Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide

by William H. Waller

Overview

A former NASA scientist makes the cosmic common knowledge

To study astronomy is to consider the most wondrous phenomena on the grandest of scales – the universe and all it contains.

Beginning with our earliest explorations of the night sky, William Waller takes us on an enthralling journey through the Milky Way and far, far beyond. He combines science and history to show how our understanding of everything from black holes to the structure of the universe has evolved over time, illuminating past discoveries and offering contemporary insights into the cosmic histories of stars, planets and galaxies. Whether object of study or curiosity, the universe – and all it contains – is tantalisingly introduced here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780861544011
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	08/25/2022
Series:	Beginner's Guides
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

William H. Waller worked as an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and an astronomy professor at Tufts University before becoming a high school science teacher. He is the co-author, with Paul Hodge, of Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier, and author of The Milky Way: An Insider’s Guide. He lives in Rockport, Massachusetts.
William H. Waller worked as a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and a research professor at Tufts University before becoming a high-school science teacher. He is the co-author, with Paul Hodge, of Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier and author of The Milky Way: An Insider’s Guide. He lives in Rockport, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Preface 1

Introduction 4

I Our place in space

1 First impressions 9

2 The day and night sky 15

3 Cosmic perspectives 40

II Constituents of the cosmos

4 Introducing our Solar System 79

5 The Sun: our star 95

6 Stars and planets beyond the Sun's domain 105

7 The Milky Way Galaxy 126

8 Menageries of galaxies and their cosmic expansion 150

III Our moment in time

9 The hot big bang 171

10 The emergence of galaxies 186

11 The birth of stars and planets 194

12 Cycles of life and death among the stars 203

13 Conundrums of matter and energy 211

14 Our cosmic inheritance 233

Recommended reading and resources 240

Index 243

Editorial Reviews

‘A fun, engaging and entertaining introduction to the wonderful phenomena in space. Covering broad topics spanning the birth, life and death of the universe, this book is a fantastic way to quench your astronomical thirst.’

Dr Sheila Kanani MBE

‘The most informative and approachable introduction to astronomy of recent years. Bill Waller is a congenial guide on this grand tour to the farthest reaches of the universe.’

Alan Hirshfeld

‘Waller communicates the true wonder of nature, but he is also quite thorough and deep in his coverage of the latest science.’

Mark Whittle