetrachtung.

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