Star Gazing in The Books Store

The Night Sky Companion takes a look at astronomy every day over the course of the year – offering an overview of general history, soft science, astronomical trivia, and observing guides and motivation. Designed to appeal to readers at all skill levels and involvement, it provides a digest for sky watchers interested in all-in-one-place information that includes history, current events, and of course interesting objects to be observed on any given day. The Moon is followed through its phases with observing instructions, annotated pictorial maps, concise photos, and the science and history of what makes lunar observing a fascinating challenge.

Unaided eye observers are offered an opportunity to view many objects or events; learn about their history, science and how just "looking up" can be rewarding.

Binocular and small telescope users will find a wealth of things to view using simple star hop instructions and finder charts. This book is more than just an observing guide, it's a way of learning your way round the night sky.

Large-aperture telescope users looking for a challenge are not ignored either. Some of the finest deep-sky objects are detailed, with finder maps and photographs, most of them taken by talented amateurs.

Be it a meteor shower, double stars, variable stars, solar viewing, lunar features, a variety of catalog studies, history or the physics and science behind the stars - you'll find it here, written in an easy-going style ideal for ‘dipping in’ on the relevant day, or even reading from cover to cover.

This book provides a survey of science's growing understanding of space and includes details of the latest space probes. The most recent photographs from the world's finest observatories and space-based cameras capture the wonder and beauty of the universe.

Astronomy covers a wide variety of heavenly phenomenon: - Distant stars - Planets of the Solar System - Comets and shooting stars - Eclipses - Black holes.

Vivid cross-sections of the planets with a concise description and a chart of their relative distance from the sun provide at-a-glance information. A series of monthly sky charts point out constellations, star clusters, galaxies, nebula and more.

The sky maps use easy-to-read symbols to identify open and globular star clusters, galaxies and planetary nebula. The constellations are labeled and diagramed. Spectacular images of space phenomenon are further explained with colorful digital graphics.

Nebula, clusters, galaxies, etc. are profiled with color images and short descriptions. A pictograph tells whether binoculars or a telescope is required.

This measurement of dark energy--a quality of space itself that causes cosmic acceleration--points to a gaping hole in our understanding of fundamental physics. In 1917, Einstein proposed the "cosmological constant" to explain a static universe. When observations proved that the universe was expanding, he cast this early form of dark energy aside. But recent observations described first-hand in this book show that the cosmological constant--or something just like it--dominates the universe's mass and energy budget and determines its fate and shape.

Warned by Einstein's blunder, and contradicted by the initial results of a competing research team, Kirshner and his colleagues were reluctant to accept their own result. But, convinced by evidence built on their hard-earned understanding of exploding stars, they announced their conclusion that the universe is accelerating in February 1998. Other lines of inquiry and parallel supernova research now support a new synthesis of a cosmos dominated by dark energy but also containing several forms of dark matter. We live in an extravagant universe with a surprising number of essential ingredients: the real universe we measure is not the simplest one we could imagine.

Night Sky Atlas combines clear, accurate star maps with reliable and informative text. This is a highly practical atlas for beginning sky gazers using binoculars or a small telescope.

Sturdy binding makes it suitable for outdoor use. Cover flaps can be used as page-markers. The sewn binding allows the atlas to be opened flat. The star maps are drawn with black stars on a white background, allowing observers to pencil in their own observations. The high quality paper can withstand repeated use of an eraser.

The book begins by presenting the whole sky in a series of six maps, showing stars down to magnitude 5.5 -- all visible with binoculars or a small telescope. Opposite each map is a photo-realistic image that shows how the same portion of sky looks to the naked eye, allowing less-experienced observers to quickly find specific objects of interest.

The maps can be used for planning observations, navigating from one part of the sky to another and for a quick reference guide.

Other features include: - Forty large scale constellation charts - A full set of seasonal charts - Maps of the Moon and the planets - Deep sky maps identifying double stars, nebula and more.

A comprehensive index provides the location of information for all the night sky objects and features covered in the atlas.