AstronomyHow well can your students … • Illustrate the reason for Earth's seasons? • Explain how far a light year is? • Simulate the phases of the Moon? • Describe the effects of greenhouse gases? • Connect astronomy to other Earth system science? Project Earth Science: Astronomy, Revised 2nd Edition, involves students in activities that focus on Earth's position in our solar system. How do we measure astronomical distances? How can we look back in time as we gaze across vast distances in space? How would our planet be different without its particular atmosphere and distance to our star? What are the geometries among Earth, the Moon, and the Sun that yield lunar phases and seasons? Students explore these concepts and others in 11 teacher-tested activities.
Black Holes: New HorizonsTheoretical understanding has progressed in recent decades with a wider realization that local concepts should characterize black holes, rather than the global concepts found in textbooks. In particular, notions such as trapping horizon allow physically meaningful quantities and equations, describing how a black hole evolves. This has led to discoveries in fields as diverse as classical and numerical general relativity, differential geometry, thermodynamics, quantum field theory, and quantum gravity. There is heretofore no one volume which covers all the main aspects, so this volume collects together summaries and recent research, each chapter written by an expert or experts in a given field. This is intended for readers at a graduate level upwards, who wish to learn about the wide range of research concerning black holes.
Dark EnergyThis book introduces the current state of research on dark energy. It consists of three parts. The first part is for preliminary knowledge, including general relativity, modern cosmology, etc. The second part reviews major theoretical ideas and models of dark energy. The third part reviews some observational and numerical works. The aim of this book is to provide a sufficient level of understanding of dark energy problems, so that the reader can both get familiar with this area quickly and also be prepared to tackle the scientific literature on this subject. It will be useful for graduate students and researchers who are interested in dark energy.
Dark Matter And Cosmic Web StoryThe concepts of dark matter and the cosmic web are some of the most significant developments in cosmology in the past century. They have decisively changed the classical cosmological paradigm, which was first elaborated upon during the first half of the 20th century but ran into serious problems in the second half. Today, they are integral parts of modern cosmology, which explains everything from the Big Bang to inflation to the large scale structure of the Universe. Dark Matter and Cosmic Web Story describes the contributions that led to a paradigm shift from the Eastern point of view. It describes the problems with the classical view, the attempts to solve them, the difficulties encountered by those solutions, and the conferences where the merits of the new concepts were debated
Exploring the World of Astronomy : From Center of the Sun to Edge of the UniverseFrom the rugged surface of the moon to the distant and mysterious constellations, this book provides an exciting educational tour for students of different ages and skill levels. Learn about a blue moon, the 400-year storm on Jupiter, and what is meant by 'the zone of life. 'Discussion ideas, questions, and research opportunities help expand this great resource on observational astronomy into an unforgettable educational course for middle school to high school students!
Heart of Darkness: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Invisible Universe : Unraveling the Mysteries of the Invisible UniverseHeart of Darkness describes the incredible saga of humankind's quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe. Over the past thirty years, scientists have learned that two little-understood components--dark matter and dark energy--comprise most of the known cosmos, explain the growth of all cosmic structure, and hold the key to the universe's fate. From humankind's early attempts to comprehend Earth's place in the solar system, to astronomers' exploration of the Milky Way galaxy and the realm of the nebulae beyond, to the detection of the primordial fluctuations of energy from which all subsequent structure developed, this book explains the physics and the history of how the current model of our universe arose and has passed every
Life in Space : Astrobiology for EveryoneA truly interdisciplinary endeavor, astrobiology looks at the evidence of astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, and a host of other fields. A grand narrative emerges, beginning from the smallest, most common particles yet producing amazing complexity and order. Lucas Mix is a congenial guide through the depths of astrobiology, exploring how the presence of planets around other stars affects our knowledge of our own planet; how water, carbon, and electrons interact to form life as we know it; and how the processes of evolution and entropy act upon every living thing.
The New Astronomy BookThe universe is an amazing declaration of the glory and power of God! Beautiful and breathtaking in its scale, the vast expanse of the universe is one that we struggle to study, understand, or even comprehend in terms of its purpose and size. Now take an incredible look at the mysteries and marvels of space in The New Astronomy Book! Discover the best ways to observe the heavens, along with up-to-date astronomical data and concepts Learn about the dynamics of planets, stars, galaxies, and models for the cosmology of the universe
Paths to Dark Energy : Theory and ObservationThis work provides the current theory and observations behind the cosmological phenomenon of dark energy. The approach is comprehensive with rigorous mathematical theory and relevant astronomical observations discussed in context. The book treats the background and history starting with the new-found importance of Einstein's cosmological constant (proposed long ago for the opposite purpose) in dark energy formulation, as well as the frontiers of dark energy.
Uncovering Student Ideas in Astronomy : 45 Formative Assessment ProbesWhat do your students know—or think they know—about what causes night and day, why days are shorter in winter, and how to tell a planet from a star? Find out with this book on astronomy, the latest in NSTA's popular Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. The 45 astronomy probes provide situations that will pique your students' interest while helping you understand how your students think about key ideas related to the universe and how it operates. The book is organized into five sections: the Nature of Planet Earth; the Sun-Earth System; Modeling the Moon; Dynamic Solar System; and Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe.
Amateur Astronomy
Falling Stars : A Guide to Meteors and MeteoritesMonth-by-month information on meteor showers and how to make the most of watching them. Advice on starting and building a meteorite collection plus the scientific explanation of what meteors are and where they come from. Includes new information about recent space exploration and studies of meteors.
First Magnitude: A Book Of The Bright Sky“First Magnitude” is an entry-level book for readers with brightly lit skies. Its purpose is to show them that all is not lost, that they can still enjoy personal astronomy and have an appreciation of the heavens no matter where they live. It concentrates on the Sun, Moon, the five bright planets, and on the 23 brightest stars, which are visible from just about anywhere. The book concludes with bright ephemeral phenomena: meteors, comets, and exploding stars. The concept is a platform for introducing the reader to the wonders of the nighttime and daytime skies and serves as an introduction to general astronomy
Celestial Mechanics
Chaos In NatureUsing the original sources, the book draws on the history of the concepts underlying chaos theory from the 17th century to the last decade, and by various examples, show how general is this theory in a wide range of applications: meteorology, chemistry, populations, astrophysics, biomedicine, etc.
New Methods of Celestial MechanicsThe book is trying to explain the main features of Celestial Mechanics using a new technique (in this, it is very unique). Its emphasis, in terms of applications, is on the Solar System, including its most peculiar properties (such as chaos, resonances, relativistic corrections, etc.). All results are derived in a reasonably transparent manner, so that anyone with a PC and a rudimentary knowledge of Mathematica can readily verify them, and even extend them to explore new situations, if desired. The more mathematically oriented reader may also appreciate seeing quaternions as the basic algebric tool of the new approach
Overview
Cosmology
Extra-galactic Astronomy
Galactic Astronomy
Gamma Ray Astronomy
Infrared Astronomy
Optical Astronomy
Planetary Astronomy
Radio Astronomy
Solar Astronomy
Ultraviolet Astronomy
Cosmology
Adventures In CosmologyThis volume tells of the quest for cosmology as seen by some of the finest cosmologists in the world. It starts with “Galaxy Formation from Start to Finish” and ends with “The First Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe,” exploring in between the grand themes of galaxies, the early universe, expansion of the universe, dark matter and dark energy. This up-to-date collection of review articles offers a general introduction to cosmology and is intended for all probing into the profound questions on where we came from and where we are going.
Beyond Cosmology to Post-cosmology : A Preface to a New Theory of Different Worlds'This book provides an alternative (better) way to understand the nature of the universe, especially in relation to its contested beginnings and speculative ends-while learning from different approaches in the literature but without favoring any one of them (nor integrating them, since they are not necessarily compatible with each other). This book offers a new theory to transcend the existing approaches in the literature on cosmology in a way not conceived before'
Beyond The Stars: Our Origins And The Search For Life In The UniverseWhat is the origin of the universe? Are we alone in the Universe? Using clear and plain language, the author explores these two interesting scientific-philosophical themes with a broad range of studies, including astronomy, cosmology, chemistry, biology, geology and planet science. The first part discusses the origins of everything, from the Big Bang to humankind. It
Cosmic Secrets: Basic Features Of RealityThis book addresses this and similar issues in an illustrative and non-conventional way. Using up-to-date information, the following basic questions are contemplated: What is a particle, a quantum object? What can we say about the nature of time? How is reality, in particular the cosmos, formed? What is the influence of evolution on the discovery of new developments in this field? Like the philosophers Whitehead and Bergson, the primacy of process is advocated: we experience objects — both quantum objects and those we experience in everyday life — at certain positions in space, but everything is a matter of process and the existence of static objects in space is thus eliminated.
Eternal InflationThis volume is the only monograph covering the exciting and dazzling recent developments in quantum cosmology, including the theory of the “multiverse” and eternal inflation pioneered by A Vilenkin, A Linde, S W Hawking, and others. Written by a leading expert in the field known for his depth and clarity of presentation, the volume presents an overview of 20 years of development of the theory of eternal inflation as well as a comprehensive, research-level introduction into the current methods and problems.
Everything Coming Out of Nothing Vs. A Finite, Open and Contingent UniverseThe authors conclude that contemporary observational data are compatible with a finite, open and contingent universe, rather than with “everything coming out of nothing”. This book puts in a proper historical perspective, contrary to Hawking's, that the universe is intelligible as attested by the monumental fact of modern science, and, therefore, that it is contingent, and therefore created. Very often, contemporary theoretical cosmologists ignore the crucial contributions made in Medieval Europe to the birth of modern physics. This book intends to bridge the gap in accessible language for the non specialist.
Introduction To The Theory Of The Early Universe: Cosmological Perturbations And Inflationary TheoryThis book accompanies another book by the same authors, and presents the theory of the evolution of density perturbations and relic gravity waves, theory of cosmological inflation and post-inflationary reheating. Written in a pedagogical style, the main chapters give a detailed account of the established theory, with derivation of formulas. Being self-contained, it is a useful textbook for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students. Essential materials from General Relativity, theory of Gaussian random fields and quantum field theory are collected in the appendices. The more advanced topics are approached similarly in a pedagogical way. These parts may serve as a detailed introduction to current research.
Introduction To The Theory Of The Early Universe: Hot Big Bang TheoryThis book is written from the viewpoint of a deep connection between cosmology and particle physics. It presents the results and ideas on both the homogeneous and isotropic Universe at the hot stage of its evolution and in later stages. The main chapters describe in a systematic and pedagogical way established facts and concepts on the early and the present Universe. The comprehensive treatment, hence, serves as a modern introduction to this rapidly developing field of science.
Physics Of The UniverseThis book presents a new approach to the subject of cosmology. It fully exploits Einstein's theory of general relativity. It is found that the most general formal expression of the theory replaces the (10-component) tensor formalism with a (16-component) quaternion formalism. This leads to a unified field theory, where one field incorporates gravitation and electromagnetism. The theory predicts an oscillating universe cosmology with a spiral configuration.
Primordial CosmologyPrimordial Cosmology deals with one of the most puzzling and fascinating topics debated in modern physics — the nature of the Big Bang singularity. The authors provide a self-consistent and complete treatment of the very early Universe dynamics, passing through a concise discussion of the Standard Cosmological Model, a precise characterization of the role played by the theory of inflation, up to a detailed analysis of the anisotropic and inhomogeneous cosmological models. The most peculiar feature of this book is its uniqueness in treating advanced topics of quantum cosmology with a well-traced link to more canonical and pedagogical notions of fundamental cosmology.
Time, Space, Stars And Man: The Story Of The Big Bang (2nd Edition)The three greatest scientific mysteries, which remain poorly understood, are the origin of the universe, the origin of life and the development of consciousness. This book describes the processes preceding the Big Bang, the creation of matter, the concentration of that matter into stars and planets, the development of simple life forms and the theory of evolution that has given higher life forms, including mankind. There are many popular and excellent science books that present various aspects of science. However, this book follows a narrow scientific pathway from the Big Bang to mankind, and depicts the causal relationship between each step and the next.
Three Big Bangs : Matter-energy, Life, MindIn Rolston's first bang, matter-energy appears, initially in simpler forms but with a remarkable capacity for generating heavier elements. The size and expansion rate of the universe, the nature of electromagnetism, gravity, and nuclear forces, and other cosmic features all enable the second big bang, the explosion of life on Earth. As DNA begins to discover, store, and transfer information, life endures to establish billions of species. Cognitive capacities escalate, and with neural sentience, the third big bang results: human genius. A massive singularity, the human mind gives birth to language and culture, increasing the brain's complexity and promoting the spread of ideas. Ideas generate ideals, which leads life to take on spirit. The nature of matter-energy, genes, and their genesis therefore encourages humans to wonder where they are, who they are, and what they should do. Rolston draws on a variety of fields as he studies the underlying order of this cybernetic system.
Weaving The Universe: Is Modern Cosmology Discovered Or Invented?This new book is a thorough but short review of the history and present status of ideas in cosmology. It is aimed at a broad audience, but will contain a few equations where needed to make the argument exact. The coverage of cosmological ideas will focus mainly on the period from the early 1900s when Einstein formulated relativity and when his colleague Sir Arthur Eddington was creating relativistic models of the universe. It ends with the completion of the Large Hadron Collider in late 2008, having surveyed modern ideas of particle physics and astrophysics. To organize the large body of information involved, the book uses the life of Eddington and the weaving together of ideas in cosmology as themes. This should provide a clear and entertaining account presented in a historical context that leads up to the present day.
When The Universe Took A U-turnThis book addresses some of the baffling questions encountered at the final frontier of space and time related to particle physics and cosmology in the context of recent iconoclastic observations and developments. When particle physics stagnated in the early seventies, a new development emerged — String Theory.For the past 25 years, String Theory, popularly called the “Theory of Everything”, has mesmerized not just scientists, but also the general public. Yet a closer scrutiny today reveals that it is no more than a mathematical marvel. It has neither predicted anything nor has it been anywhere near verification.
Extra-galactic Astronomy
Our Universe : The Thrill of Extragalactic ExplorationThis accessible, wonderfully illustrated book has been written by some of the world's foremost astrophysicists. Some are theorists, some computational modellers, some observers, but all provide deep insight into the most cutting-edge, difficult, and bizarre topics of astrophysics. These highly personal perspectives, however, reveal more than the wonders and achievements of modern astronomy, more than its techniques and state of knowledge. Our Universe also describes what drives these extraordinary scientists and how their careers and very lives have been shaped by a burning desire to understand our Universe.
Galactic Astronomy
Adventures In CosmologyThis volume tells of the quest for cosmology as seen by some of the finest cosmologists in the world. It starts with “Galaxy Formation from Start to Finish” and ends with “The First Supermassive Black Holes in the Universe,” exploring in between the grand themes of galaxies, the early universe, expansion of the universe, dark matter and dark energy. This up-to-date collection of review articles offers a general introduction to cosmology and is intended for all probing into the profound questions on where we came from and where we are going.
General Relativistic Dynamics: Extending Einstein's Legacy Throughout The UniverseThis book brings Einstein's general relativity into action in new ways at scales ranging from the tiny Planck scale to the scale of immense galactic clusters. It presents the case that Einstein's theory of gravity can describe the observed dynamics of galaxies without invoking the unknown “dark matter” required in models based on Newtonian gravity. Drawing on the author's experience as a lecturer and on his own research, the book covers the essentials of Einstein's special and general relativity at a level accessible to undergraduate students.
How Did the First Stars and Galaxies Form?Cosmology seeks to solve the fundamental mystery of our cosmic origins. This book offers a succinct and accessible primer at a time when breathtaking technological advances promise a wealth of new observational data on the first stars and galaxies. Provides a concise introduction to cosmology Covers all the basic concepts Gives an overview of the gravitational growth of perturbations in an expanding universe Explains the process of reionization Describes the observational methods used to detect the earliest galaxies
Let There Be Light: The Story Of Light From Atoms To Galaxies (2nd Edition)This book is the first of its kind devoted to the key role played by light and electromagnetic radiation in the universe. Readers are introduced to philosophical hypotheses such as the economy, symmetry and the universality of natural laws, and are then guided to practical consequences such as the rules of geometrical optics and even Einstein's well-known but mysterious relationship, E = mc2. Most chapters feature a pen picture of the life and character of a relevant scientific figure. These ‘Historical Interludes' include, among others, Galileo's conflicts with the Inquisition, Fourier's taunting of the guillotine, Neils Bohr and World War II, and the unique character of Richard Feynman.The second edition has been revised and made more accessible to the general reader
Maps of Time : An Introduction to Big HistoryAn introduction to a new way of looking at history, from a perspective that stretches from the beginning of time to the present day, Maps of Time is world history on an unprecedented scale. Beginning with the Big Bang, David Christian views the interaction of the natural world with the more recent arrivals in flora and fauna, including human beings. Cosmology, geology, archeology, and population and environmental studies—all figure in David Christian's account, which is an ambitious overview of the emerging field of 'Big History
Search For Our Cosmic Ancestry, TheThe idea that life is a cosmic, rather than a purely terrestrial phenomenon, has progressed from scientific heresy to mainstream science within the short timespan of a few decades. The theory of cometary panspermia developed by Fred Hoyle and the present author in the 1970's has been vindicated by a spate of new discoveries in astronomy and biology, and also with startling new evidence of microbial fossils in meteorites and micrometeorites. The recent Kepler Telescope searches for exoplanets have indicated the presence of over 100 billion habitable planets separated by only a few light years, thus making panspermia and the transfer of microbial life between such planets an inevitable fact. The book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the Hoyle-Wickramasinghe theory of cometary panspermia in a manner accessible to a wide general readership.
Gamma Ray Astronomy
High Energy Radiation From Black Holes : Gamma Rays, Cosmic Rays, and NeutrinosBeginning with Einstein's special and general theories of relativity, the authors give a detailed mathematical description of fundamental astrophysical radiation processes, including Compton scattering of electrons and photons, synchrotron radiation of particles in magnetic fields, photohadronic interactions of cosmic rays with photons, gamma-ray attenuation, Fermi acceleration, and the Blandford-Znajek mechanism for energy extraction from rotating black holes. The book provides a basis for graduate students and researchers in the field to interpret the latest results from high-energy observatories, and helps resolve whether energy released by rotating black holes powers the highest-energy radiations in nature. The wide range of detail will make High Energy Radiation from Black Holes a standard reference for black-hole research.
Very High Energy Cosmic Gamma Radiation: A Crucial Window On The Extreme UniverseThis invaluable book presents the motivations and highlights the principal objectives of the field, as well as demonstrates its intrinsic links to other branches of high energy astrophysics. Preference is given to three topical areas: (i) origin of cosmic rays; (ii) physics and astrophysics of relativistic jets; (iii) observational gamma ray cosmology. Also, an essential part of the book is devoted to the discussion of the principal mechanisms of production and absorption of energetic γ-rays in different astrophysical environments, as well as to the description of the detection methods of high energy cosmic γ-radiation.
Infrared Astronomy
Exploration of the Solar System by Infrared Remote SensingThis book describes all aspects of the theory, instrumental techniques and observational results of the remote sensing of objects in our Solar System through studies of infrared radiation. Fully revised since publication of the first edition in 1992, it now incorporates the latest technologies, new mission results and scientific discoveries. It also includes a fully up-dated bibliography to reflect the advances made in this field during the past ten years. All planets from Mercury to Pluto, many of their satellites, asteroids and comets are discussed.
Foundations of High-Energy AstrophysicsWritten 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.
Optical Astronomy
Diffraction-limited Imaging With Large And Moderate TelescopesThis book deals with the fundamentals of wave optics, polarization, interference, diffraction, imaging, and the origin, properties, and optical effects of turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere. Techniques developed during the last few decades to overcome atmospheric image degradation (including passive methods, speckle interferometry in particular, and active methods such as adaptive optics), are highlighted. Also discussed are high resolution sensors, image processing, and the astronomical results obtained with these techniques.
The Adaptive Optics Revolution : A HistoryAdaptive optics is the most revolutionary breakthrough in astronomy since Galileo pointed his telescope skyward four hundred years ago. It is critical technology that will enable astronomers to answer challenging questions about the universe. Over the last four decades, a formidable and persistent team of scientists from the Air Force Research Laboratory, MIT/Lincoln Laboratory, and private contractors led the way in achieving groundbreaking advances in adaptive optics.
Planetary Astronomy
Advances In Geosciences (A 6-volume Set) - Volume 15: Planetary Science (Ps)Advances in Geosciences is the result of a concerted effort to bring together the latest results and planning activities related to earth and space science in Asia and the international arena. The volume editors are all leading scientists in their research fields covering six sections: Atmospheric Science (AS), Hydrological Science (HS), Ocean Science (OS), Solid Earth (SE), Solar Terrestrial (ST) and Planetary Science (PS). The main purpose is to highlight the scientific issues essential to the study of earthquakes, tsunamis, atmospheric dust storms, climate change, drought, flood, typhoons, monsoons, space weather, and planetary exploration.
Fundamentals Of Solar AstronomyThere are several textbooks available on solar astronomy which deal with advanced astrophysical aspects of solar physics, and books which provide very elementary knowledge about the Sun. This book will help to bridge the gap. It aims to stimulate interest in solar astronomy, presenting at one place the basic methods and techniques used in the field, together with the latest findings and the excitement in solar physics. As
Ultraviolet Astronomy
Extreme Ultraviolet Astronomy.This text describes the development of astronomy in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) wavelength range, from the first rocket-based experiments in the late 1960s through to later satellite missions. Discussions of the results from important space projects are followed by an analysis of the contributions made by EUV astronomy to the study of specific groups of astronomical objects. Within this framework, the book provides detailed material on the tools of EUV astronomy, dealing with the instrumentation, observational techniques, and modelling tools for the interpretation of data. Prospects for future EUV missions are discussed, and a catalogue of the known EUV sources is included. This book will be of great value to graduate students and researchers. It gives a complete overview of Extreme Ultraviolet astronomy..