Simply Astronomy PDF
Preview Simply Astronomy
S I M P L Y ASTRONOMY 000011__HHaallff__TTiittllee..iinndddd 11 0022//0077//22002211 1100::3355 About this ePub Due to the complex integration of images and text, this DK ePub has been formatted to retain the design of the print edition. As a result, all elements are fixed in place, but can easily be enlarged by using the pinch-to-zoom function. If you are previewing this ePub on a mobile phone, portrait mode is recommended. If previewing on a tablet or larger display, landscape mode will allow you to see facing pages at the same time (two page view). AAssttrroonnoommyy__AArrcchhiivvee__UUKK..iinndddd 22 2222//1100//2211 44::2288 PPMM EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Dr Jacqueline Mitton is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 30 books on astronomy, including books DK LONDON for adults and children. After studying Senior Editor Peter Frances physics at Oxford University, she Senior Art Editor Phil Gamble gained a PhD at Cambridge University. Project Art Editor Jessica Tapolcai Editorial Assistant Michael Clark CONTRIBUTORS Managing Editor Angeles Gavira Guererro Abigail Beall studied physics at Managing Art Editor Michael Duffy Production Editor George Nimmo Durham University and is a science Production Controller Laura Andrews journalist and author. She regularly Jacket Designer Akiko Kato writes and talks about astronomy and Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler stargazing in magazine columns and Art Director Karen Self Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf on radio. First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Philip Eales studied physics and Dorling Kindersley Limited remote sensing at University College DK, One Embassy Gardens, 8 Viaduct Gardens, London. As well as writing about Earth London SW11 7BW and space science, he runs a computer The authorized representative in the EEA is graphics company specializing in the Dorling Kindersley Verlag GmbH. Arnulfstr. 124, visualization of astronomical and 80636 Munich, Germany. geographical data and phenomena. Copyright © 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited A Penguin Random House Company Anton Vamplew is a freelance 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 astronomer and writes about 001–319160–Nov/2021 astronomy in books and magazines. He worked at the planetarium at the All rights reserved. Royal Greenwich Observatory for ten No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, years and broadcasts regularly on or transmitted, in any form, or by any means television and radio. (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-0-2414-4671-3 Printed and bound in China www.dk.com This book was made with Forest Stewardship Council ™ certified paper – one small step in DK’s commitment to a sustainable future. For more information go to www.dk.com/our-green-pledge 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 22 0088//0077//22002211 1166::1199 EDITORIAL CONSULTANT CONTENTS Dr Jacqueline Mitton is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 30 books on astronomy, including books DK LONDON for adults and children. After studying 7 WHAT IS ASTRONOMY? 20 THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE Senior Editor Peter Frances physics at Oxford University, she The Big Bang Senior Art Editor Phil Gamble gained a PhD at Cambridge University. THE UNIVERSE Project Art Editor Jessica Tapolcai 22 FIRST LIGHT Editorial Assistant Michael Clark The first stars and galaxies CONTRIBUTORS Managing Editor Angeles Gavira Guererro Managing Art Editor Michael Duffy Abigail Beall studied physics at 10 MAKING SENSE OF SPACE 24 SPACE IS GETTING BIGGER Production Editor George Nimmo Durham University and is a science What is the Universe? Expanding space Production Controller Laura Andrews journalist and author. She regularly 12 CELESTIAL BODIES 25 SEEING INTO THE PAST Jacket Designer Akiko Kato writes and talks about astronomy and Associate Publishing Director Liz Wheeler Objects in space Distance in space stargazing in magazine columns and Art Director Karen Self Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf on radio. 14 THE SMALLEST UNITS 26 WARPED SPACE AND TIME Particles Space-time First published in Great Britain in 2021 by Philip Eales studied physics and 15 BUILDING BLOCKS 28 RIPPLES IN SPACE-TIME Dorling Kindersley Limited remote sensing at University College Atoms Gravitational waves DK, One Embassy Gardens, 8 Viaduct Gardens, London. As well as writing about Earth London SW11 7BW 16 ACROSS THE SPECTRUM 29 BODIES IN MOTION and space science, he runs a computer Radiation Orbits The authorized representative in the EEA is graphics company specializing in the Dorling Kindersley Verlag GmbH. Arnulfstr. 124, visualization of astronomical and 18 SPLITTING LIGHT 30 THE UNSEEN UNIVERSE 80636 Munich, Germany. geographical data and phenomena. Spectroscopy Dark matter Copyright © 2021 Dorling Kindersley Limited 19 SHIFTING LIGHT 31 THE ENERGY OF SPACE A Penguin Random House Company Anton Vamplew is a freelance Red shift and blue shift Dark energy 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 astronomer and writes about 001–319160–Nov/2021 astronomy in books and magazines. He worked at the planetarium at the All rights reserved. Royal Greenwich Observatory for ten No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, years and broadcasts regularly on or transmitted, in any form, or by any means television and radio. (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-0-2414-4671-3 Printed and bound in China www.dk.com This book was made with Forest Stewardship Council ™ certified paper – one small step in DK’s commitment to a sustainable future. For more information go to www.dk.com/our-green-pledge 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 22 0088//0077//22002211 1166::1199 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 33 0077//0077//22002211 1133::2244 53 SUPERSIZED VOLCANOES Volcanoes on Mars 54 ROCKS IN SPACE Asteroids 56 KING OF THE GIANTS Jupiter 58 THE JOVIAN SATELLITES Jupiter’s moons 60 THE RINGED PLANET Saturn THE SOLAR 62 BANDS OF ICE Saturn’s rings SYSTEM 64 THE METHANE MOON Titan 34 THE FAMILY OF THE SUN 65 THE E-RING MOON The Sun and planets Enceladus 36 OUR STAR 66 THE SIDEWAYS PLANET The Sun Uranus 38 THE SWIFT PLANET 67 THE OUTERMOST GIANT Mercury Neptune 40 EARTH’S SISTER 68 FROZEN WORLD Venus Pluto 42 HOME WORLD 70 COLD OUTER RING Earth The Kuiper Belt 44 EARTH’S SATELLITE 71 SMALL WORLDS The Moon Dwarf planets 46 TURNING IN STEP 72 CLOUD OF COMETS The Moon’s orbit The Oort Cloud 47 NEW MOON TO FULL MOON 73 THE OUTER LIMITS The phases of the Moon The edge of the Solar System 48 IN THE MOON’S SHADOW 74 COSMIC SNOWBALLS Solar eclipses Comets 48 IN EARTH’S SHADOW 75 HOW COMETS ORBIT Lunar eclipses Comet orbits 50 THE RED PLANET 76 STREAKS OF LIGHT Mars Meteors 52 MARTIAN ICE 77 STREAMS OF DEBRIS Water on Mars Meteor showers 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 44 0077//0077//22002211 1133::2244 53 SUPERSIZED VOLCANOES 97 STAR CITIES Volcanoes on Mars Globular clusters 54 ROCKS IN SPACE 98 PLANETS AROUND Asteroids OTHER STARS Exoplanets 56 KING OF THE GIANTS Jupiter 99 A PLACE TO LIVE Habitable zones 58 THE JOVIAN SATELLITES Jupiter’s moons 100 ISLANDS OF STARS 60 THE RINGED PLANET Galaxies Saturn 102 OUR GALAXY THE SOLAR 62 BANDS OF ICE STARS AND The Milky Way Saturn’s rings 104 EXTREME ENERGY SYSTEM GALAXIES 64 THE METHANE MOON Active galaxies Titan 106 GALAXIES FORM GROUPS 34 THE FAMILY OF THE SUN 65 THE E-RING MOON 80 LIGHTS IN THE SKY Galaxy clusters The Sun and planets What is a star? Enceladus 107 CLUSTERS OF CLUSTERS 36 OUR STAR 66 THE SIDEWAYS PLANET 81 FROM MATTER TO ENERGY Galaxy superclusters The Sun How stars shine Uranus 108 THE MACROSCOPIC 38 THE SWIFT PLANET 82 DWARFS, GIANTS, 67 THE OUTERMOST GIANT UNIVERSE Mercury AND SUPERGIANTS Neptune The cosmological principle Types of star 40 EARTH’S SISTER 68 FROZEN WORLD 109 THE COSMIC WEB Venus 84 STAR LIFE AND DEATH Pluto Filaments and voids Stellar evolution 42 HOME WORLD 70 COLD OUTER RING Earth 86 STARBIRTH The Kuiper Belt How stars form 44 EARTH’S SATELLITE 71 SMALL WORLDS The Moon 88 SHELLS AND SHOCKWAVES Dwarf planets Planetary nebulae 46 TURNING IN STEP 72 CLOUD OF COMETS The Moon’s orbit 90 EXPLODING STARS The Oort Cloud Supernovae 47 NEW MOON TO FULL MOON 73 THE OUTER LIMITS 92 CRUSHED STARS The phases of the Moon The edge of the Solar System Neutron stars 48 IN THE MOON’S SHADOW 74 COSMIC SNOWBALLS 93 COLLAPSING TO INFINITY Solar eclipses Comets Black holes 48 IN EARTH’S SHADOW 75 HOW COMETS ORBIT 94 COMPANION STARS Lunar eclipses Comet orbits Multiple stars 50 THE RED PLANET 76 STREAKS OF LIGHT 95 DIMMING AND BRIGHTENING Mars Meteors Variable stars 52 MARTIAN ICE 77 STREAMS OF DEBRIS 96 SIBLING STARS Water on Mars Meteor showers Open clusters 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 44 0077//0077//22002211 1133::2244 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 55 0077//0077//22002211 1133::2244 OBSERVING THE THE NIGHT SKY CONSTELLATIONS 112 THE SKY AS A SPHERE 130 MAPPING THE SKY The celestial sphere What is a constellation? 114 WHEN TO SEE STARS 132 PATTERNS IN THE SKY Time of night The constellations 115 WHERE IN THE WORLD 136 THE NORTHERN SKY Night sky and location Northern constellations 116 THE ORBITAL PLANE 137 THE SOUTHERN SKY Finding planets Southern constellations 117 WHEN TO SPOT PLANETS 138 THE GREAT BEAR How planets align Ursa Major 118 SEEING THE SKIES 140 STARHOPPING Observing conditions FROM THE PLOUGH The sky around the Plough 119 LOST IN THE LIGHT Light pollution 142 THE SWAN Cygnus 120 COMPARING BRIGHTNESS 144 STARHOPPING FROM THE The magnitude scale SQUARE OF PEGASUS The sky around Pegasus 121 CELESTIAL GUIDES Star charts 146 THE RAGING BULL Taurus 122 JOINING DOTS IN THE SKY 148 THE HUNTER Starhopping Orion 123 LETTING IN LIGHT 150 STARHOPPING FROM ORION Aperture and magnification The sky around Orion 124 CHOOSING 152 THE ARCHER BINOCULARS Sagittarius Types of binoculars 154 STARHOPPING FROM CRUX 125 STAYING FOCUSED The sky around Crux Using binoculars 126 THE SKY IN CLOSE-UP Telescopes 156 INDEX 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 66 0077//0077//22002211 1133::2244 WHAT IS ASTRONOMY? THE NIGHT SKY has always inspired mystery and wonder. Astronomy aims to make sense of the Universe, confronting some OBSERVING THE of our most fundamental questions, such as how did everything THE NIGHT SKY CONSTELLATIONS begin and is there life beyond Earth? It can explain some of the mysteries but a sense of wonder remains. If anything, modern 112 THE SKY AS A SPHERE 130 MAPPING THE SKY science reveals a cosmos that is more vast, strange, and complex The celestial sphere What is a constellation? than might have seemed possible to people even a few centuries 114 WHEN TO SEE STARS 132 PATTERNS IN THE SKY ago. For example, to the unaided eye, stars seem like nothing more Time of night The constellations than points of light. But, with the aid of telescopes and other 115 WHERE IN THE WORLD 136 THE NORTHERN SKY instruments, we can see that each of these points is a star like our Night sky and location Northern constellations own Sun. We know that a star is a ball of incredibly hot gas that 116 THE ORBITAL PLANE 137 THE SOUTHERN SKY Finding planets Southern constellations emits energy as a result of nuclear fusion reactions. We have also 117 WHEN TO SPOT PLANETS 138 THE GREAT BEAR discovered that stars have complex, often spectacular life histories How planets align Ursa Major and that many of them are orbited by systems of planets. From a 118 SEEING THE SKIES 140 STARHOPPING distance, some of these planets even look similar to Earth. Observing conditions FROM THE PLOUGH Over the course of its history, astronomy has been propelled The sky around the Plough 119 LOST IN THE LIGHT forwards by a combination of technological progress and advances Light pollution 142 THE SWAN Cygnus in scientific understanding. The last few decades have seen rapid 120 COMPARING BRIGHTNESS 144 STARHOPPING FROM THE change in both areas. We can now see far out into space (and The magnitude scale SQUARE OF PEGASUS hence far back in time) by sending telescopes into orbit. We can The sky around Pegasus 121 CELESTIAL GUIDES dispatch robots to explore the surfaces of other planets. But, Star charts 146 THE RAGING BULL Taurus despite all our achievements, many questions remain. We still 122 JOINING DOTS IN THE SKY 148 THE HUNTER cannot describe the Universe’s size or shape, and more than Starhopping Orion 95 per cent of its substance is invisible to us. The Universe has 123 LETTING IN LIGHT Aperture and magnification 150 STARHOPPING FROM ORION not yet given up all its secrets. The sky around Orion 124 CHOOSING 152 THE ARCHER BINOCULARS Sagittarius Types of binoculars 154 STARHOPPING FROM CRUX 125 STAYING FOCUSED The sky around Crux Using binoculars 126 THE SKY IN CLOSE-UP Telescopes 156 INDEX INTRODUCTION 7 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 66 0077//0077//22002211 1133::2244 000022--000077__CCoonntteennttss..iinndddd 77 0022//0077//22002211 1100::4499 t h e u n i v e r s e 000088--000099__CC11__TTHHEE__UUNNIIVVEERRSSEE..iinndddd 88 0022//0077//22002211 1100::3355
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