The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astronomy PDF
Preview The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astronomy
Astronomy Fourth Edition by Christopher De Pree, Ph.D., and Alan Axelrod, Ph.D. A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Astronomy Fourth Edition Astronomy Fourth Edition by Christopher De Pree, Ph.D., and Alan Axelrod, Ph.D. A member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ALPHA BOOKS Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore, Auckland 1311, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Copyright © 2008 by The Ian Samuel Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the pub lisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 800 East 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46240. THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO and Design are registered trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007937343 ISBN: 1-4362-1273-1 Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is intended to provide helpful and informa tive material on the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a compe tent professional should be consulted. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or other wise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book. Publisher: Marie Butler-Knight Cartoonist: Shannon Wheeler Editorial Director/Acquiring Editor: Mike Sanders Book Designer: Trina Wurst Managing Editor: Billy Fields Indexer: Brad Herriman Development Editor: Michael Thomas Layout: Brian Massey Production Editor: Kayla Dugger Proofreader: Aaron Black Copy Editor: Nancy Wagner For Sheryl, Claire, Dylan, and the M’s (CGD) For my stars, Anita and Ian (AA) Contents at a Glance Part 1: Eyes, Telescopes, and Light 1 1 Naked Sky, Naked Eye: Finding Your Way in the Dark 3 Finding your way around the night sky requires no tele scope. 2 Collecting Light 13 Telescopes: what they see and how they work. 3 Over the Rainbow 29 Learn what electromagnetic radiation is, how it travels, and what it does. Part 2: Worlds Without End 43 4 Solar System Family Snapshot 45 Take a tour through our solar system. 5 Hard, Rocky Places: The Inner Planets 57 Get the lowdown on Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 6 Bloated and Gassy: The Outer Planets 71 Find out all about Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Saturn. 7 The Moon, Moons, and Rings 85 Discover information about the Earth’s moon—plus the moons and rings of the jovian planets, and the story of Pluto. 8 This World and Beyond 105 Learn how our solar system was born and developed— and get a glimpse at planetary systems beyond our own. Part 3: To the Stars 119 9 The Sun: Our Star 121 Explore the Sun. 10 Giants, Dwarfs, and the Stellar Family 135 Observe, measure, and classify the stars. 11 The Life and Death of Stars 153 Understand how stars evolve—and how they end their lives. 12 Black Holes: One-Way Tickets to Nowhere 175 Explore stellar endgames: neutron stars, black holes, and the strange effects they produce. Part 4: Way Out of This World 185 13 The Milky Way: Our Very Own Galaxy 187 Tour our home Galaxy. 14 A Galaxy of Galaxies 201 Observe, measure, and classify galaxies. Part 5: The Big Questions 217 15 Strange Galaxies 219 Recognize active versus normal galaxies: Seyfert and radio galaxies, plus quasars. 16 Cosmology and Cosmologies 229 Understand the science of the universe: what it is, how it came to be, and where it’s going to go. 17 The Beginning and the End of the Universe 241 Is the universe infinite or finite? Eternal or mortal? Will it end—and if so, how? 18 Where Is Everybody? 259 Consider the odds on life beyond Earth and on other civili- zations in the Milky Way. Appendixes A Star Words Glossary 279 B Astronomical Data 297 C Sources for Astronomers 303 Index 309
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