The Infinite Cosmos: Questions from the Frontiers of Cosmology

The Infinite Cosmos: Questions from the Frontiers of Cosmology

In The Infinite Cosmos Joseph Silk takes the reader on a tour of the universe, past, present, and future, showing how the very latest observations and theories are unlocking clues about its origin and structure: X-ray, radio, and high-energy views of the most distant reaches of the universe. Theories from the frontiers of current research seek to explain its structure from the first moments to the present day, and we are beginning to understand its extraordinary nature and possible fate.
This is a story involving the visible and the invisible; subatomic particles and unusual forces; long ages of darkness and spectacular and violent events. It tells of supernovae, dark matter, dark energy, curved spacetime, colliding galaxies, and supermassive black holes. Weaving the ideas of poets and writers as well as scientists into the story, from Kant and Keats to Einstein and Lemaitre, Silk explains our present state of knowledge, and how much more there is to understand about our infinite cosmos.

 

About the Author
Joseph Silk is Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford. He has published a number of books on cosmology for the general reader, including The Big Bang (W. H. Freeman), The Left Hand of Creation (with J. D. Barrow, published by Oxford University Press), and On the Shores of the Unknown (Cambridge University Press).

Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide

Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe (5th Edition)
By Eric Chaisson, Steve McMillan

 

Astronomy Today 4/e (ISBN 0-13-091542-4) is the more comprehensive text by this: proven team of authors. This twenty-eight chapter text begins with the foundations of the history of science and physics as they relate to astronomy (Part One), then proceeds with an "Earth-out" organization for coverage of the solar system (Part Two), stars and stellar evolution (Part Three), and galaxies and cosmology (Part Four). New with the fourth edition, the book is now available in two paperback splits:

Astronomy Today 4/e: The Solar System (ISBN 0-13-093560-3) covers Part One on foundations (Chapters 1-$); Part Two on the solar system (Chapters 6-15); the Sun chapter (Chapter 16); and the final chapter on life in the universe (Chapter 28).

Astronomy Today 4/e: Stars and Galaxies (ISBN 0-13-093571-9) includes Part One on foundations (Chapters 1-S); Part Three on stars and stellar evolution (Chapters 16-22); and Part Four on galaxies and cosmology (Chapters 23-28).

Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe 4/e (ISBN 0-13-100727-0) is the authors' briefer text. It covers the same scope of material in the same order as Astronomy Today 4/e, but with less detail and in fewer chapters (eighteen instead of twenty-eight) and fewer pages.

 

About the Author

Eric Chaisson. Eric holds a doctorate in astrophysics from Harvard University, where he spent ten years on the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. For five years, Eric was a Senior Scientist and Director of Educational Programs at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Adjunct Professor of Physics at Johns Hopkins University. He then joined Tufts University, where he is now Professor of Physics, Professor of Education, and Director of the Wright Center for Innovative Science Education. He has written nine books on astronomy, which have received such literary awards as the Phi Beta Kappa Prize, two American Institute of Physics Awards, and Harvard's Smith-Weld Prize for Literary Merit. He has published more than 100 scientific papers in professional journals, and has also received Harvard's Bok Prize for original contributions to astrophysics.

Steve McMillan. Steve holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Mathematics from Cambridge University and a doctorate in Astronomy from Harvard University. He held post-doctoral positions at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, where he continued his research in theoretical astrophysics, star clusters, and numerical modeling. Steve is currently Distinguished Professor of Physics at Drexel University and a frequent visiting researcher at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study and the University of Tokyo. He has published more than 50 scientific papers in professional journals.

Details
Published on: 2006-03-06
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
576 pages

 

Reviews

Awesome
The book was just as i expected!!! it was new, no marks, and no bent pages! it was a great price and it looks like i just bought it from a book store!! shipped really fast! THANKS

 

Eric Chaisson, Steve McMillan, Astronomy, Beginner's Guide

Turn Left at Orion

Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them
By Guy Consolmagno, Dan M. Davis

A superb guidebook described in Bookwatch as 'the home astronomer's "bible"', Turn Left at Orion provides all the information beginning amateur astronomers need to observe the Moon, the planets and a whole host of celestial objects. Large format diagrams show these objects exactly as they appear in a small telescope and for each object there is information on the current state of our astronomical knowledge. Revised and updated, this new edition contains a chapter with ten new spreads describing spectacular deep sky objects visible from the southern hemisphere, and tips on observing the upcoming transits of Venus. It also discusses Dobsonian telescopes, with hints on using personal computers and the Internet as aids for planning an observing session. Also new to this edition are redrawn "Guidepost" figures at the beginning of each season chapter that allow readers to visualize a three-dimensional view of the sky's dome; redesigned seasonal object layouts that provide more space for the naked-eye charts; a new spread on double stars near Boötes has been added to Spring, replacing the "Shrinking Double" spread; and a unique "When and Where to Look" table has been added to the last page, among other new features. Unlike many guides to the night sky, this book is specifically written for observers using small telescopes. Clear and easy to use, this fascinating book will appeal to skywatchers of all ages and backgrounds. No previous knowledge of astronomy is needed.

Midwest Book Review
Owners of small telescopes will appreciated this revised edition of a classic, which has been updated to AD 2006, and which includes hundreds of night sky objects easily viewed by the home observer. From seasonal challenges in making observations to locating common guideposts and visible clusters, this is the home astronomer's 'bible'.

Review
"...an excellent book for small telescope users...As the resurgence in small telescopes continues, this book will be of use to all users of such instruments. Since many of the objects covered in Turn Left at Orion can be seen from light-polluted skies, this book is a valuable asset even if you live in a large urban area." Deep Sky

"...should be packaged with every first telescope. It's as nearly perfect as such a book can be." Sky & Telescope

"...for those intent on doing some serious observing with a small telescope, Turn Left at Orion has much to recommend it." Stardust

Book Info
Designed to be used at the telescope, this guide to the night sky is perfect for those with no previous knowledge of astronomy and in any age group. Shows how to explore the sky with a small telescope and can be used even outdoors in the dark with ease. Previous edition: c1995. DLC: Astronomy--Amateur's manual.

 

Astronomy manual, Orion, Night Sky Objects

Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets - Book

Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets

Published on: 2008-08-28
Number of items: 1
Binding: Paperback
802 pages

Meteor Showers and their Parent Comets is a unique handbook for astronomers interested in observing meteor storms and outbursts. Spectacular displays of 'shooting stars' are created when the Earth's orbit crosses a meteoroid stream, as each meteoroid causes a bright light when it enters our atmosphere at high speed. Jenniskens, an active meteor storm chaser, explains how meteoroid streams originate from the decay of meteoroids, comets and asteroids, and how they cause meteor showers on Earth. He includes the findings of recent space missions to comets and asteroids, the risk of meteor impacts on Earth, and how meteor showers may have seeded the Earth with ingredients that made life possible. All known meteor showers are identified, accompanied by fascinating details on the most important showers and their parent comets. The book predicts when exceptional meteor showers will occur over the next 50 years, making it a valuable resource for both amateur and professional astronomers.

 

A Must for Meteor Enthusiasts!
WOW! what a book this is for aspiring and experienced observers! I'm in awe. Dr. Jenniskens' new book is so chock-full of information it will take years to soak it all in. He has done a masterful job of explaining everything that goes into the generation of comet dust trails and the resultant meteor showers they spawn. That -- plus a comprehensive listing of EVERY expected meteor outburst (and their expected ZHRs!) for the next fifty years! Not just the main showers like the Leonids and Perseids, but all minor showers as well.
I'm absolutely astounded by the enormous amount of work that must have gone into creating this book! It is simply an amazing work that should be in every library and on every meteor enthusiast's shelf -- because you'll be going back to it again and again for the rest of your life!

(Note: This is probably not the right meteor book for youngsters just getting to know this wonderful science and hobby, however. The charts, graphs, and mathematics are a little overwhelming for beginners.)

Pete Bias (author of Meteors and Meteor Showers, an Amateur's Guide to Meteors)

Behold a Pale Horse By William Cooper, Milton William Cooper

Behold a Pale Horse
By William Cooper, Milton William Cooper

The author, former U.S. Naval Intelligence Briefing Team Member, reveals information kept secret by our government since the 1940s. UFOs, the J.F.K.. assassination, the Secret Government, the war on drugs and more by the world's leading expert on UFOs.

Reviews

LOVE THIS BOOK
I'm not finished reading this book, but it's a real page turner. There is another version, but this is the real deal. The cover up's. I can't really review this book without first finishing it. BEHOLD A PALE HORSE BY WILLIAM COOPER is a book worth buying. You will not be dissappointed.

Will you believe??
Interested in conspiracy theories? This book has them all. It's not an easy read, but once you get used to the writers style it becomes easy to go through. There are copies of documents in this book that are questionable, even though they look legitimate. I find it hard to believe that a document is left on an old copier that was purchased at surplus. I also find it hard to believe the account of one man. It is your choice whether to believe what William Cooper has to say. I would say that perhaps there is some truth in what he says, because for one, I think I believe William Cooper, before I would believe the government. This book has it all, UFOs, Black Ops, Cover-ups, and government threats. It's almost overwhelming the amount of information provided in this book, but I doubt there is another book out there, that could be so detailed about specific accounts of events. It's a shame that William Cooper's life ended the way it did. Shot by a Sheriff's Deputy. Coincidence? If you have a passion for ideas that are labeled conspiracy theories, then this book is full of them.

More for the Tin Foil Hat Crowd
First off let me state that im a conspiracy fan myself. i am a major believer in the 9/11 truth movement and am not a so called "DE-BUNKER" in any way and while cooper talks about things i do think are real like the JFK assassination conspiracy, the coming police state and the NWO i just cant recommend this book. Most of his supposed sources are from other conspiracy books but what really made me just put the book down is when he said his source for a supposed secret oath into the Vatican's secret order couldn't be revealed or the person who took it either. sources are the most important thing in journalism, if you don't have your who, what, were, when and why down you have no credibility and your writing turns instantly into opinion, and thats precisely what this book is, opinion. Aside from that half and i mean almost half the book is just photo copied with text so small its hard to read along with News articles and supposed government documents most of which are nothing more than memos.....sorry not interested in reading a US military memo. he throws in some blurry pictures that are UFO's (again there are better books on the subject) and throws in the Ariel shot of Area 51 which most people have seen a 1,00 times. Cooper goes on to make allegations of secret government aircraft and all that other stuff that separates mainstream conspiracy people from the tin foil hat crowd. Look If your looking to get into conspiracies turn somewhere else and save your money, i wish i had.

 

Contents Book

Introduction    1
William Cooper, UFOs, Geronimo
Chapterl Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars    35
inductor, BILDERBERG GROUP, Mayer Amschel Rothschild
Secret Societies and the New World Order    67
Bilderberg Group, Illuminati, Knights of Malta
18 other sections not shown

Average customer review:

 

William Cooper, Milton William Cooper, UFO, Book, astronomy-telescopes.blogspot.com

The Perseids Meteor shower

A meteor shower, some of which are known as a "meteor storm", "meteor outburst", or "shooting star", is a celestial event where a group of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the sky. These meteors are small fragments of cosmic debris entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speed. They vaporize due to friction with the air, leaving a streak of light that very quickly disappears. For bodies with a size scale larger than the atmospheric mean free path (10 cm to several metres) this visible light is due to the heat produced by the ram pressure (not friction, as is commonly assumed) of atmospheric entry . Most of the small fragments of cosmic debris are smaller than a grain of sand, so almost all fragments disintegrate and never hit the earth's surface. Fragments which do contact Earth's surface are called meteorites.

A Perseid (possibly 2) and Milky way

The Perseids (pronounced /ˈpɝsiːɨdz/ pûr'sē-ĭdz) are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids are so called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Perseus. Meteor showers occur when Earth moves through a meteor stream. The stream in this case is called the Perseid cloud and it stretches along the orbit of the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The cloud consists of particles ejected by the comet as it passed by the Sun. Most of the dust in the cloud today is approximately a thousand years old. However, there is also a relatively young filament of dust in the stream that boiled off the comet in 1862. The approximate rate of meteors originating from this filament is much higher than normal.

 

Observation

The famous Perseid meteor shower has been observed for about 2000 years, with the first known information on these meteors coming from the Far East. In early Europe, the Perseids came to be known as the "tears of St. Lawrence."

The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the greatest activity between August 8 and 14, peaking about August 12. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. They can be seen all across the sky, but because of the path of Swift-Tuttle's orbit, Perseids are mostly visible in the northern hemisphere.

To experience the shower in its full, one should observe in the dark of a clear moonless night, from a point far outside any large cities, where stars are not dimmed by light pollution. The Perseids have a broad peak, so the shower is visible for several nights. On any given night, activity starts slowly in the evening but picks up by 11 p.m., when the radiant gets reasonably high in the sky. The meteor rate increases steadily through the night as the radiant rises higher, peaking just before the sky starts to get light, roughly 1½ to 2 hours before sunrise.

2007

The Perseid meteor shower peaked on the new-Moon night of Sunday–Monday, August 12–August 13 and could be seen from any place in the northern hemisphere. The Perseid meteors appeared to stream away from their radiant near the border of Perseus and Cassiopeia.

The meteor rate, for an observer at a dark-sky site in the northern temperate latitudes, increases to roughly 30 per hour in the predawn hours on Saturday, 45 per hour on Sunday morning, and 80 per hour before the sky starts to get light on Monday morning.

2008

The Perseids will next be active from July 17 to August 24, 2008, with their peak on the morning of August 12, 2008.

 

Thank Ref and  Read more...Perseids - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Meteor shower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The Perseids Meteor shower

Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium

Celestron SkyScout Personal Planetarium

From Celestron

 

Manufacturer
The SkyScout is a revolutionary handheld device that uses advanced GPS technology with point and click convenience to identify thousands of stars, planets, constellations and more.

 

Identify
Simply point the SkyScout at any star in the sky and click the target button. The SkyScout will tell you what object you are looking at.

Locate
To locate a star or planet, select the object's name from the menu and follow the directional arrows through the viewfinder. SkyScout tells you when you are on target. It's that easy!

Learn
Once you have targeted an object the real fun begins. The SkyScout includes entertaining and educational audio and text information, including facts, trivia, history and mythology about our most popular celestial objects. A fun learning tool for all ages, the SkyScout personal planetarium puts the knowledge of an expert astronomer in the palm of your hand.

SkyScout features

• Identifies celestial objects with the click of a button.
• Locates over 6,000 stars, planets and constellations from built-in celestial database and provides scientific information for each object.
• Provides comprehensive text and audio descriptions providing history, mythology and other entertaining information for the most popular objects.
• Tonight's Highlights: a customized list of the 20 best objects to view for your exact date, time and location anywhere in the world.
• Constellation lessons: if the star you identify or locate is part of a constellation like the Big Dipper, you can actually take a guided tour through all the stars in that constellation and even see an onscreen map of the constellation.
• Built-in field guide includes:
  • Introduction to astronomy: a six part audio lesson on the origin and history of astronomy
  • Glossary of terms: text defining popular astronomy terms including planets, comets, galaxies and more
  • Great Astronomers: text bios on some of the world's greatest astronomers including Galileo, Einstein and Copernicus
  • Man-made space objects: text description of some of the coolest objects man has sent into space including the International Space Station, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Space Shuttle
  • Comet guide: text descriptions about history's most famous comets including Halley's Comet and Comet Hale-Bop
• SD card slot: for optional Sky Tour audio presentations that provide hours of entertainment on a variety of topics
• USB port: allows database to be updated with new objects as they are discovered, comets, etc.
• Simple enough for all ages: just turn it on and it's ready to use
• Built-in help menu: includes a quick start instruction guide for using the SkyScout
• Bring it anywhere: compact and light design makes it easy to carry and durable construction makes it safe for rugged environments
• Backed by Celestron's 2-year warranty

Celestron SkyScout

The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics

The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics

What happens when something is sucked into a black hole? Does it disappear? Three decades ago, a young physicist named Stephen Hawking claimed it did-and in doing so put at risk everything we know about physics and the fundamental laws of the universe. Most scientists didn't recognize the import of Hawking's claims, but Leonard Susskind and Gerard t'Hooft realized the threat, and responded with a counterattack that changed the course of physics. THE BLACK HOLE WAR is the thrilling story of their united effort to reconcile Hawking's revolutionary theories of black holes with their own sense of reality-effort that would eventually result in Hawking admitting he was wrong, paying up, and Susskind and t'Hooft realizing that our world is a hologram projected from the outer boundaries of space.
A brilliant book about modern physics, quantum mechanics, the fate of stars and the deep mysteries of black holes, Leonard Susskind's account of the Black Hole War is mind-bending and exhilarating reading.

About the Author
Leonard Susskind has been the Felix Bloch Professor in theoretical physics at Stanford University since 1978. The author of The Cosmic Landscape, he is a member of the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and recipient of numerous prizes including the science writing prize of the American Institute of Physics for his Scientific American article on black holes.

 

Reviews

Susskind shines !!
This is absolutely the greatest example of what popular science book about theoretical physics/cosmology should be !! Writing is so brilliant, witty, straightforward, direct and succinct, that regardless of education level, anybody can enjoy interesting content (history of science as well as author's personal story) of "The Black Hole War". Author uses analogies in the best possible way, comparable only to Brian Greene and Michio Kaku. Drawings are frequent, well selected, informative and easy to understand. He writes: "The real tools for understanding the quantum universe are abstract mathematics: infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces, projection operators, unitary matrices and a lot of other advanced principles that take a few years to learn. But let's see how we do in just a few pages". AND HE DELIVERES !! While this book could be a starter for anybody, I recommend it to all who know Kip Thorne's famous work. For reason unknown to me, important black hole "war" is not mentioned in "Black Holes & Time Warps" at all. Professor Susskind created a true masterpiece where he even accepts coexistence of science and faith by writing: "The British intellectual world seems to be big enough for both Dawkins and Polkinghorne". Nothing but big applaud for the author and his effort !!

 

The history is ultimately written by the winners
Leonard Susskind is not only a co-father of string theory, the holographic principle, and many other key concepts of physics but also one of the most original physicists of our era.
He's been fighting against some superficially plausible but fundamentally wrong ideas for decades. During this ferocious fight, he had to discover many fascinating things about quantum gravity.
The battle was about the preservation of the information by black holes. Using revolutionary but approximate results, Stephen Hawking has argued since the 1970s that the information is lost after a black hole evaporates. Leonard Susskind claimed that it was preserved: this preservation, also called unitarity, is one of the postulates of quantum mechanics and these postulates are and have to be completely universal.
Susskind was right. We know many reasons why it is so, including recent results in string theory, and many of them are explained in the book. We also know loopholes that show that Hawking's old qualitative arguments are not quite correct even though his numerical results are numerically almost accurate.
It took many years for Hawking to understand and admit that the information was preserved in the full theory and that physics makes sense. During those years, Susskind was a new "Ahab" waiting for Hawking's elusive concession. However, the book offers a lot of personal stories and emotions, too. Susskind talks about several well-known names of science such as Stephen Hawking, Gerard 't Hooft, Roger Penrose, and Richard Feynman. All of them, and others, have been players in this fascinating story. [Read on...]

 

 

Book, Books astornomy, Black Hole, Stephen Hawking

Flying Saucers and Science - Books

Flying Saucers and Science: A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFOs: Interstellar Travel, Crashes, and Government Cover-Ups
By Stanton T. Friedman

 

Flying Saucers and Science is a comprehensive look at the scientific data on the flying saucer phenomenon. Nuclear physicist and lecturer Stanton T. Friedman has distilled more than 40 years of research on UFOs, and shares his work on a wide variety of classified advanced nuclear and space systems. He answers a number of physics questions in layman's terms, and establishes that travel to nearby stars is within reach without violating the laws of physics.

 

Photographs of little known, far-out advanced propulsion systems, on some of which he worked, are included. Friedman also presents data demonstrating the ability to withstand high accelerations with some surprising results. He clearly shows that government policy on this subject has been to provide false, misleading claims and disinformation, and establishes that the subject truly represents a Cosmic Watergate.

 

Flying Saucers and Science presents intriguing data from a number of large-scale scientific UFO studies that almost no one, especially the noisy negativists, has discussed in detail. It deals with a host of "why" questions such, as reasons for the cover-up, reasons for aliens to come to Earth, and reasons for not landing on the White House lawn. Friedman unveils the SETI program, and details the antipathy of science-fiction writers to UFOs and other mysteries of the saucer conundrum. False notions about those who believe in the reality of alien visitors and the adequacy of coverage by the journalistic and scientific communities are reviewed.

 

In this book you'll discover:

* What type of energy and technologies could provide travel

* between the stars.

* The most likely locations in the universe where aliens come from.

* Why the aliens are here.

* Who believes in the flying saucer phenomenon.

* The government's motives to cover-up.

Readers of Flying Saucers and Science will never feel the same about UFOs again.

 

A Good Overview
This book assumes the reader is already quite knowledgeable about Roswell/MJ-12 etc. It refers broadly to primary source material such as "project blue book special report #14" that purportedly describes many documented "physical trace" UFO sightings but does not provide specific examples therefrom, which would have been helpful.

Deliciously enjoyed was Friedman's ruthless lampooning of the over-hyped "Cult of SETI" and his analysis of why major news outlets, such as the Washington Post, are content not to treat the UFO topic seriously.

Crop circles and animal mutilation cases are specifically excluded from coverage in this book. While not for the novice, Flying Saucers and Science is a stimulating and informative read. The bibliography is a bit terse, however.

 

Stanton Friedman does it again
Stanton Friedman does it again. From an in-depth look at how the world's governments and military can keep secrets from themselves and the rest of the world to the multitude of factual evidence supporting UFO sightings, landings and abductions; his latest book does not disappoint. Anyone who is famliar with him or his work should know that he has worked as a nuclear physicist for years, many of which were for classified government and private projects.

In his latest book, he presents some of the most compelling evidence for the "Cosmic Watergate" surrounding UFOs, extraterrestrial life and their cover-up, which has been in effect for at least 60 years. From examining exotic propulstion systems, including nuclear fission and fusion powered rockets, to the reasons why such disclosure of ET life is the most important topic for us as a species, this book is simply a must read.

 

Very engaging!
I have read other books and articles by Stan and they're all very enlightening. Although some of the concepts in this book are geared more towards the real science behind how the UFOs might operate, etc... Stan does a good job keeping the layman engaged throughout.
I have exchanged e-mails with Stan on several occassions and he's always consistent in his answers and very well informed.
To me, Stan is the ultimate authority in Ufology.
Buy this book!

Stanton T. Friedman, Books Astronomy, UFO, Flying

Celestron Sky Maps

The maps are excellent, bought this for my 10 year od daughter and some of the wording inside is a bit beyond her at this time but she can grow into it

Gift recipient said it was great. I can't add any more than that.

 

Celestron Sky Maps
From Celestron List Price: $24.00
Price: $18.01

Features
Ideal teaching tool for learning the night's sky
Specially designed cover rotates to simulate the seasonal progression of celestial objects
Illustrated reference section provides basic information and the visual characteristics of various types of stars, nebulae and galaxies

From the Manufacturer
Celestron Sky Maps are the ideal teaching guide for learning the night sky. Even if you already know your way around the major constellations, these maps can help you locate all kinds of fascinating objects.

The front cover has a specially designed luminous planisphere that rotates to simulate the seasonal progression of celestial objects through the sky. When the planisphere is preexposed to light, star positions glow brightly against a dark background, mimicking actual constellations. More than 1,000 stars and deep-sky objects are listed and charted. The illustrated reference section provides basic information and the visual characteristics of various types of stars, nebulae, and galaxies.

The maps measure 13.75 by 11.5 inches and are printed on a heavyweight, moisture resistant card stock. The pages have a special comb binding so they can lay flat or be folded over.

 

Ref: Cheap Telescopes Associates - Celestron Sky Maps

 

Celestron Sky Maps, Sky Maps, Celestron

A Briefer History of Time By Stephen W. Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow

A Briefer History of Time By Stephen W. Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow

Stephen Hawking’s worldwide bestseller, A Brief History of Time, has been a landmark volume in scientific writing. Its author’s engaging voice is one reason, and the compelling subjects he addresses is another: the nature of space and time, the role of God in creation, the history and future of the universe. But it is also true that in the years since its publication, readers have repeatedly told Professor Hawking of their great difficulty in understanding some of the book’s most important concepts.

This is the origin of and the reason for A Briefer History of Time: its author’s wish to make its content more accessible to readers—as well as to bring it up-to-date with the latest scientific observations and findings.

Although this book is literally somewhat “briefer,” it actually expands on the great subjects of the original. Purely technical concepts, such as the mathematics of chaotic boundary conditions, are gone. Conversely, subjects of wide interest that were difficult to follow because they were interspersed throughout the book have now been given entire chapters of their own, including relativity, curved space, and quantum theory.

This reorganization has allowed the authors to expand areas of special interest and recent progress, from the latest developments in string theory to exciting developments in the search for a complete unified theory of all the forces of physics. Like prior editions of the book—but even more so—A Briefer History of Time will guide nonscientists everywhere in the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.

From the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In the 17 years since the publication of A Brief History of Time, Dr. Hawking's bestselling exposition of physics, new data from particle physics and observational astronomy have shed light on efforts to find a Grand Unified Theory of Everything that Hawking and Mlodinow use to enhance and update their answers to basic questions about the universe: where it's going and how it began. Discussed at length are the mysterious dark matter and dark energy-both of which can only be observed by their gravitational effects and are believed to make up 90 percent of the universe. Another area of research that has exploded in the past 20 years is string theory. Hawking and Mlodinow provide one of the most lucid discussions of this complex topic ever written for a general audience. Readers will come away with an excellent understanding of the apparent contradictions and conundrums at the forefront of contemporary physics. Recognizing that much of their audience will also be science fiction buffs, they include a chapter on the possibility of time travel. "Don't bet on it," the authors advise. Throughout these discussions, the authors maintain the same wry, lively tone that made the original Brief History such a delight. They close with a discussion of where physics ends and philosophy begins, "Why does the universe exist at all?" They cannot provide the answer, but they do provide an immense amount of food for thought. Highly recommended.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 

From Scientific American
Hawking's A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, was a surprise best-seller but a tough read for most people who tackled it. Hawking received many requests for a version that would make his discussion of deep questions about the universe more accessible. This book does that. Hawking and Mlodinow, a physicist turned science writer, proceed by small and careful steps from the early history of astronomy to today's efforts to construct a grand unified theory of the universe.

Editors of Scientific American

 

Ref: A Briefer History of Time - Google Book Search

Buy this book aStore.Amazon.com

 

Stephen W. Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow

Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy

Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy

By A. Richard Thompson, James M. Moran, George W., Jr. Swenson

Book Description

Comprehensive, authoritative coverage of interferometric techniques for radio astronomy
In this Second Edition of Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy, three leading figures in the development of large imaging arrays, including very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI), describe and explain the technology that provides images of the universe with an angular resolution as fine as 1/20,000 of an arcsecond.
This comprehensive volume begins with a historical review followed by detailed coverage of the theory of interferometry and synthesis imaging, analysis of interferometer response, geometrical relationships, polarimetry, antennas, and arrays. Discussion of the receiving system continues with analysis of the response to signals and noise, analog design requirements, and digital signal processing.
The authors detail special requirements of VLBI including atomic frequency standards, broadband recording systems, and antennas in orbit. Further major topics include:
* Calibration of data and synthesis of images
* Image enhancement using nonlinear algorithms
* Techniques for astrometry and geodesy
* Propagation in the neutral atmosphere and ionized media
* Radio interference
* Related techniques: intensity interferometry, moon occultations, antenna holography, and optical interferometry
Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy, Second Edition is comprehensive in that it provides an excellent overview of most radio astronomical instrumentation and techniques.

 

Ref: Cheap Telescopes Associates - Interferometry and Synthesis in Radio Astronomy

Radio Astronomy, Astronomy, Books Astronomy

Astronomy From Wikipedia

Astronomy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 
For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation).
 
A giant Hubble mosaic of the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant

Astronomy (from the Greek words astro(αστέρι) = star and nomos(νόμος) = law) is the scientific study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmosphere (such as the cosmic background radiation). It is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects, as well as the formation and development of the universe.

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. Astronomers of early civilizations performed methodical observations of the night sky, and astronomical artifacts have been found from much earlier periods. However, the invention of the telescope was required before astronomy was able to develop into a modern science. Historically, astronomy has included disciplines as diverse as astrometry, celestial navigation, observational astronomy, the making of calendars, and even astrology, but professional astronomy is nowadays often considered to be synonymous with astrophysics. Since the 20th century, the field of professional astronomy split into observational and theoretical branches. Observational astronomy is focused on acquiring and analyzing data, mainly using basic principles of physics. Theoretical astronomy is oriented towards the development of computer or analytical models to describe astronomical objects and phenomena. The two fields complement each other, with theoretical astronomy seeking to explain the observational results, and observations being used to confirm theoretical results.

Amateur astronomers have contributed to many important astronomical discoveries, and astronomy is one of the few sciences where amateurs can still play an active role, especially in the discovery and observation of transient phenomena.

Old or even ancient astronomy is not to be confused with astrology, the belief system which claims that human affairs are correlated with the positions of celestial objects. Although the two fields share a common origin and a part of their methods (namely, the use of ephemerides), they are distinct.

Thank Ref : Astronomy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia