{"product_id":"heavens-touch-from-killer-stars-to-the-seeds-of-life-how-we-are-connected-to-the-universe-9780691129464","title":"Heavens Touch  From Killer Stars to the Seeds of","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDid you know that as you read these words showers of high-speed particles from exploding stars are raining down on you? This book reveals the startling ways life on Earth is touched by our cosmic environment, and demonstrates why without such contact, life itself wouldn't be possible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2010 \"Kaler's writing is enthusiastic, and he conveys his own wonder and excitement at the myriad mysteries of the universe. His description of the effect of the sun and moon on the tides is thorough, as are his explanations of the source of the sun's energy and how an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter was discovered.\"--Publisher's Weekly \"James Kaler has crafted an outstanding short introduction to astronomy and cosmology by adopting a point of view that I have not seen before in a popular account of the cosmos... Heaven's Touch is a passionate account both of humanity's tangible contact with the Universe at large and the profound influence of the Universe on life on Earth.\"--Simon Mitton, Times Higher Education \"With the avuncular Professor as our guide, we are taken on a whirlwind tour of the Universe as we know and understand it and how, possibly, we came to be and very nearly not to be. He has a pleasingly straightforward style and, wherever possible, tries to steer clear of complex scientific jargon... Professor Kaler has attempted to enliven what could be a complicated and uninteresting topic, and through linking everything together via his well explained engaging text, he has admirably succeeded.\"--Astronomy Now \"This very readable book presents the many and various ways Earth and life here are connected to and affected by the universe, on scales ranging from local (within Earth's solar system) to cosmic (back to the big bang). Kaler, an experienced astronomy educator and researcher, provides a fascinating account of how human existence is due to events that happened long, long ago and far, far away... For professional astronomers tempted to write a popular yet accurate account of their pet interest, this book is a lesson in how to do it superbly.\"--Choice \"Read this book. You will find yourself listening and capturing information from the mind of someone who treats science as more of an ethereal topic; not as a bunch of formulas, but as a thing of beauty. Anyone can read Heaven's Touch, from the hardcore scientist to the newly-introduced amateur, and come out with a better understanding of the subject.\"--Francine Jackson, Planetarian \"Heaven's Touch is a stimulating, clarifying work of popular astronomy and cosmology.\"--Maui News \"Written in a style which reduces complex processes into manageable bites, yet containing numerous facts and figures, this book works well as good read and will also perform as a reference book, allowing the reader to dip in and out if a short explanation of a particular event is required. Overall this is a well written, eye opening account of how we are affected by Heaven's Touch.\"--Phil Brotherwood, FAS Newsletter \"Among the many things I like about Heaven's Touch is that, as scary as some of the cosmic scenarios Kaler depicts may seem, the book's goals ... are to inspire and inform rather than intimidate... I applaud Kaler's achievement and recommend his book to teachers of astronomy and to their students.\"--Naomi Pasachoff, Newsletter of IAU Commission 46 on Education and Development\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface and Acknowledgments xi      Chapter 1: Reaching Out 1  Stars 2  Planets 4  Light 5  The Milky Way 8  Galaxies 11  The Universe 12  Darkness 14  Heaven's Touch 17      Chapter 2: Tides of Life 21  (1) Gravity 22  (2) Phases 25  Tidal Stretching 27  Tidal Lag 29  Tidal Clock 30  Now Add the Sun ... 31  ... And Elliptical Orbits 32  \"Time and Tide ...\" 34  How High the Moon 37  It's Mutual 39      Chapter 3: Solar Storm 42  Neutrinos Going to Get You  (Even If You Do Watch Out) 44  (1) Oatmeal 48  (2) Spin 51  Magnetism 51  Windy Crown 52  eturn to Earth ... 56  ... And Get Hit 57  Vanishing Act, Part I 60  Solar Cycle 61  Effects 62  Vanishing Act, Part II 64  Vibes 65      Chapter 4: Frozen Earth 67  Seasons 68  Wobbles 72  Planets 75  In Motion 77  The Celestial Mechanic 79  Planets Perturbed 81  God of the Sea 82  Changing Earth 85  Message from Mercury 86  Tip and Bend 87  Mister Milankovitch 90      Chapter 5: The Accidental  Asteroid 93  Numerology 94  Origins 96  Child on a Swing 100  Resonating Asteroids 102  Kick on Goal 103  A Shocking Story 104  Heaven's Rocks 107  Interpretation 108  A Steady Rain 110  And Then the Hailstorm 111  Wipeout 113  And Now? 116  Pitch and Catch 117      Chapter 6: Crashing Comets 120  Tale of the Chainsaw 120  A Tale of Two Tails 121  A Scary Tail Tale 123  Structure 125  Getting Back (Twice) 127  Breaking Up (Is Not  That Hard to Do) 128  \"Passing Showers\" 130  Twilight of the Dust 132  Pathways 133  Kuiper 134  So What's Pluto? 135  O ort 137  There and Back 137  Collision 139  Strikes and More Showers 141  Water 143  Spacefarers 144      Chapter 7: Atomic Rain 145  Radiation 145  Stumbling in the Dark 146  \"Energy, People, Energy!\" 149  Kinds 150  Composition 152  Long-Lost Origins 152  Star Lives 154  Boom 158  That Pesky High End 162  (1, 2) Star Formation 163  (3) Laundry 165  (4) From Lost Times 166 But 168  (5) Donner and Blitzen 169  (6) Bound for Space 171      Chapter 8: Super Star 173  Yesteryear 174  1054, 1572, 1885, and A' That 178  I and II 180  Chandra's Limit 181  March of the Supernovae 185  Closer Yet? 187  A Bad Tan and Other Disasters 189  Penguins, Soybeans, and Ants 192  Catch a Falling Neutrino 194  Shocks and Fields 195      Chapter 9: Hyperstars 199  In the Navy 199  Identification 202  Long Bursts 204  Hypernovae 205  Sliding into the Pit 207  Into a Black Hole 209  And What Does All  This Mean? 212  And in the Future? 213  Afterglow 216  Safety Zone 218  Quick Time 218  Magnetar: The Future Is Here 219      Chapter 10: Coming Home 223  In the Beginning 223  Ancient Stars and Forming Galaxies 225  At the Table 228  Neutrons 232  Rapid Capture 234  A Story from Other Worlds 236  Heaven's Touch 238  Index 241","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51359107744087,"sku":"9780691129464","price":27.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691129464.jpg?v=1754123616","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/heavens-touch-from-killer-stars-to-the-seeds-of-life-how-we-are-connected-to-the-universe-9780691129464","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}