Astronomy encyclopedia

The universe beyond our own has been an object of scientific inquiry and a preoccupation of avid stargazers from antiquity up to the present day, and this preoccupation has evolved into a complex field in which mysteries are unlocked and discoveries are made on a constant basis. The Astronomy Encyclopedia covers the full width and breadth of the discipline and includes the latest and most important advances. In more than 3,000 alphabetically organized articles accompanied by 500 stunning color and black and white photographs, star maps, and diagrams, The Astronomy Encyclopedia covers everything both the researcher and general enthusiast wants to knowfrom adaptive optics and cold dark matter to Islamic astronomy and the principle of equivalence. It includes a host of major articles on the cornerstones of astronomical investigation, such as the Milky Way, the sun and planets, optical and radio telescopes, stars, black holes, astrophysics, observatories, astronomical photography, space programs, the constellations and famous astronomers. Also featured are tables which display relevant data such as the brightest stars in the major constellations, annual meteor showers, major variable stars, dwarf stars, and energy production processes in the sun. More than 100 astronomers from leading universities and observatories, each an expert in a specialized area of the field, wrote and reviewed the entries to ensure their authority. Patrick Moore, distinguished astronomer and longtime host of the popular BBC television program The Sky at Night, serves as the general editor for this most up-to-date and reliable reference work. A glimpse into humanity's last great frontier, the Astronomy Encyclopedia is both accessible and comprehensive enough for both the serious stargazer and the professional astronomer.

Contents: R.D. Gehrz, G.L. Grasdalen, and J.A. Hackwell, Astronomy, Infrared; G.R. Carruthers, Astronomy, Ultraviolet Space; H.L. Shipman, Astrophysics; R. A. Saenz and S.L. Shapiro, Black Holes (Astronomy); S.N. Shore, Binary Stars; F.R. Hoots, Celestial Mechanics; E.P. Tryon, Cosmic Inflation; P. Meyer, Cosmic Radiation; J.J. Dykla, Cosmology; S.N. Shore, Dark Matter in the Universe; J.P. Huchra, Galactic Structure and Evolution; S. White, Gamma-Ray Astronomy; A.L. Albee, Lunar Rocks; R.C. Reedy, Meteorites Cosmic Ray Record; B.J. Buratti, Moon (Astronomy); R. Davis, Jr., Neutrino Astronomy; S.N. Shore, Neutrino Star; L.D. Barr, Optical Telescopes; J.S. Levine, Planetary Satellites, Natural; L.A. McFadden, Primitive Solar System Objects: Asteroids and ComINSERT ets; C. Michel, Pulsars; S.N. Shore, Quasars; S. Gulkis, Radio Astronomy, Planetary; S.N. Shore, Radio Astronomy; J.L. Anderson, Relativity, General; J.D. McGervey, Relativity Special; C.J. Crannell, Solar Physics; S.F. Dermott, Solar System, General; C.T. Russell, Solar System, Magnetic and Electric Fields; L.J. Lanzerotti, Solar-Terrestrial Physics; D.G. York, Space Interstellar Matter; S.N. Shore, Star Clusters; J.B. Lester, Stellar Spectroscopy; P. Bodenheimer, Stellar Structure and Evolution; D. Branch, Supernovae; D. Branch, Supernova 1987; S. Shore, Variable Stars; J.E. Grindlay, X-Ray Astronomy.

This comprehensive Encyclopedia covers the full history of astronomy from its ancient origins in Africa, South America, the Middle East and China to the latest developments in astrophysics and space-based research. The initial articles, which are largely organised chronologically, are followed by numerous thematic historical articles on the constituents of the solar system, types of stars, stellar evolution, active galaxies, cosmology and much more. These are followed by articles on tools and techniques, from the history of spectroscopy to adaptive optics. The last part of the Encyclopedia is devoted to the history of ground- and space-based telescopes and observatories, covering the full spectral range from gamma-rays through the optical waveband to radio waves. Informative and accessibly written, each article is followed by an extensive bibliography to facilitate further research, whilst consistent coverage from ancient times to the present makes this an ideal resource for scholars, students and amateur astronomers alike.

For more than 40 years, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology has been the first source readers around the world have turned to when starting research on any major scientific topic. With more than 7,000 articles written by leaders in their fields - including 30 Nobel Prize winners - the Encyclopedia is famed for the scope and quality of its content. Students, professionals researching areas outside their own specialties, "lifelong learners" - any reader with only modest background in the sciences - will benefit from the ease of access to information, the clarity of the text, and the 12,000 specially prepared illustrations. The new Ninth Edition carries on this tradition. Thoroughly updated, its 20 volumes contain 15,000+ pages and 7,100 articles, many new, rewritten, or revised. Using the 500 page analytical index, the topical index, or the Study Guides, readers will find the information they want on all the hottest areas of science and engineering: astronomy and space science; computational chemistry; environmental science; forensic science; information technology and communications; intelligent manufacturing; molecular biology and biotechnology; neuroscience; theoretical and applied physics, to name just a few. 61,000 cross references and 21,000 bibliography entries enable the reader to see the connections in the more than 90 disciplines covered and to continue their studies in greater depth.With the breathtaking pace at which science and technology are advancing, no science reference collection can afford to be without this latest edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.

Space Encyclopedia DK =-Page-304 =-The Essential reference guide to space science and astronomy =-Accurate up-to-date facts and figures =-Stunning images from the Hubble Tele scope,plus cross-sections data =-