Astronomy For Dummies

Embark on your own personal journey into the night sky. Stardate: Today!

Ever catch yourself staring up at the night sky and wondering just what the heck is out there? While no one book can answer all your questions, Astronomy For Dummies will take you on a tour through the Milky Way (and beyond!) that describes some of the most fascinating objects in the universe.

This book comes complete with online access to chapter quizzes and downloadable full-color astronomical photos of our universe, as well as easy-to-follow explanations of the eye-popping wonders and gorgeous interstellar objects that populate our solar system, galaxy, and universe. You'll find:

• Brand-new star charts for the northern and southern hemispheres, as well as descriptions of the latest tech tools for amateur astronomers
• Lists of the most recently discovered exoplanets, exomoons, and exocomets hurtling through the cosmos
• The latest timelines for dazzling solar events and maps to the best places to see them live and in-person

Filled with discussions of the biggest and greatest new breakthroughs and an 8-page color insert packed with unbelievable, full-color photographs, Astronomy For Dummies is a can't-miss book that will ignite a passion for understanding the mysteries of the universe in children and adults alike!

Auteur

Stephen P. Maran, PhD, is former Assistant Director of Space Sciences for Information and Outreach at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Richard Tresch Fienberg, PhD, is former Editor in Chief of Sky & Telescope magazine. Both Steve and Rick have received NASA medals for exceptional achievement.

Texte du rabat

Learn your way around the universe What's going on in the sky? Astronomy For Dummies takes you through the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and all the way to the outer reaches of the universe. You'll have stars in your eyes as you discover the basics of skywatching, planets, asteroids, black holes, and dark matter. Ponder the deep questions that keep humanity guessing, like, is there anybody out there? Two NASA-award-winning astronomers take you on a tour of outer space that will fascinate you-and, if you're a student, help you through your intro astronomy course. **Inside...

• Recent astronomical research
• All about the Big Bang
• Different types of stars
• Resources and tech tools for observing the stars and sky
• What happens when galaxies collide
• Updated star maps

Contenu

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Astronomy 5

Chapter 1: Seeing the Light: The Art and Science of Astronomy 7

Astronomy: The Science of Observation 8

What You See: The Language of Light 10

They wondered as they wandered: Understanding planets versus stars 10

If you see a Great Bear, start worrying: Naming stars and constellations 12

The smaller, the brighter: Getting to the root of magnitudes 19

What do I spy? Spotting the Messier Catalog and other sky objects 20

Looking back on light-years 22

Keep on moving: Figuring the positions of the stars 23

Gravity: A Force to Be Reckoned With 26

Space: A Commotion of Motion 27

Chapter 2: Join the Crowd: Skywatching Activities and Resources 29

You're Not Alone: Astronomy Clubs, Websites, Smartphone Apps, and More 30

Joining an astronomy club for star-studded company 30

Checking websites, magazines, software, and apps 31

Visiting Observatories and Planetariums 35

Ogling the observatories 35

Popping in on planetariums 39

Vacationing with the Stars: Star Parties, Eclipse Trips, Dark Sky Parks, and More 39

Party on! Attending star parties 40

Getting festive at an astro fest 42

Tapping into Astronomy on Tap 42

To the path of totality: Taking eclipse cruises and tours 42

Motoring to telescope motels 44

Chapter 3: Terrific Tools for Observing the Skies 47

Seeing Stars: A Sky Geography Primer 48

As Earth turns 48

keep an eye on the North Star 51

Beginning with Naked-Eye Observations 53

Using Binoculars or a Telescope for a Better View 56

Binoculars: Sweeping the night sky 56

Telescopes: When closeness counts 60

Planning Your First Steps into Astronomy 70

Chapter 4: Just Passing Through: Meteors, Comets, and Artificial Satellites 73

Meteors: Wishing on a Shooting Star 74

Spotting sporadic meteors, fireballs, and bolides 75

Watching meteor showers: No umbrella needed 77

Comets: Dirty Ice Balls or Icy Dirt Balls? 81

Making heads and tails of a comet's structure 82

Waiting for the "comets of the century" 86

Hunting for the next great comet 87

Artificial Satellites: Enduring a Love-Hate Relationship 90

Skywatching for artificial satellites 91

Finding satellite viewing predictions 92

UFOs: Could some be aliens? 94

Part 2: Going Once Around the Solar System 95

Chapter 5: A Matched Pair: Earth and Its Moon 97

Putting Earth under the Astronomical Microscope 98

One of a kind: Earth's unique characteristics 98

Spheres of influence: Earth's distinct regions 100

Examining Earth's Time, Seasons, and Age 102

Orbiting for all time 102

Tilting toward the seasons 104

Estimating Earth's age 106

Making Sense of the Moon 107

Get ready to howl: Identifying phases of the Moon 108

In the shadows: Watching lunar eclipses 110

Cultivating an interest in the occult(ations) 112

Hard rock: Surveying lunar geology 113

Quite an impact: Considering a theory about the Moon's origin 119

Chapter 6: Earth's Near Neighbors: Mercury, Venus, and Mars 121

Mercury: Weird, Hot, and Mostly Metal 122

Dry, Acidic, and Hilly: Piercing the Veil of Venus 123

Dropping the ball: Probing Venus with DAVINCI+ and EnVision 125

Something in the air: Life in Venus's clouds? 125

Red, Cold, and Barren: Uncovering the Mysteries of Mars 125

Where have almost all the air and water gone? (Long time passing) 126

Does Mars support life? 128

Differentiating Earth through Comparative Planetology 131

Observing the Terrestrial Planets with Ease 132

Understanding elongation, opposition, and conjunction 133

Viewing Venus and its phases 135

Watching Mars as it loops around 137

Outdoing Copernicus by observing Mercury 139

Chapter 7: Rock On: The Asteroid Belt and Near-Earth Objects 141

Taking a Brief Tour of the Asteroid Belt 141

Getting the Dirt on (and off) Asteroids 145

Understanding the Threat That Near-Earth Objects Pose 146

When push comes to shove: Nudging an asteroid 148

Forewarned is forearmed: Surveying NEAs to protect Earth 149

Searching for Small Points of Light 150

Helping to track an occultation 151

Timing an asteroidal occultation 152

Chapter 8: Great Balls of Gas: Jupiter and Saturn 153

The Pressure's On: Journeying Inside Jupiter and Saturn 153

Almost a Star: Gazing at Jupiter 154

Scanning for the Great Red Spot 156

Shooting for Galileo's moons 157

Our Main Planetary Attraction: Setting Your Sights on Saturn 161

Ringing around the planet 162

Storm chasing across Saturn 164

Monitoring a moon of major proportions 164

Venting about geysers on Enceladus 166

Chapter 9: Far Out! Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Beyond 169

Breaking the Ice with Uranus and Neptune 169

Bull's-eye! Tilted Uranus and its features 170

Against the grain: Neptune and its biggest moon 171

Meeting Pluto, the Amazing Dwarf Planet 173

Defining Pluto the geophysical way 174

Getting to the heart of Pluto 174

Looking at Pluto's makeup 177

The moon chip doesn't float far from the planet 177

Buckling Down to the Kuiper Belt 178

Viewing the Outer Planets 180

Sighting Uranus 180

Distinguishing Neptune from a star 180

Straining to se…