Space and Astronomy Handbook

353 Pages·2009·4.489 MB·English

by  Joseph A. Angelo Jr.

THE FACTS ON FILE
space
and
astronomy
HANDBOOK
Revised Edition
jOSEpH A. ANgELO, jR.
Adjunct professor, Science Department, Valencia Community College
The Facts On File Space and Astronomy Handbook, Revised Edition
Copyright © 2009, 2002 by Joseph A. Angelo, Jr.
Illustrations © 2009 by Infobase Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or
by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from
the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
An imprint of Infobase Publishing
132 West 31st Street
New York NY 10001
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Angelo, Joseph A.
The Facts on File space and astronomy handbook / Joseph A. Angelo, Jr.—Rev. ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8160-7388-7
1. Astronomy—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Space sciences—Handbooks,
manuals, etc. I. Facts on File, Inc. II. Title. III. Title: Space and astronomy.
QB43.3.A44 2009
520—dc22 2008051761
Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in
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You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at
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Text design adapted by James Scotto-Lavino
Illustrations by Sholto Ainslie
Printed in the United States of America
Bang FOF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
To my sons, Joseph and James,
who grew up in the red glare of the rockets from Cape Canaveral
as the United States reached for the stars.

contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
SECTION ONE Glossary 1
SECTION TwO Biographies 149
SECTION THREE chronology 225
SECTION FOuR charts & tables 279
AppENDIxES
AppENDIx A recommended reading 317
AppENDIx B cyberspace destinations 319
INDEx 325

acknowledGments
I wish to publicly acknowledge the generous support of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its field centers
and laboratories, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the U.S. Air
Force (USAF), the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
and the European Space Agency (ESA) during the original preparation
and recent revision of this book. Special thanks are also extended to
the editorial staff at Facts On File, particularly my editor, Frank K.
Darmstadt. Finally, the support of two other key individuals merits
public recognition here. The first is my physician Charles S. Stewart
III, M.D., whose medical skills allowed me to complete the revision of
this book. The second individual is my wife and soul mate, Joan, who
is the raison d’être for this literary project and many other interesting
adventures—great and small—over the past four decades.
vii

introduction
An understanding of astronomy and space exploration is the
basis for discovering the universe and how it works. Our daily lives,
exciting new materials, and the information-rich, space-age
civilization we now enjoy have been developed only through
scientific research into the principles that underpin the physical
world. However, obtaining a full view of any branch of science
may be difficult without resorting to a range of books. Dictionaries
of terms, encyclopedias of facts, biographical dictionaries,
chronologies of scientific events—all of these collections of facts
usually encompass a range of scientific subjects. THE FACTS ON
FILE SCIENCE HANDBOOK LIBRARY covers the following
major scientific areas—CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, EARTH
SCIENCE , BIOLOGY, MARINE SCIENCE, WEATHER AND
CLIMATE, ALGEBRA, CALCULUS, GEOMETRY, and, of course,
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY.
THE FACTS ON FILE SPACE AND ASTRONOMY HANDBOOK
contains four sections—a glossary of terms, biographies of notable
personalities, a chronology of events up to the present, and essential
charts and tables. The volume also contains an extensive index.
GLOSSARy
The specialized words used in any science subject mean that students need
a glossary in order to understand the phenomena and processes involved.
THE FACTS ON FILE SPACE AND ASTRONOMY HANDBOOK
glossary contains more than 1,250 entries, often accompanied by labeled
illustrations and photographs to help clarify the meanings.
BiOGRAPHiES
The giants of astronomy and space—Copernicus, Galileo, Newton,
and Goddard—are widely known, but hundreds of other dedicated
scientists contributed to scientific knowledge. THE FACTS ON FILE
SPACE AND ASTRONOMY HANDBOOK contains biographies of
more than 400 people. Many of their achievements may have gone
unnoticed. However, their discoveries have pushed forward the world’s
understanding of space and astronomy.
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