Astronomy category: 2403 books

To create the exotic materials and technologies needed to make stargates and warp drives is the holy grail of advanced propulsion. A less ambitious, but nonetheless revolutionary, goal is finding a way to accelerate a spaceship without having to lug along a gargantuan reservoir of fuel that you blow...

This is not science fiction. It’s a voyage on the arrow of time to the coming fifty years. The legendary palindromic character Mr. Qfwfq from Italo Calvino’s collection of short stories, The Cosmicomics, will go with us – he who knows all the answers but will give out no hints. He will help...

In 2004, it became obvious that Henry Hatfield’s original atlas wasn’t suitable for all current commercially-made amateur telescopes.  Newtonian telescopes and astronomical refractors – for many years the only choice for amateurs – invert the observed image.  The standard Hatfield Atlas...

I have spent many wonderful nights observing at a variety of places around the world, but many of my fondest memories come from those made at the Custer Observatory in Southold on Long Island, where I grew up. I was only perhaps a dozen years old when I started out, and now more than three decades...

"The Hatfield Lunar Atlas" has become an amateur lunar observer's bible since it was first published in 1968. A major update of the atlas was made in 1998, using the same wonderful photographs that Commander Henry Hatfield made with his purpose-built 12-inch (300 mm) telescope, but...

An engaging exploration with renowned astronomer Paul Murdin of how life emerged on Earth—and the possibilities that it exists elsewhere There is no more fascinating question than whether or not we are alone in a vast universe. Here, Paul Murdin applies the latest scientific discoveries and...

Pluto was once considered to be the smallest planet in our galaxy. As more was discovered about the other planets, and about other objects in our galaxy, Pluto fell into debate, but many people still like to consider it a planet. How much do you really know about Pluto? Why do scientists say...

A step-by-step guide to knowing the night sky. Find northern hemisphere constellations easily by starting small and expanding your knowledge. This guide is meant to be taken outside! Read the instructions, and follow along with the stars. The only equipment necessary: your eyes and a clear...

A first-time skywatcher’s guide from bright new talent, BBC Blue Peter astronomer, Anton Vamplew Most books on stargazing claim to be for beginners, but by page 12 are talking about celestial equators and sidereal months. No wonder so many people have planispheres but no idea how to use them. Working...

What star is that? Where is the Great Bear? A Walk through the Heavens is a beautiful and easy-to-use guide to the constellations of the northern hemisphere. By following the unique simplified maps, readers will be able to easily find and identify the constellations and the stars within them. Ancient...

Compact, easy to use and reliable, this popular guide contains everything you need to know about the southern night sky with monthly star maps, diagrams and details of all the years exciting celestial events. Wherever you are in Australia or New Zealand, easy calculations allow you to determine when...

In 1977, NASA launched the space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 to explore Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. This book tells of what was known about those planets and their moons before the Voyager missions, as well as what Voyager discovered about those planets and their moons. This book is written for the middle-grade reader, and can be enjoyed by readers age 12 and up.

Designed for anyone who wishes to learn the constellations or observe the best and brightest deep sky objects and double stars, this book contains an alphabetical list of constellations complete with star maps, historical background, and highlights of deep sky objects. Each entry contains position...

Astronomical Spectroscopy for Amateurs is a complete guide for amateur astronomers who are looking for a new challenge. After a brief overview of the development of spectroscopes and an introduction to the theory of stellar spectra, the book goes on to examine the various types of spectroscopes available...