Book Description

This book covers the probable astrological techniques that the Ancient Babylonian (specifically Chaldean) and early Egyptians may have used. As the title implies, this isn't just another book on astrology. The subtitle (Making Babylonian Astrology Work for You) more aptly expresses astrologer Chadbourne's message that his extensive research into the distant past presents a unique and bold/new idea of the heavenly oracle as it was practiced several millennia ago. This intelligently written book clearly illustrates how the Chaldean concept of astrological delineation becomes an immensely powerful tool as the foundation by which every type of chart delineation can be considered. This book is truly different than any other astrology book in the field. A perfect reference with a different view of astrology and an insightful treatise on astrological antiquity. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

More of a whisper than a book!!
I found the writing style of this author incredibly sloppy, fuzzy, and patchy.He provides very few graphical examples, which are poorly presented and minimally explained.The text is disjointed and scattered--high on vague generalities and hype, and low on specifics and detail.Unless you are an experienced astrologers, you more than likely would have a hard time in getting much original practical information out of this work.I could have extracted some usable original information out of this work for all the time I spent reading and rereading it had the author focused on some core concept/technique and had provided more detailed and well reasoned graphical examples. In that case, this work would have been no more than 150 pages long and much more rewarding to read.The author is just guessing on how Chaldeans did their astrological work, and I am afraid most readers, in turn, would just have to guess on how to put this guess work to practical use. It was a rather frustrating experience to try to read and understand this work--and I do read a lot of books.I had thought that Indian writers of Hindu astrology are lacking in their writing skills, but this work clearly indicated that that deficiency is not endemic to Indian writers only.I hope that the author and the publisher would seriously revamp this work in their second edition to make it cohesive, accessible, and worthwhile to read.

remarkable
This book is written in a very educational way: every chapter can be readalone without reading the whole book, the layout is superb so that yourmind can grasp it easily. Wonderful. It is remarkable how much newinformation this book contains, though some of the material did remind meof the books by Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson ('the moon last over', stacks indeclination rather than in longitude, etc...). I like the style andapproach of the author though I'm not sure if it all works the way itshould. I'll have to try calculating the sunset charts in the siderealzodiac and use the stacks (30 degree wheel) and other techniques for sometime. I have not found a delineation for the moon mansions (nakshatras invedic astrology) in the book and miss it because I'm not sure if the sameinterpretations of the vedic or arabic mansions can be used. Some chaptersare rather brief but the most important information is there. This book isrecommended reading because of the fact that it opens our eyes for ancienttechniques that may possibly be worth incorporating in our astrologicalwork. I'm not sure if it can convince tropical astrologers to switch to thesidereal system. I think that both systems have their validity and that weshould use them both as long as we respect the appropriate rules of therespective systems. Again it will be welcomed if some astrological softwarecan incorporate these techniques so that delineating gets simpler and lesstimeconsuming.

Listen When Chadbourne Whispers
Arthyr Chadbourne is an original and when orignals speak we ought to listen, there is much to be learned from the mind of this starship.Mr. Chadbourne has researched and unlocked keys of precise timing based on theknowledge Babylonian astrologers/astronomers learned from their years ofobservation and calculations.Mr Chadbourne's sunset chart hypothesis is,as he states, "a unique and bold idea of astrology."Inadjusting his knowledge of ancient ideas to modern knowledge, Mr.Chadbourne leads us down no ordinary garden path; rather it is one ofdynamic growth, and learning, much like the Babylonian idea of finding thedate and time for any given phenomena, unlike Greek astronomers whosearched celestial locations for a given time. Like his Chaldeanpredecessors, Mr. Chadbourne's methodology has a singular ability topersonalize a chart that is rarely accomplished by others. In using histools and techniques, I have found it's as he states, "the birth chartis so powerful it may be considered a cosmic DNA program..."

For serious astrologers, interested in moving into uncharted territory thisis a must buy book full of ideas, mathmatics, tools,and rules forre-examining the chart. You will see yourself and yourclients/friends/family differently.What a gift!

New planet discovered in solar system?
No, there is not a new planet discovered in the solar system, but the revelations in this book are just as astounding. I was pretty unimpressed when I first started reading the book, but after getting further into itand understanding the ancient concepts presented I know I have come acrossa whole new dimension to astrology.It makes me wonder what other ancientinformation is yet to be discovered.

An Exception Work
I purchased this book and was amazed at the very deep and interesting views Chadbourne takes on the roots of astrology in Chaldea.One of his most interesting ideas is the "sunset chart" whichputs a wholenew twist on charts and prediction.This is a big book and has lots forthe beginner as well as the advanced student.If you want to take a lookat the foundations of astrology and see connections with todays modernworld, get this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Light-pollution is the modern scourge of optical astronomy. More and more observing sites are being lost as the glare of city lighting blots out the night sky. Professional astronomical observatories are located far from cities, but amateur astronomers often do not have this luxury. This book considers the two available strategies open to astronomers - get rid of the light pollution by lobbying authorities and standards organisations, and minimize its effects by using the correct instrumentation. The book contains an extensive detailed catalogue of deep-sky and other objects that - despite what one might believe - can be seen from variously light-polluted sites, for practical observers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A comprehensive, useful, much needed book
I recently started to research the subject of light pollution because I live in a fairly rural area that's being developed rapidly. I want to help educate and influence the policy makers and developers, if I can, to make smart choices regarding lighting as they plan their ball fields with stadium lights, their subdivisions, and their various towers.

I went online and discovered that there are more than a million web sites that address the subject of light pollution. More than a million sites! I had information overload big time and didn't know where to start.

Then I discovered Bob Mizon's book, Light Pollution. What a relief! It defines the problem of light pollution and gives us practical guidelines and step-by-step solutions to combat it. We've got to educate ourselves and others about the serious hazards of light pollution and what we can do about it. This book is a great resource for everyone's personal library. -- Kathleen Hawkins, president of winningspirit.com and author of Spirit Incorporated: How to Follow Your Spiritual Path from 9 to 5

Timely book on an important subject
Light pollution is -- or should be -- a concern of astronomers throughout the inhabited regions of the Earth. This is, to my best knowledge, the first book to directly address those concerns in detail.

The book is in three sections plus copious appendices and an index. The first section discusses the physiology of human vision, defines the nature and consequences (not only astronomical) of light pollution, and considers changes in attitude to and technology of lighting. This serves as an excellent introduction to the problem.

The second section shows how astronomy may be continued, despite light pollution, by technological 'fixes', such as light pollution reduction (LPR) filters and CCD imaging. One hundred objects suitable for visual observation from light-polluted skies are suggested and described. Techniques of observation in light-polluted skies are also suggested. It is this section of the book that is most likely to be criticised by those concerned that it may imply that, since astronomy in light-polluted skies is possible, the problem itself is not as great as activists suggest. I would suggest that it is only by showing people
what is visible in these skies that an interest in astronomy can be established and maintained, thus leading to (hopefully) a will to address the problem.

In the final section, the book discusses remedies; briefly these are technological (good lighting), legal (legislation to control poor lighting), and social (educating people as to the problem). The appendices that follow provide good material (including the debunking of common lighting myths) for anyone who wishes to involve him (or her) self in combating this source of aesthetic degradation.

Obviously, this book will be of great use as a 'handbook' for anyone involved in the activities of the Campaign for Dark Skies (CfDS) or the International Dark-sky Association (IDA), but its appeal is wider than that. It is also useful for those who undertake astronomy under brightly-lit skies, both as a guide to what may be achieved, but also with suggestions as to how such astronomers may help to have their skies improved. There is a slight UK emphasis, but the book has international appeal.

Shining through the lively style of the very well-written text is the author's passion for astronomy in general and his knowledge gained over many years as co-ordinator of the CfDS. The copious photographs, most of which are in colour, serve to enhance the text.

In short, this is a very good book, which is very readable, covering a subject of importance. Recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

Timeless, comprehensive coverage of telescopes, mirrors, lenses, mountings, telescope drives, micrometers, spectroscopes, more. "...highly recommended for very serious nonprofessional astronomers."—A Guide to the Literature of Astronomy. 189 illustrations. Reprint of 1971 edition.
... Read more

Reviews (4)

Dated, but contains lots of hard to find information.
Originally published in 1955, this reprint is of the 3rd (1971) edition. In our era of out-of-the-box Go-to telescopes, these details of the English mounting and aberrations in a doublet lens may seem hopelessly dated. Yet there is lots of information here that is hard to find elsewhere. How much magnification is enough? How much is too much? Elsewhere you can find a rule of thumb; here you can find eight rules compared and evaluated. Sidgwick derives many formulae from the basic physics of light; he gets into the details of how vision works; he gives a more detailed analysis of 'seeing' than any other I've read.

3 stars for the average amateur; 5 for the amateur telescope maker or anyone looking to tinker with equipment.

Technical introduction to amateur astronomy
Sidgwick's book is recognized as a classic, but the subject matter is presented rigorously and in the style of a text book. Originally published in 1955, Sidgwick's book relies heavily on British Astronomical Association archives and the overall book has a somewhat European bent. Most of the book is still very relevant and informative, but don't expect unbiased views of currently available super eyepieces or CCD cameras. However, if you want exhaustive information on different types of mounts (and their strengths and weaknesses), hard-to-to-find information on accessories like micrometers and spectroscopes, and analyses of image circles, telescope configurations, and metallic films, this book is for you. Indeed, it is the only book that I've seen with a section that Sidgwick calls "Personal Equation", that is, how much a given observation is influenced by innately human factors like visual acuity, overall health, and fatigue. It is an excellent book: just don't expect a lot of colorful graphs and eye candy.

Great!
This book is the best for amateurs. Recommended for al

Not what you think.
This book is very technical and not a basic beginner's guide to backyard astronomy. But, if you want to understand the technical aspects of how a telescope works then it's for you. ... Read more

Book Description

The CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) has revolutionised optical astronomy during the past 20 years, and specialised astronomical CCD cameras are now even more affordable, colour is standard, and they provide spectacular results.Digital Astrophotography: The State of the Art, provides some examples of the best images, and gives readers hints and tips about how to get the best out of this extraordinary technology. Experts in CCD astronomy from North America and Europe have contributed to this book, illustrating their help and advice with many beautiful colour images – the book is in full colour throughout. Techniques range from using simple webcams to highly technical aspects such as supernovae patrolling. Computer processing, stacking and image-enhancement are detailed, along with many hints and tips from the experts. ... Read more

Book Description

This book describes more than 300 of the finest celestial wonders that can be viewed with common "backyard" telescopes. The author uses an abbreviated descriptive form to accommodate as much information on observation as possible for both field and armchair use. In addition to the many showpieces themselves, nearly 24 other special objects are listed. The author also points out that many of these deep-sky objects are visible to the unaided eye on a dark, clear night and prove wonderful sights in binoculars and low-power telescopes. The sun, moon, and planets in the Earth's solar system, as well as such brighter asteroids as Ceres, Juno, and Vesta, are described and their positions given, as are open star clusters, diffuse nebulas, supernova remnants, spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, the milky way, and a host of other astronomical phenomena. Unabridged republication of a book first published by the author in 1998.
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Reviews (1)

Fine Catalog of Stellar Showpieces
Mullaney does a fine job of sifting through thousands of deep-sky objects to select those most likely to impress users of small telescopes. His descriptions are enjoyable, if occasionally overly florid, with an annoying overuse of exclamation points. His bias for double stars is evident, but I have no real complaint about that. Doubles are pretty and charming and often underappreciated. Mullaney apparently composed the manuscript using some primitive word-processing software that forced him to include additional objects at the back of the book instead of in the main constellation listings.

Overall, the sincerity of the writing, plus the intelligence of the 300 or so objects selected, makes this perhaps the best available list of objects that goes beyond the Messier catalog (better than the spurious Caldwell list, for example). ... Read more

Book Description

Star-gazing with binoculars is rewarding and, for many, a lifelong passion! Patrick Moore has painstakingly researched Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars to describe the optimal use of binoculars for astronomical observation. He explains basic astronomy and the selection of binoculars, then goes on to discuss the stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies that await the observer. He charts the sky seen from the northern and southern hemispheres season by season, providing detailed maps of all the constellations. In addition, the reader can also observe the Sun, Moon, planets, comets and meteors. New to this Fourth Edition are: An improved presentation of all star maps, rendering a clear impression of what the night sky really looks like; planetary data through 2010; and advice on eclipse watching, including total eclipses of the sun. With many beautiful illustrations, this handbook will be helpful and encouraging to casual observers and those cultivating a more serious interest. The enjoyment of amateur astronomy is now available to everybody! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Average Book. Some good details, at times tedious.
A lot of the information is given in metric system. Pricing information is given in the British Pound. Much of the information given is very good and the advise he gives is sound in regards to binocular size. There are many instances when the subject mater drags and I found myself drifting off or jumping ahead. ... Read more

Book Description

The Physics of Stars, Second Edition, is a concise introduction to the properties of stellar interiors and consequently the structure and evolution of stars. Strongly emphasising the basic physics, simple and uncomplicated theoretical models are used to illustrate clearly the connections between fundamental physics and stellar properties. This text does not intend to be encyclopaedic, rather it tends to focus on the most interesting and important aspects of stellar structure, evolution and nucleosynthesis. In the Second Edition, a new chapter on Helioseismology has been added, along with a list of physical constants and extra student problems. There is also new material on the Hertztsprung-Russell diagram, as well as a general updating of the entire text. It includes numerous problems at the end of each chapter aimed at both testing and extending student's knowledge. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clear and Concise presentation
This book is one of the set texts for the Third Level Open University course, "The Energetic Universe" and provides a good introduction to the subject of Astrophysics.

Drawing upon a number of basic principles within Physics, such as heat transfer, the fundamental properties of matter, radiation physics, thermonuclear reactions, and nucleosynthesis, the author applies them to explain the birth, evolution and death of stars.

What I like about this book is that the emphasis is on the basic physical principles, bringing them together by means of well explained and simple theoretical models, and then applying them to the high energy systems of stellar structure. The Maths is kept to the necessary minimum, and several "rough" calculations are given to show the relevance of the models to observation.

The problems at the end of the chapters together with hints help to underpin the physical concepts covered. There is at the end of the book also a useful bibliography of other relevant reading. ... Read more

Book Description

There is a vast range of astronomical equipment available to the amateur astronomer and this pocket-sized handbook will help the amateur make an informed choice about which instruments are best suited to his or her needs covering binoculars, telescopes, eyepieces, filters, and motors. All selection criteria are taken into account, such as level of experience, budget, and observation site. This handbook will help complete beginners make their first purchases, and provide advice for more experienced amateurs wishing to upgrade their equipment.Hervé Burillier runs his own specialist astronomy bookshop in Vannes, France, stocking over five hundred titles.He is a member of the French Astronomical Society (SAF) and of the French Association of Variable Star Observers, and has written the column Observing the Sky in L'Astronomie (the monthly publication of the French Astronomical Society) since 1990. Christophe Lehenaff is an experienced amateur astronomer and specialist on astronomical equipment.He is the author of several French astronomy books. ... Read more

Book Description

One hundred superb, full-page, high-quality line art reproductions ofWilliam Stukeley's original artwork of Stonehenge from 1732. William Stukeley was the first to chronicle the greatest stone circles in the world: Stonehenge and Avebury. One of the 18th Century's greatest characters, he was friend and colleague to the most gifted men of his time, including Sir Isaac Newton.Stukeley's work

* laid the foundations for the modern study of prehistoric monuments

*influenced the Druidic Revival

* inspired some of William Blake's paintings

This is a tribute to an increasingly relevant figure, and is indispensable to anyone interested in the sacred sites and landscapes of the British Isles ... Read more

Book Description

If you have ever watched shooting stars graze the sky or wondered about a particularly bright point of light near the horizon, then this is the book for you. A Skywatcher's Year is the authoritative guide to visible bodies in the night sky throughout the year. Through fifty-two essays, Jeff Kanipe guides you to celestial events and phenomena that occur or are visible with the naked eye and binoculars for each week of the year. He acquaints you not only with up-to-date astronomical information on stars, nebulae, meteors, the Milky Way, and galaxies, but also conveys the beauty and wonder of the night sky. Covering both the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, A Skywatcher's Year helps readers find prominent stars and constellations, bright star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies, and explains how and when to observe prominent annual meteor showers. Kanipe also examines the most frequently-observed celestial body, the Moon, and the intriguing lore surrounding it.A rich and jargon-free look at the sky through the four seasons, this engaging book will give new dimensions to backyard star-gazing. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

excellent sky tour
This is an excellent guide to watching the night sky during the year. It is personable and highly enjoyable -- anyone interested in backyard astronomy will find it easy to read and use.Highly recommended.

Become a better astronomer in only 52 weeks
The Sky watcher's Year is broken into 52 essays on what to observe through the year.Each week covers a different observation topic, such as findingtrue north, the summer triangle, or deep-sky treasures.The authorprovides facts, and lore on each of the topics, and ideas for observing thephenomena.There are also additional sections on observing the Sun,Eclipses, and the Moon.Many of the essays cover topics that are easilyvisible with the naked eye, binoculars or a small telescope.The book isorganized by week so you can thumb to the week, read the essay, go outside,look up at the night sky and say aha, so that's what he means. I recommendthis book for those who want to expand their knowledge of astronomy.Thisbook would be a good companion to those who enjoyed 40 Nights to Knowingthe Sky: a night-by-night sky watching primer by Schaaf. ... Read more

Book Description

Do a little armchair space travel, rub elbows with alien life forms, and stretch your mind to the furthest corners of our uncharted universe. With this astonishing guidebook, you don't have to be an astronomer to explore the mysteries of stars and their profound meaning for human existence. Clifford A. Pickover tackles a range of topics from stellar evolution to the fundamental reasons why the universe permits life to flourish. He alternates sections that explain the mysteries of the cosmos with sections that dramatize mind-expanding concepts through a fictional dialog between futuristic humans and their alien peers (who embark on a journey beyond the reader's wildest imagination). This highly accessible and entertaining approach turns an intimidating subject into a scientific game open to all dreamers. Told in Pickover's inimitable blend of fascinating state-of-the-art science and whimsical science fiction, and packed with numerous diagrams and illustrations, The Stars of Heaven unfolds a world of paradox and mystery, one that will intrigue anyone who has ever pondered the night sky with wonder. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Sun, the Stars, and the Universe
In this book, Dr. Pickover takes us on a scientific and historical tour of the development of our understanding of the workings of stars (of which our sun is the nearest example). In the usual Pickover manner, the author does not let us rest with a light-hearted thesis on nuclear physics. He leads us to the conclusion that neither stars nor our universe could be without the fortuitous existence of an excited state of the carbon-12 nucleus. Is this because the excited state of carbon-12 was designed so or has our universe evolved from a cosmology of universes in such a way that the excited state is a necessity? The reader is left to ponder the question. For more speculations about God see Dr. Pickover's next tome, "The Paradox of God and the Science of Omniscience", also available on this web site.

The star of heaven is you.
The stars of heaven - where would we be without them? Actually nowhere; we as humans would not exist without them. As carbon based lifeforms we owe our very existence to the stars since they are the source of this carbon, and what a close call it is that this carbon is formed at all. Were the number 7.6549 (the resonant energy state of carbon in MeV) just a few percent different, the stars would not produce this carbon, and the rich biochemistry that make us human would not be possible. So, if you ever wondered where you came from, Pickover has the answer in these glorious pages. A journey to the stars would be wonderful, but the journey of the stars to us is even more wonderful. Pickover tells the amazing story of where we came from for those who wonder at that amazing question.

Dennis W. Gordon

On The Stars Of Heaven, By Clifford A. Pickover
If there is ever a time more than any other that we need astronomy, it is now. Because astronomy -- from backyard stargazing on up -- reminds us there's much beyond terror looming over our heads. And, now more than ever, we need writers up to the task of convincing us of this. Not just competent writers, mind you; from these you'll get the venerable, well-annotated but otherwise dehydrated boilerplate itemizing the hits and misses of Astronomy 101's usual suspects: ancient Greeks, Moorish scholars, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Lowell (for comic relief) and finally some pro-forma paeans to Einstein, Hubble, Hawking and (with an asterisk) Sagan.Now, while all this is fairly serviceable stuff, it conveys nothing of what we layfolk dearly want from science: our own personal place in it. We want to connect -- to log on to eternity.And that's where Clifford Pickover steps in.His new book, The Stars of Heaven, ostensibly concentrates on stellar astronomy -- the lives and deaths of stars. But anyone who has ever read his previous books will expect -- and receive -- far more. Pickover's expansive field of view reveals the nature and mysteries of stars in their broadest, deepest possible context -- from the edge of the observable universe and beyond to the restless shadows of human consciousness. Astrophysics, cosmology, philosophy, religion, art -- all of these seamlessly enrich Pickover's answer to our seemingly simple "wish upon a star."But don't get me wrong here; The Stars of Heaven is no ponderous block of academic marble. Pickover delivers the goods like a friend, happy you've asked him to stop over for a chat about some of his favorite ideas. He's an avid sci-fi fan, and he delights in actively engaging his readers, so in this book (as in various others of his) he creates for us a space adventure all his own, complete with wacky characters, funny asides and lightspeed plot-twists but all to make his main points memorable -- and meaningful. Sometimes, to crystallize a point, Pickover includes a simple equation or two, but these are painless and few; in fact, they serve as handy landmarks should you wish to backtrack and refresh. But always this is a personal journey for the author -- a chance to reveal why he delights in heavenly mysteries, scientific and otherwise. You'll especially get a sense of this in the "non-fiction" section of each chapter, where he distills and develops themes introduced in the sci-fi segment. And this may be the most valuable element of the whole book: a glimpse into not only the mysteries of science but also the scientist -- why he does what he does, how his discoveries and unanswered questions square with his own aspirations and beliefs -- and why he'd like to share all this with you.Indeed, this is what we need, now more than ever, if we are to live beyond fear of the unknown.

A far-out journey
This book is a great introduction to stars in science, art, and religion.The illustrations help the reader to understand complicated concepts. My favorite parts of the book deal with the anthropic principle.These sections address the question: Was the universe designed?I also liked the sections on the evolution of multiple universes.Even though the book has sections on art (e.g. Van Gogh) and religion (e.g. stars in the Bible), the book could certainly be used as a hard-core stellar astronomy textbook because it covers everything you would want to know about all the variety of stars in outer space (evolution, nucleosythesis, stellar anatomy, spectral classes, black holes, etc.)Science-fiction buffs will enjoy the very strange and very interesting tale about an oddball set of characters who journey to the end of the universe to make investigations.A cool book. ... Read more

Book Description

1899. This volume of star names is not intended for the professional astronomer, but as a reference to fill a vacancy in popular astronomical literature. It contains a sketch of the lunar and solar zodiacs which are constantly alluded to in the treating of individual constellations; as well as a detailed list of the constellations, their history among the nations, cataloging and early treatment by authors and their connection with astrology, art, folklore, literature and religion. ... Read more

Book Description

How are the nuclear power plants we call "stars" formed? Where do they get their energy and how do they die--and what does this suggest about the future of the universe? One of the most popular books written on astrophysics, 100 Billion Suns provides an exhilarating and authoritative life history of the stars. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Readable and authoritative guide to stellar evolution
I read a lot of astronomy books, so any one book tends only to reinforce what I know already, plus just a little bit of additional information.

This book was different. I learned a lot about star formation and particularly about the meaning of the ubiquitous Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The diagram is obligatory in a discussion of any astronomy other than planetary, but it tends to be described rather than explained. Here Kipenhahn goes through the life of stars of various sizes, showing their evolution along the H-R diagram and why the "main sequence" is so thickly populated (simply, because that's when the stars are burning hydrogen, which is what they do most but not all of the time).

Once done with the basics, he goes on to cover binary stars, neutron stars, and other stellar oddities. He also devotes a chapter to planetary formation and the possibility of life on other planets. Three brief but valuable appendices cover the measurement of stellar velocities, distances, and masses.

This book is a treasure and an authoritative work on the topic. Highly recommended.

galactical
with out question one of the most exciting books about star evolution. ... Read more

Book Description

Galileo Galilei’s earthshaking book, Sidereus Nuncius (The starry messenger), was a definitive moment in the Renaissance’s departure from ancient cosmology and its assumptions. Entering the debate between the astronomies of Ptolemy and Copernicus, Sidereus Nuncius provided rich and detailed evidence for Copernican heliocentrism. That evidence came from a telescope that Galileo modified and improved for his lunar observations and with which, most significantly, he also discovered four moons circling Jupiter. Sidereus Nuncius contains an introductory passage about the telescope, a section on Galileo’s lunar observations, a description of how the planets and the fixed stars appeared through his telescope, a daily log of sightings of Jupiter and its satellites, and a brief conclusion in which Galileo contended that his discoveries answered some of the objections to Copernicus’ theory, promising that the reader could expect more news from the heavens soon.

The age of the telescope began modestly with a patent application in 1608 for a three-powered spyglass, filed with the Dutch Republic by a spectacle maker from Middleburg, Hans Lipperhey. News of the device traveled quickly to other parts of Europe, and when Galileo heard about it in the spring of 1609, he built his own instrument, a three-powered spyglass with a convex objective lens and a concave ocular lens that he bought in a spectacle-maker’s shop. By the end of August, he presented an eight-powered telescope of his own devising to the Venetian senate. By November, Galileo had fashioned a twenty-powered telescope, and with it he undertook to observe the Moon, discovering that its surface was rugged and mountainous rather than perfect, as would befit a heavenly body according to classical cosmology. Galileo began writing up his lunar research in January 1610.

Commentary by Albert Van Helden, searchable English translation and Latin live text. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is concerned essentially with the modern developments in reflecting telescope optics. In the last twenty years, modern technology has revolutionized not only manufacturing and test procedures but also the whole area of quality specification with the introduction of active control into the functioning telescope. Other subjects covered here are alignment of telescope optics, atmospheric optics, including adaptive optics, reflecting coatings and ancillary equipment (adapters and baffles). Although an independent work, Vol. II is heavily cross-referenced with Vol. I. It is richly illustrated and gives, together with Vol. I, the most complete list of references available; it can also therefore be regarded as a source book. ... Read more

Book Description

New highlights include aperture synthesis, Very Long Baseline Interferometry, and the further exploitation of molecular spectral lines.A new chapter is devoted to the fundamentals of a review of radio observations of our Milky Way galaxy, stars, pulsars, radio galaxies, quasars, and the cosmic microwave background.Reviews of Fourier Transform theory, celestial co-ordinate systems and a historical outline of the subject are provided in appendices. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Advanced Radio Astronomy Text
This book is a great Radio Astronomy text for the undergraduate major or the graduate level.It is a little advanced for most of my students....

Good book covering all fundamentals of radio astronomy
This is a most excellent introduction to Radio astronomy. The book is well layed out, has good explanations and provides many leads to further study. The book's contents are:

Radio telescopes as antennas. Signal detectionand noise. Single-aperture raido telescopes. The two elementinterferometer. Aperture synthesis. The absorption, amplification,refraction and attenuation of radio waves. Galactic continuum radiation.The interstellar medium. Galactic Dynamics. Stars. Pulsars. Radio galaxiesand quasars. Cosmology and the cosmic microwave background. Cosmology:discrete radio sources and gravitational lenses. The place of radio inastronomy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are...."

Wonder no more. Astronomer James Kaler has written a lucid, beautifully illustrated guide to the most obvious ingredient of the universe. "To know ourselves, we must know the stars"--how they are created, what makes them shine, their distances, and their fates. To say "we are stardust" is cold scientific truth: every element in our bodies (and our planet) except the hydrogen was made inside a star and thrown into space by a supernova explosion five billion years ago or more.

Walt Whitman's poem "When I Heard the Learned Astronomer" describes how he became "tired and sick" of "charts and diagrams" and left to "look up in perfect silence at the stars." Kaler refutes Whitman by example as he combines scientific fact with poetic expression:

Stars come dripping from the fonts of interstellar space, where they are created out of the loose gas and dust. As they age, they pump enriched matter back into the wellsprings of creation.

Kaler is a learned astronomer that even Whitman might have followed. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A solid introduction to stellar theory
Stars is an enthusiastically written guide to modern stellar theory, pared down to the basics for the educated layman. It was written in the early 1990s so it's quite up to date. Advances have been made since then (lots of extrasolar planets detected, age of universe determined, etc), but the theories regarding the internal workings of stars have not been significantly modified. Although few of these theories have actually been proven, the empirical foundation supporting them is voluminous and highly convincing.

The first couple chapters of Stars serve as a refresher course in basic astronomical theory and history. I think it would have been better to jump right into the stars themselves, as there are plenty of other books that do the general astronomy better and presumably the reader would have already learned the basics anyway before getting this book. Kaler spends a lot of worthwhile time on the HR diagram and on stellar spectra. It's simply amazing how much has been deduced from points of light that to the naked eye essentially vary only in color and luminosity. Other major topics include detailed discussions of the births and deaths of stars. Curiously, he chooses to discuss star birth *after* star death. But it helps get his point across that star birth is often triggered by pressure waves produced by dying stars.

The paperback version is in a somewhat unwieldy large format due to the huge margins, which are used for many of the illustrations. The quality of the illustrations is generally very good, especially the charts. Many of the photographs however don't come across too well, because a lot of resolution was lost when the editors shot them down to fit them into the margins.

Overall, recommended to all readers wanting to know how stars work!

An excellent manual of detail that's easy to understand.
In the Belmont Society, we think it's a shame that most of us don't understand how a star works. We glance up at them every night, and look at them through binoculars and telescopes, but for the most part we have no real knowledge of what makes them tick. James B. Kaler has created a significant work of importance in that regard. This book is a manual of detail that describes the workings of stars that is thrilling to read and easy to understand.

To those absorbed in amateur astronomy, Carl Sagan's eloquent phrase, "We are all made of star-stuff", was arguably the most quintessential statement of the late 20th century. Over three decades later, James B. Kaler paraphrases the statement with equal facility by asserting that stars are "...the principal means for the conversion of matter into energy, and are the sources and sustainers of life itself." The book represents an exploration of the supreme stellar mystery - the origin of luminosity. Why do the sun and stars shine so brightly?

Kaler begins (quite logically) by taking us on a tour of the Sun. He presents in vivid detail, the complete solar assembly. We're shown everything from core to corona, discovering astonishing particulars, like the characteristics of granules and supergranules, and the tumultuous conditions at different stratta.

We are given understandable explanations of the chromosphere, photosphere, corona, solar flares, mass ejection, sunspots, prominence, etc. And we're "clued-in" to some as yet unsolved mysteries, such as the strange period from 1645 to 1715 known as the Maunder Minimum, when sunspot activity was virtually non-existent, nudging the Earth into a minor ice age. "To know the Earth and stars we must know the sun".

Kaler describes "How to Build a Sun", and describes the incredible conditions necessary for hydrogen fusion to take place, giving us a generous understanding of stellar dynamics, and their correlation to luminosity. We learn about the birth of stars, their life cycles, and their violent endings. And we come to realize that a star's mass is the controlling discipline that determines how long a star lives and how it will die. In addition, there are explanations of how a Cepheid Variable works, and what goes on inside RR Lyrae and Mira stars.

There are illustrations and graphs to augment the text. There are also some formulas. If you're a whiz at calculus and chemistry you'll be happily familiar with them. But that kind of background isn't required. Trust me - you'll still "get it". That's the merit of "Stars". Although not quite down to that level, Kaler has basically written us a manual for dummies.

The Belmont Society has selected Stars as the latest addition to its "Required Reading" list for the amateur astronomer. We feel it is written in a style that is easy to digest by all levels of interest. If you have any curiosity at all about the sun and the stars and how they work, this book will greatly ease your comprehension. Highly recommended.

Another good reason to look up and say WOW!
If you are not comfortable reading about atomic spectra, nuclear fusion or magnetic flux, you probably should find a star book that is more basic than this one. But if you've got a strong high school background in physics and chemistry, then you will enjoy an amazing journey when reading this book. Rich in diagrams and photos, "Stars" won't lose you between any of its pages. Although I thought the section on celestial orientation (azimuth, etc.) was unnecessary and a little weak, the material on stellar structure and evolution is the best I've seen.

Good overview of star physics
Easy to read overview of modern astronomy, with a focus on, of course, stars. The reference begins with a discussion of the reference frame we use to observe stars in the sky, for example, the celestial meridian and the celestial equator. Various telescopes are then discussed. The physics of a star's motions and gravity is discussed, as well as the spectrum it emits. The life cycles of stars are discussed, with attention to supergiants, supernovae, pulsars, and black holes. The reference concludes with a cosmological perspective of stars. Of interest, since only helium, deuterium and lithium were made at the start of the Big Bang, we should be able to observe some (even just one) very old stars that contain no higher metals. But, no metal-free star, even the oldest ones observed, have been found yet. Although there are many reasons to explain this phenomenon, for example, such old stars may no longer remain, it would be reassuring to Big Bang theory if even one metal-free star could be found.

Very informative and lavishly illustrated
Without stars, the universe will be dark and dull. Most importantly, only stars can create elements (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous) indispensable to all forms of life. That is, we owe our very existence to the stars.

This book presents the above key messages and many other interesting topics systematically. It starts by introducing the ancient views on the night sky, followed by describing the tools people have been using in discovering the wonder of the stars, and then their properties (how stars are grouped and why they behave differently). Finally, the magnificent birth and dramatic death of stars, viewed as if they are organic matters, are depicted.

An outstanding feature about the book is its abundance in figures and photographs. I found one on almost every page and more than that on many.

Kaler's writing is lucid and the book is generously spaced. If you are a beginner in astronomy, this book is ideal to start with because it's not going to discourage you with jargons and pages after pages of texts. If you want to obtain an overall view and to update your knowledge on stars, this revised edition is a good choice.

Overall, I highly recommend "stars" and I wish I had read it earlier. ... Read more

Book Description

"Make the Stars Your Old Friends!" . . .with Mike Lynch, America’s Master Stargazing instructor

Mike has led stargazing classes for over 30 years and has instructed 1000s of would-be backyard astronomers (and maybe a few would-be professional astronomers!)

Now with "Michigan StarWatch" you can easily pick up what beginning and advanced stargazers ages 12 and up have learned in his popular stargazing classes.

-Use the detailed seasonal constellation charts to quickly identify their main stars and find "celestial goodies" such as star clusters, nebulae, and other galaxies.

-Enjoy the stories and mythology of characters for whom the constellations are named, including Orion the Hunter, Cassiopeia the Queen, and Perseus the Hero.

-Locate the most prominent seasonal constellations with easy-to-use monthly star maps designed especially for New England’s northern latitude.

- Learn about the moon, solar and lunar eclipses, planets, as well as comets, meteor showers, and aurora borealis. There’s even a planet locator guide good through 2015!

-Gain firsthand advice on purchasing a telescope and other stargazing equipment, plus find listings of local astronomy resources.

You won’t find a more enthusiastic guide to the night sky than Mike Lynch, and you won’t find a better guidebook to our night sky than "Michigan StarWatch". ... Read more

Book Description

The moment when matter, along with time and space, came into being is the dramatic subject of The Big Bang: The Birth of Our Universe. Scientists are building an increasingly clear picture of the most important even of all -- the moment the Universe began. The Big Bang theory forms the hypothesis that fifteen billion years ago, the Universe was brought into existence in a searing hot fireball called "The Big Bang." as the fireball expanded and cooled, tiny subatomic particles coalesced into atoms. These atoms then merged under the action of gravity to form galaxies and stars. Some of these stars developed planetary systems, and on at least one -- Earth -- a special kind of chemistry developed -- what we know as "life." Unraveling this picture of the birth and evolution of the Universe has been one of the greatest triumphs of the human intellect. The challenge now is to find out how the Universe will eventually die. Using the latest research findings and amazing photographs, The Big Bang presents a comprehensive and easy--to--read review of historical and contemporary scientific theories as possible answers to the fundamental questions. ... Read more