The Handy Astronomy Answer Book

Charles Liu

Description

Unraveling the Mysteries of the Night Sky. Fact-filled and image-rich guide to the principles of astronomy, its history, a host of fun facts, and helpful tips for the backyard or budding astronomers!

We look to the heavens and wonder in awe. Shooting stars, constellations, planets, galaxies, and the unknown. What is out there? Who is out there? How did the stars and planets come to be? What does it all mean? The last few years have brought an explosion of information leading to serious consideration of questions once deemed crazy. Do other universes exist? Are there planets that could harbor life?

From a neutron star to a black hole; from the Higgs Boson particle to cosmic strings; from the speed of light to gamma radiation; plus a universe of ideas and concepts in between, The Handy Astronomy Answer Book takes you on a journey through the history, science and the latest findings in astronomy. This book tells the story of astronomy—of the cosmos and its contents, and of humanity’s efforts throughout history to unlock its secrets and solve its mysteries. You’ll learn the answers to more than 1,000 questions on astronomy and space, including …

What is astrobiology?

What is the Dresden Codex, and what does it say about Mayan astronomy?

What happened between Galileo and the Catholic Church?

What is the longest time that a human has been in space?

What is a gamma-ray burst?

How do I use a star chart to find stars and constellations?

How do space and time relate to one another?

What were considered to be NASA’s four great observatories in space?

How do astronomers map the night sky?

How many constellations are there?

How has the discovery of exoplanets affected the search for extraterrestrial life?

Could a moon found in a star's habitable zone support life as we know it?

How will the universe end?

From the basic physics and history of astronomy to using star charts, telescopes, and other helpful hints for the home astronomer, and from space mission programs to the greatest adventure of all—the search for life beyond Earth—The Handy Astronomy Answer Book includes information on virtually every topic related to outer space. Containing over 120 illustrations and photos, this book brings the wonders of our universe to life!

Sujets

• Astronomie
• Astrophysique
• Space Science
• EDUCATION
• Sciences et techniques
• Questions and answers
• General officer
• Astronomy
• General
• Science
• Catholicisme

Informations

• Publié par: Visible Ink Press
• Date de parution: 01 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781578594818
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

About the Author

C harles Liu is a professor of astrophysics at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island, where he also serves as Director of The Verrazano School and Macaulay Honors College. He is an associate with the Hayden Planetarium and Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. His research focuses on colliding galaxies, starburst galaxies, quasars, and the star formation history of the universe; and he is a member of the COSMOS collaboration, an international team of scientists studying the largest contiguous area ever surveyed with the Hubble Space Telescope.
In addition to numerous academic research publications, Charles has written extensively for general audiences. Together with co-authors Neil Tyson and Robert Irion, he received the 2001 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award for their book One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos. In 2005, he received the Solar Physics Division Popular Writing Award from the American Astronomical Society for his article "Our Stormy Sun." Currently, he serves on the American Astronomical Society’s Astronomy Education Board.
Charles earned degrees from Harvard University and the University of Arizona, and held postdoctoral positions at Kitt Peak National Observatory and at Columbia University. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, daughter, and sons.
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THE HANDY ASTRONOMY ANSWER BOOK
Copyright © 2014 by Visible Ink Press®
This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or website.
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Visible Ink Press is a registered trademark of Visible Ink Press LLC.
Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets Director, Visible Ink Press, www.visibleinkpress.com , or 734-667-3211.
Managing Editor: Kevin S. Hile Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Marco Di Vita Proofreaders: Shoshana Hurwitz and Chrystal Rosza Indexing: Larry Baker
Cover images: Hubble Space Telescope image courtesy NASA; all other images, Shutterstock.
Interior images: Shutterstock or otherwise in the public domain, unless otherwise indicated.
Star charts provided by Dan Bruton, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Professor, College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stephen F. Austin State University

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Liu, Charles, 1968–
The handy astronomy answer book / Charles Liu. 3rd ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-57859-419-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-57859-190-9 1. Astronomy Miscellanea. I. Title. QB52.L58 2014 520 dc23
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
I NTRODUCTION
A PPENDIX: T IPS FOR A MATEUR A STRONOMERS
I NDEX
S TAR C HARTS
ASTRONOMY FUNDAMENTALS
Important Disciplines in Astronomy
History of Astronomy
Medieval and Renaissance Astronomy
Eighteenth-and Nineteenth-Century Advances
Matter and Energy
Time, Waves, and Particles
Quantum Mechanics
Modern Physics Discoveries
THE UNIVERSE
Characteristics of the Universe
Origin of the Universe
Evidence of the Big Bang
Evolution of the Universe
Black Holes
Wormholes and Cosmic Strings
Dark Matter and Dark Energy
Multi-Dimension Theories
The End of the Universe
GALAXIES
Galaxy Fundamentals
The Milky Way
The Milky Way’s Neighborhood
Galaxy Movement
Galaxy Ages
Galactic Dust and Nebulae
Black Holes in Galaxies
Quasars and Active Galaxies
More Active Galaxies and Quasars
STARS
Star Basics
Describing and Measuring Stars
How Stars Work
Sunspots, Flares, and Solar Winds
Star Evolution
The Sun
Dwarf Stars and Giant Stars
Neutron Stars and Pulsars
X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Stars
Binary Star Systems
Variable Stars
Star Clusters
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Planetary Systems
Planet Basics
The Inner Solar System
Gas Giants
Moons
The Kuiper Belt and Beyond
Asteroids
Comets
EARTH AND THE MOON
Earth
Orbit and Rotation
The Atmosphere
The Magnetic Field
Van Allen Belts
Neutrinos
Cosmic Rays
Meteors and Meteorites
The Moon
Tides
Clocks and Calendars
The Seasons
Eclipses
The Night Sky
Mapping the Night Sky
Stargazing Basics
Viewing Non-stellar Night Sky Objects
SPACE PROGRAMS
Rocket History
Satellites and Spacecraft
The Sputnik Era
Communications Satellites
First Humans in Space
Early Soviet Programs
Early American Programs
The Apollo Missions
Early Space Stations
The Space Shuttle
ASTRONOMY TODAY
Measuring Units
Telescope Basics
Photography and Photometry
Spectroscopy
Interferometry
Radio Telescopes
Microwave Telescopes
Solar Telescopes
Special Telescopes
Terrestrial Observatories
Airborne and Infrared Observatories
Space Telescopes
Infrared Space Telescopes
X-Ray Space Telescopes
Ultraviolet Space Telescopes
Gamma-Ray Space Telescopes
EXPLORING THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Exploration Basics
Exploring the Sun
Exploring Mercury and Venus
Exploring Mars
Failed Mars Missions
Mars Missions in the Twenty-first Century
Exploring the Outer Planets
Exploring Asteroids and Comets
LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
Living in Space
Life on Earth and on the Moon
Life in Our Solar System
Searching for Intelligent Life
Exoplanets
Life on Exoplanets
Introduction
W hy do the stars shine? What happens when you fall into a black hole? What’s the Moon made of? How many planets are in our galaxy? Does extraterrestrial life exist? How old is Earth? Can humans live in outer space? What is a quasar? How did the universe begin? How will it end? When it comes to the cosmos, it seems like everyone has a thousand questions.
Well, you’re in luck this book has a thousand answers.
Actually, it contains more than a thousand answers to more than a thousand questions about the universe and how it works. These pages contain far more, though, than a mere compilation of facts and figures. Together, these questions and answers tell the story of astronomy of the cosmos and its contents, and of humanity’s efforts throughout history to unlock its secrets and solve its mysteries.
Since the dawn of civilization, people have tried to understand the objects in the heavens what they are, how they move, and why. At first, it was a total mystery; our ancient ancestors created myths and stories, and ascribed supernatural qualities to the stars and planets. Slowly, they learned that the heavens and its contents were natural , not supernatural, and that everyone, not just a privileged few, could understand them. Slowly, the science of astronomy was born.
What is science? It sure isn’t a bunch of facts in a big thick book that old folks in lab coats think you should memorize, regurgitate, and forget. Science is a process of asking questions and seeking answers by weighing the facts, making educated guesses, and then testing those guesses with predictions, experiments, and observations. That’s what this book is all about: the unquenchable impulse to ask questions and seek answers. You’ll read about the questions that were as