The fun and easy way to 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. Featuring updated star maps, charts, and an insert with gorgeous full-color photographs, Astronomy For Dummies provides an easy-to-follow introduction to the night sky. Plus, this new edition also gives you the latest theories, explanations, and insights into the basic workings of the universe.
- 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
- Collects new websites, lists of telescope motels, sky-watching guides, and suggestions for beginner's telescopes and suppliers
- Brings you up-to-speed on the latest social trends and personal technology, such as stargazing mobile apps, NASA video, and the prevalence of "Citizen Science" networks
Whether you're an amateur astronomer, space enthusiast, or enrolled in a first year astronomy course, Astronomy For Dummies has you covered.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 Part I: Stalking the Cosmos 5
Chapter 1: Seeing the Light: The Art and Science of Astronomy 7
Chapter 2: Join the Crowd: Skywatching Activities and Resources 27
Chapter 3: The Way You Watch Tonight: Terrifi c Tools for Observing the Skies 45
Chapter 4: Just Passing Through: Meteors, Comets, and Artifi cial Satellites 65
Part II: Going Once Around the Solar System 85
Chapter 5: A Matched Pair: Earth and Its Moon 87
Chapter 6: Earth’s Near Neighbors: Mercury, Venus, and Mars 109
Chapter 7: Rock On: The Asteroid Belt and Near-Earth Objects 129
Chapter 8: Great Balls of Gas: Jupiter and Saturn 139
Chapter 9: Far Out! Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Beyond 151
Part III: Meeting Old Sol and Other Stars 161
Chapter 10: The Sun: Star of Earth 163
Chapter 11: Taking a Trip to the Stars 187
Chapter 12: Galaxies: The Milky Way and Beyond 217
Chapter 13: Digging into Black Holes and Quasars 241
Part IV: Pondering the Remarkable Universe 255
Chapter 14: Is Anybody Out There? SETI and Planets of Other Suns 257
Chapter 15: Delving into Dark Matter and Antimatter 277
Chapter 16: The Big Bang and the Evolution of the Universe 289
Part V: The Part of Tens 301
Chapter 17: Ten Strange Facts about Astronomy and Space 303
Chapter 18: Ten Common Errors about Astronomy and Space 307
Part VI: Appendixes 311
Appendix A: Star Maps 313
Appendix B: Glossary 321
Index 325
