Many of the things right around us are amazing, but the things that are miles or even light-years away are on another level. Learning about space and the universe should be exciting, which is exactly why this innovative volume teaches important curriculum-based ideas in a stimulating way. Told in a fun, comic-style format, this book features fun lessons, like how to find the North Star, and many other cool astronomy facts that readers and science lovers of all ages will love.
An ideal introduction to astronomy and astro navigation. 178 letter size pages packed with full colour illustrations, detailed diagrams and clear explanations. This book focuses on those aspects of astronomy that are essential for a complete understanding of astro navigation - a must for sailors, navigators, nautical colleges and navigation tutors. Teachers and students of many other subjects including geography and mathematics will also find this book interesting, entertaining and very informative. The only book of its kind! The final book of the 'Astro Navigation Demystified' trilogy, Author's preface: Astronomy is a vast and complex subject and when I was taught astro navigation, I often wished my tutor would 'cut to the chase' and focus on only those aspects of astronomy that were relevant. When I taught navigation myself, I searched high and low for an astronomy book that would allow me to pick out just those topics that I needed to teach my students but I was never able to find one. For many years, I meant to write such a book myself to help other astro navigation tutors and students and now, at last, I have found time to do so.
One of the most recent and exciting branches of astronomy, helioseismology—like its terrestrial counterpart—studies why the surface of the sun vibrates like a bell. Over the past three decades astronomers have gained spectacular insights into the structure and composition of the sun's interior, transforming the way we understand stellar matter. In Sunquakes, Jack B. Zirker tells the story of this new science and explains the physics behind these illuminating vibrations. Zirker recounts the discovery of solar oscillations in the early 1960s and international efforts throughout the rest of the decade to explain this phenomenon. By the mid-1970s, scientists working independently in France, Germany, Japan, and the U.S. had developed a new theoretical model of the sun that postulated the existence of trapped sound and gravity waves as the cause for the roiling of the sun's surface. Using solar oscillation data, scientists derived for the first time the thermal and dynamic properties of the solar interior and revealed its complicated rotation patterns; even such astronomical mysteries as the deficit of solar neutrinos were solved. Describing the competition and cooperation between astronomers, particle physicists, and other theorists to the technological innovations that makes solar observation more and more precise, Sunquakes provides professionals and nonscientists alike with an absorbing and accessible guide to the field of helioseismology. The book concludes with an account of recent efforts to probe the interiors of stars far beyond our own solar system.
From bestselling and award-winning author Wendy Mass comes a gorgeous novel about three very different teenagers finding their place in the universe. And as streams of light fan out behind the darkened sun like the wings of a butterfly, I realize that I never saw real beauty until now. At Moon Shadow, an isolated campground, thousands have gathered to catch a glimpse of a rare and extraordinary total eclipse of the sun. It's also were three lives are about to be changed forever: Ally likes the simple things in life--labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting. Her home, the Moon Shadow campground, is a part of who she is, and she refuses to imagine it any other way. Popular and gorgeous (everybody says so), Bree is a future homecoming queen for sure. Bree wears her beauty like a suit of armor. But what is she trying to hide? Overweight and awkward, jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined and making friends in the most unexpected situations. Told from three distinct voices and perspectives, Wendy Mass weaves an intricate and compelling story about strangers coming together, unlikely friendships, and finding one's place in the universe.
A contest to find a better way to create clean drinking water turns into a mystery when one of the scientists goes missing. Luckily, Jack and his genius siblings are on the case in Jack and the Geniuses: At the Bottom of the World, first in the New York Times bestselling series from Bill Nye and Gregory Mone—featuring illustrations by Nick Iluzada. Jack and his foster siblings, Ava and Matt, are not your typical kids—they’re geniuses. Well, Ava and Matt are. Ava speaks multiple languages and builds robots for fun, and Matt is an expert astronomer and math whiz. As for Jack, it’s hard to stand out when surrounded by geniuses all the time. Things get more complicated when the trio starts working for Dr. Hank Witherspoon, one of the world’s leading scientists. They travel to Antarctica with Hank for a prestigious award ceremony—but they quickly find that not all is as it seems: A scientist has gone missing. It’s up to Jack, Ava, and Matt to find her . . . and discover who’s behind it all. In the Jack and the Geniuses series, readers join Jack, Ava, and Matt on adventures around the world to tackle some of science’s biggest challenges, including new ways to create clean drinking water, to generate clean and renewable energy, and to extend information access to the entire planet. Each book in the series includes cool facts about the real-life science found in the story and a fun DIY project. Jack and the Geniuses series: Jack and the Geniuses: At the Bottom of the World (#1) Jack and the Geniuses: In the Deep Blue Sea (#2) Jack and the Geniuses: Lost in the Jungle (#3)
The only practical guide to observing truly spectacular astronomical objects from less than perfect locations. The only book to deal in depth with the application of image intensifiers to real-time astronomy. Gives advice on viewing objects, and on making realistic images by drawing or video. Includes extensive catalogs of spectacular objects that can be seen from suburban sites in both hemispheres.
The Science and Technology Committee warns that the UK's prominence in astronomy and particle physics, and its ability to attract and inspire the next generation of scientists in these areas, could be at risk if reduced budgets hit the UK's growth prospects, reputation and expertise. Although science did relatively well in the recent Spending Review, funding for astronomy sees a total reduction of 21% over the next four years compared with 2010-11. More starkly, comparing 2014/15 with 2005, spending in astronomy and particle physics will be around 50% lower than its level six years ago. This is worrying, particularly when set against the planned increased investment in science and innovation by the UK's international peers as part of long-term strategies to ensure economic growth. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) - the research council which funds research and facility development in astronomy, particle physics and nuclear physics - is risking the UK's ability to stay at the forefront of future developments by focusing its astronomy and particle physics programmes into fewer areas. A case in point is the UK's planned withdrawal from all Northern Hemisphere optical and ground based astronomical facilities, which could see UK leadership and competitive advantage being handed over to international peers. The Committee is also highly critical of past STFC strategies, especially its failure to incorporate into policy documents details of the planned withdrawals. The report also addresses the future of the National Schools Observatory and outreach, which is essential to inspire the next generation of scientists.
A treasury of 125 archival articles covers more than a century of scientific breakthroughs, setbacks and mysteries and includes pieces by Pulitzer Prize-winning writers, includes Malcolm W. Browne on antimatter, James Glanz on string theory and George Johnson on quantum physics.
