This title helps you discover the history and origins of the universe and teaches how to observe the stars and galaxies. It has star charts and profiles of constellations and includes a month-by-month guide to highlights of the night sky.
Ever since early man first gazed up in wonder at the night sky, marveling at the stars and planets, humans have been fascinated by what lies in the infinite darkness outside the confines of earth. Today the technology of telescopes, satellites, and space stations has enhanced our knowledge far beyond the wildest dreams of our ancestors.
Some of the points covered that will enhance the reader's knowledge of this fascinating but difficult subject are:
-- The universe and the big bang
-- The solar system
-- The earth and the moon
-- Supernovae
-- Black holes
-- Exploring space
Here is everything the beginner needs to know about the science of astronomy. From the early seventeenth-century observations of Galileo to space ships being sent across unimaginable distances; from the birth of our universe to the discovery of new stars, planets, and galaxies. Learn how to recognize the features of the night sky, and to look backward and forward in time of space
Ian Ridpath has been a full time writer, broadcaster, and lecturer on astronomy since 1972, having previously worked at the university of London Observatory. A fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, he is the editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and Norton's Star Atlas. Ian has written or edited over 40 books, including several guides to the night sky. His writing has also appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the world.
