Description
From the Inside Flap Discover the origins of the universe Discover the origins of the universe Explore the solar system and beyond Explore the solar system and beyond Make sense of the latest discoveries Make sense of the latest discoveries Explore the night sky Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe and shows you how to look up into the night sky and contemplate cosmic wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, nebulae, stars and star clusters, the Milky Way, faraway galaxies, and occasionally a comet, an aurora, or an exploding star. Inside … Sky-watching activities Sky-watching activities Tools for observing the sky Tools for observing the sky Details about meteor showers, asteroids, and comets Details about meteor showers, asteroids, and comets Facts about Pluto and the planets Facts about Pluto and the planets Secrets of the Sun, Moon, and eclipses Secrets of the Sun, Moon, and eclipses Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence Info about black holes and the Big Bang Info about black holes and the Big Bang Go online for one-year access to: Chapter quizzes Chapter quizzes Flashcards Flashcards Color photos Color photos From the Back Cover Discover the origins of the universe Discover the origins of the universe Explore the solar system and beyond Explore the solar system and beyond Make sense of the latest discoveries Make sense of the latest discoveries Explore the night sky Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe and shows you how to look up into the night sky and contemplate cosmic wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, nebulae, stars and star clusters, the Milky Way, faraway galaxies, and occasionally a comet, an aurora, or an exploding star. Inside … Sky-watching activities Sky-watching activities Tools for observing the sky Tools for observing the sky Details about meteor showers, asteroids, and comets Details about meteor showers, asteroids, and comets Facts about Pluto and the planets Facts about Pluto and the planets Secrets of the Sun, Moon, and eclipses Secrets of the Sun, Moon, and eclipses Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence Info about black holes and the Big Bang Info about black holes and the Big Bang Go online for one-year access to: Chapter quizzes Chapter quizzes Flashcards Flashcards Color photos Color photos About the Author Stephen P. Maran, PhD, is the retired assistant director of space sciences for information and outreach at the NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. An investigator of stars, nebulae, and comets, he worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, Space Shuttle missions, Skylab, and other NASA projects. Read more
Features & Highlights
- Your updated guide to exploring the night sky
- Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring updated star maps, charts, and an insert with gorgeous full-color photographs,
- Astronomy For Dummies
- provides an easy-to-follow introduction to exploring the night sky. Plus, this new edition also comes with chapter quizzes online to help your understanding.
- For as long as people have been walking the earth, those people have looked up into the night sky and wondered about the nature of the cosmos. Without the benefit of science to provide answers, they relied on myth and superstition to help them make sense of what they saw. Lucky for us, we live at a time when regular folks, equipped with nothing more than their naked eyes, can look up into the night sky and gain admittance to infinite wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, stars, galaxies, and even galactic clusters comprising hundreds of millions of stars and spanning millions of light-years.
- Whether you're an amateur astronomer, space enthusiast, or enrolled in a first year astronomy course,
- Astronomy For Dummies
- gives you a reason to look into the heavens.
- Includes updated schedules of coming eclipses of the Sun and Moon and a revised planetary appendix
- Includes updated schedules of coming eclipses of the Sun and Moon and a revised planetary appendix
- Covers recent discoveries in space, such as water on the Moon and Pluto's demotion from "planet" status
- Covers recent discoveries in space, such as water on the Moon and Pluto's demotion from "planet" status
- Collects new websites, lists of telescope motels, sky-watching guides, and suggestions for beginner's telescopes and suppliers
- Collects new websites, lists of telescope motels, sky-watching guides, and suggestions for beginner's telescopes and suppliers
- Provides free online access to chapter quizzes to help you understand the content
- Provides free online access to chapter quizzes to help you understand the content
- Ever wonder what's out there in the big ol' universe? This is the book for you!
