Our Explosive Sun: A Visual Feast of Our Source of Light and Life / Edition 1

by Pal Brekke

Overview

The Sun, which is our own star at the center of the Solar System, gives rise to all life on Earth and is the driver of photosynthesis in plants and the source of all food and energy for living things. As seen with the naked eye, the Sun appears as a static and quiet yellow disk in the sky. However, it is a stormy and ever-changing star that contributes much more than light and heat. For example, it is the source of the beautiful northern lights and can affect our technology-based society in many ways. Our Explosive Sun: A Visual Feast of our Source of Light and Life is a great introduction to the Sun for general readers as well as scientists who are not solar physicists. The book presents the basic properties of the Sun, describes how it has fascinated humans throughout history, and shows how it influences our current technologies. The book includes a large number of illustrations and video materials for SpringerExtras, along with a PowerPoint presentation that provides a useful resource for teachers and lectures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461405702
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	12/22/2011
Edition description:	2012
Pages:	158
Product dimensions:	0.00(w) x 0.00(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Pal Brekke is a Norwegian solar physicist with a doctorate from the University of Oslo in astrophysics and is now a senior advisor for the Norwegian Space Centre . He has worked with state-of-art space-based solar telescopes since 1985 and has published over 40 peer review articles, 70 proceeding papers, and more than 30 popular science articles. Pal wrote much of this material while working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for 6 years, as the Deputy Project Scientist for the SOHO mission. He also has written articles for CNN, USA Today, BBC, and DerSpiegel). Brekke has been the PR "ambassador" for SOHO, traveling around the world to give lectures about the Sun. He is the recipient of the Fulbright Fellowship, ESA's Exceptional Achievement Award, and the Laurels for Team Achievements from the International Academy for Astronautics.

Table of Contents

Preface.- Chapter 1: A Star Among Billions.- Chapter 2: The Sun's Location in the Solar System.- Chapter 3: The Structure of the Sun.- Chapter 4: How Do We Study the Sun?.-Chapter 5: The Sun - A Variable Star.- Chapter 6: The Northern Lights and Space Weather/- Chapter 7: The Sun and Life on Earth.- Chapter 8: How Humans Depend on the Sun.- Chapter 9: How You Can Study the Sun and the Aurora.- Chapter 10: Modern Research on the Sun, the Northern Lights, and Space Weather.- Useful Resources.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

“Our Explosive Sun is a book for beginners, be they amateur astronomers, aurora watchers, high school students, or interested non-experts of any description. There’s plenty of elementary information about our mother star and the Solar System, and about how to observe the Sun safely or photograph the Northern Lights. Making the book distinctive are a mass of extraordinarily vivid and up to date illustrations, plus the occasional insights you get only from a true expert.” (Calder’s Updates, January, 2012)

“Brekke provides a detailed introduction to the dynamics of the Sun and how it affects Earth, both scientifically and culturally. … In addition, the book is lavishly illustrated with photos and paintings of the Sun. … Bernhard Fleck … said, ‘I find it to be the most beautiful and informative popular science book dedicated to our star: spectacular imagery, interspersed with clear and very informative graphics and illustrations, all presented in a very clean, fresh and modern design. Stunning! 5 out of 5 stars!” (Hobbyspace, February, 2012)

“Book provides a detailed introduction to the dynamics of the Sun and how it affects Earth, both physically and culturally, and … layouts and visuals in the book are truly stunning. The book includes a number of images never published before. With beautiful illustrations accompanied by insightful explanations Brekke gives here a fascinating account of how the stormy Sun affects our technology-based society. … the book can certainly be recommend to general readers as well.” (Oddbjørn Engvold, Advances in Space Research, April, 2012)

“A great introduction to solar astronomy and the effects of the Sun on the Earth, very much aimed at a young readership, especially those who are not heavily into science, for example, those who are studying art subjects at high-school level.” (Kenneth J. H. Phillips, The Observatory, Vol. 132 (1230), October,2012)

“If you want to learn about the Sun, I recommend Our Explosive Sun. … The book considers many aspects of our interactions with the Sun … and presents them in clear and concise language. … It’s beautifully illustrated with photographs taken from the ground and from space, many helpful diagrams, and original artwork by Trond Abrahamsen. … Our Explosive Sun is an enjoyable and worthwhile read and the pictures are a treat. It’s a great introduction to the topic for interested readers of all ages.” (Mona Evans, BellaOnline, February, 2013)

From the Publisher