Author: Michael HoskinPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521576000
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
This is a textbook on the history of astronomy focusing on the topics of prime importance.
The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy
Author: Michael HoskinPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521576000
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
This is a textbook on the history of astronomy focusing on the topics of prime importance.
The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy
Author: Michael A. HoskinPublisher:
ISBN: 9780521411585
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 392
Book Description
Traces the history of astronomy as a science from ancient times to the present and describes the discoveries that have contributed to current beliefs about space and the universe
A Concise History of Astronomy
Author: Peter DoigHandbook of CCD Astronomy
Author: Steve B. HowellPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113945076X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 4
Book Description
Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs) are the state-of-the-art detector in many fields of observational science. Updated to include all of the latest developments in CCDs, this second edition of the Handbook of CCD Astronomy is a concise and accessible reference on all practical aspects of using CCDs. Starting with their electronic workings, it discusses their basic characteristics and then gives methods and examples of how to determine these values. While the book focuses on the use of CCDs in professional observational astronomy, advanced amateur astronomers, and researchers in physics, chemistry, medical imaging, and remote sensing will also find it very valuable. Tables of useful and hard-to-find data, key practical equations, and new exercises round off the book and ensure that it provides an ideal introduction to the practical use of CCDs for graduate students, and a handy reference for more experienced users.
From Eudoxus to Einstein
Author: C. M. LintonPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139453793
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 530
Book Description
Since man first looked towards the heavens, a great deal of effort has been put into trying to predict and explain the motions of the sun, moon and planets. Developments in man's understanding have been closely linked to progress in the mathematical sciences. Whole new areas of mathematics, such as trigonometry, were developed to aid astronomical calculations, and on numerous occasions throughout history, breakthroughs in astronomy have only been possible because of progress in mathematics. This book describes the theories of planetary motion that have been developed through the ages, beginning with the homocentric spheres of Eudoxus and ending with Einstein's general theory of relativity. It emphasizes the interaction between progress in astronomy and in mathematics, showing how the two have been inextricably linked since Babylonian times. This valuable text is accessible to a wide audience, from amateur astronomers to professional historians of astronomy.
The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction
Author: Michael HoskinPublisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577731
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 136
Book Description
Astronomy, perhaps the first of the sciences, was already well developed by the time of Christ. Seventeen centuries later, after Newton showed that the movements of the planets could be explained in terms of gravitation, it became the paradigm for the mathematical sciences. In the nineteenth century the analysis of star-light allowed astrophysicists to determine both the chemical composition and the radial velocities of celestial bodies, while the development of photography enabled distant objects invisible to the human eye, to be studied and measured in comfort. Technical developments during and since the Second World War have greatly enlarged the scope of the science by permitting the study of radiation. This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid-nineteenth century. Historical records are first found in Babylon and Egypt, and after two millennia the arithmetical astronomy of the Babylonians merged with the Greek geometrical approach to culminate in the Almagest of Ptolemy. This legacy was transmitted to the Latin West via Islam, and led to Copernicus's claim that the Earth is in motion. In justifying this Kepler converted astronomy into a branch of dynamics, leading to Newton's universal law of gravity. The book concludes with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century applications of Newton's law, and the first explorations of the universe of stars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Understanding Variable Stars
Author: John R. PercyPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139463284
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 330
Book Description
This book was first published in 2007. Variable stars are those that change brightness. Their variability may be due to geometric processes such as rotation, or eclipse by a companion star, or physical processes such as vibration, flares, or cataclysmic explosions. In each case, variable stars provide unique information about the properties of stars, and the processes that go on within them. This book provides a concise overview of variable stars, including a historical perspective, an introduction to stars in general, the techniques for discovering and studying variable stars, and a description of the main types of variable stars. It ends with short reflections about the connection between the study of variable stars, and research, education, amateur astronomy, and public interest in astronomy. This book is intended for anyone with some background knowledge of astronomy, but is especially suitable for undergraduate students and experienced amateur astronomers who can contribute to our understanding of these important stars.
A Question and Answer Guide to Astronomy
Author: Carol ChristianPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108211321
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 697
Book Description
Are we alone in the Universe? Was there anything before the Big Bang? Are there other universes? What makes stars shine? Where does Earth's water come from? Why is the night sky dark? Was there ever life on Mars? How do telescopes work? This engaging guide book answers all these questions and hundreds more, making it a practical reference for anyone who has ever wondered what is out in the cosmos, where it all comes from, and how it all works. Richly illustrated in color throughout, it gives simple yet rigorous explanations in non-technical language, summarizing current astronomical knowledge, without overlooking the important underlying scientific principles. This second edition includes substantial new material throughout, including the latest findings from the New Horizons, Rosetta, and Dawn space missions, and images from professional telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array.
Cambridge Scientific Minds
Author: Peter Michael HarmanPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521786126
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
Since the 'scientific revolution' of the seventeenth century, a great number of distinguished scientists and mathematicians have been associated with the University of Cambridge. Cambridge Scientific Minds provides a portrait of some of the most eminent scientists associated with the University over the past 400 years, including accounts of the work of three of the greatest figures in the entire history of science, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and James Clerk Maxwell. The chronological balance reflects the increasing importance of science in the recent history of the University. The book comprises personal memoirs and historical essays, including contributions by leading Cambridge scientists. Cambridge Scientific Minds will be of interest not only to graduates of the University, science students and historians of science, but to anyone wishing to gain an insight into some of the greatest scientific minds in history.
Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary of Astronomy
Author: Jacqueline MittonPublisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521823647
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
This lavishly illustrated new dictionary written by an experienced writer and consultant on astronomy provides an essential guide to the universe for amateur astronomers of all ages. Around 1300 carefully selected and cross-referenced entries are complemented by hundreds of beautiful colour illustrations, taken from space missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and other major observatories on Earth and in space. Distinguished stellar illustrator Wil Tirion has drawn 20 new star maps especially for inclusion here. A myriad of named astronomical objects, constellations, observatories and space missions are described in detail, as well as biographical sketches for 70 of the most luminous individuals in the history of astronomy and space science. Acronyms and specialist terms are clearly explained, making for the most thorough and carefully assembled reference resource that teachers and enthusiasts of astronomy will ever need.