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(1)The Observer's Sky Atlas contains star charts and information for all those who observe the night sky with unaided eyes, with binoculars, or with small telescopes, and also for those who just wish to look at constellations and interesting objects. Equally useful for the beginning observer and the old hand, the atlas presents: ( a short introduction into observing the sky and a thorough description of the star charts and tables; ( clearly arranged charts of all the stars (up to 6th magnitude) visible with the unaided eye; ( enlarged chart sections (including all stars to magnitude 9) for binocular observation, highlighting 250 interesting nebulae, galaxies, and stellar clusters; ( a catalog of more than 1000 objects that takes into account the far-reaching measurements of the Hipparcos Satellite published in 1997; ( tables of predicted separations of binary stars through the year 2015. The Observer's Sky Atlas is an indispensable and handy companion for every observer and has already appeared in four languages.
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(1)Explains that conditions on Earth and other planets facilitate simple lifeforms, and that complex plant and animal life maybe more rare than historically predicted. (view table of contents) Amazon.com description: Product Description: The sweeping diversity of complex life on Earth, Ward and Brownlee argue, evolved out of an extraordinary set of physical conditions and chance events that would be extremely hard to duplicateâ?"â?"though not impossible. Many planets throughout the vastness of the Universe may be teeming with microbial life, but advancement beyond this stage is very rare. Everyone with an interest in the possible extent of life in the Universe and the nature of life`s evolution on our own planet will be fascinated by Rare Earth. ...likely to cause a revolution in thinking..." The New York Times "...[the book] has hit the world of astrobiologists like a killer asteroid..." Newsday (New York) "...a sobering and valuable perspective..." Science "...a startling new hypothesis..." Library Journal "...Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee offer a powerful argument..." The Economist "...provocative, significant, and sweeping..." Northwest ScienceandTechnology "...a stellar example of clear writing..." American Scientist"
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A forgotten heroine of science and how she solved one of the crucial mysteries of the universe. How big is the universe? In the early twentieth century, scientists took sides. One held that the entire universe was contained in the Milky Way galaxy. Their champion was the strong-willed astronomer Harlow Shapley. Another camp believed that the universe was so vast that the Milky Way was just one galaxy among billions—the view that would prevail, proven by the equally headstrong Edwin Hubble. Almost forgotten is the Harvard Observatory "computer"—a human number cruncher hired to calculate the positions and luminosities of stars in astronomical photographs—who found the key to the mystery. Radcliffe-educated Henrietta Swan Leavitt, fighting ill health and progressive deafness, stumbled upon a new law that allowed astronomers to use variable stars—those whose brightness rhythmically changes—as a cosmic yardstick. Miss Leavitt's Stars is both a masterly account of how we measure the universe and the moving story of a neglected genius. 10 illustrations.
