Our knowledge of the universe has increased tremendously over the last century, and our discoveries are not over - there remain scientific mysteries that the next generation of astronomers and planetary scientists will need to solve. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers the Sun, and provides readers with the most up-to-date understanding of the current state of scientific knowledge. Scientifically sound, but written with the student in mind, The Sun is an excellent first step for researching the exciting scientific discoveries of the star at the center of our solar system. The Sun discusses all areas of research surrounding the subject, including: Sunspots and the solar surface; the many faces of the solar atmosphere; the solar wind and solar storms; and the long-term climate effects on the earth's atmosphere. The volume includes a glossary and a bibliography of useful resources for learning more about the subject.

“Observing the Sun” is for amateur astronomers at all three levels: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. The beginning observer is often trying to find a niche or define a specific interest in his hobby, and the content of this book will spark that interest in solar observing because of the focus on the dynamics of the Sun. Intermediate and advanced observers will find the book invaluable in identifying features (through photos, charts, diagrams) in a logical, orderly fashion and then guiding the observer to interpret the observations. Because the Sun is a dynamic celestial body in constant flux, astronomers rarely know for certain what awaits them at the eyepiece. All features of the Sun are transient and sometimes rather fleeting. Given the number of features and the complex life cycles of some, it can be a challenging hobby. “Observing the Sun” provides essential illustrations, charts, and diagrams that depict the forms and life cycles of the numerous features visible on the Sun.

Our knowledge of the universe has increased tremendously over the last century, and our discoveries are not over - there remain scientific mysteries that the next generation of astronomers and planetary scientists will need to solve. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series covers the Sun, and provides readers with the most up-to-date understanding of the current state of scientific knowledge. Scientifically sound, but written with the student in mind, The Sun is an excellent first step for researching the exciting scientific discoveries of the star at the center of our solar system. The Sun discusses all areas of research surrounding the subject, including: Sunspots and the solar surface; the many faces of the solar atmosphere; the solar wind and solar storms; and the long-term climate effects on the earth's atmosphere. The volume includes a glossary and a bibliography of useful resources for learning more about the subject.

If scientists can’t touch the Sun, how do they know what it’s made of? And if we can’t see black holes, how can we be confident they exist? Gravitational physicist David Garfinkle and his brother, science fiction writer Richard Garfinkle, tackle these questions and more in Three Steps to the Universe, a tour through some of the most complex phenomena in the cosmos and an accessible exploration of how scientists acquire knowledge about the universe through observation, indirect detection, and theory. The authors begin by inviting readers to step away from the Earth and reconsider our Sun. What we can directly observe of this star is limited to its surface, but with the advent of telescopes and spectroscopy, scientists know more than ever about its physical characteristics, origins, and projected lifetime. From the Sun, the authors journey further out into space to explore black holes. The Garfinkle brothers explain that our understanding of these astronomical oddities began in theory, and growing mathematical and physical evidence has unexpectedly supported it. From black holes, the authors lead us further into the unknown, to the dark matter and energy that pervade our universe, where science teeters on the edge of theory and discovery. Returning from the depths of space, the final section of the book brings the reader back down to Earth for a final look at the practice of science, ending with a practical guide to discerning real science from pseudoscience among the cacophony of print and online scientific sources. Three Steps to the Universe will reward anyone interested in learning more about the universe around us and shows how scientists uncover its mysteries.

"Easy-to-read guide to the universe. Includes information on the planets, and other astrological entities"--

This colorful book provides concise explanations and descriptions-easily read and readily understood-of what is now known of the chain of events and processes that connect the Sun to the Earth, with special emphasis on space weather and sun-climate. NP-2009-066-GSFC. In a world of warmth and light and living things, we soon forget that we are surrounded by a vast universe that is cold and dark and deadly dangerous, just beyond our door. On a starry night, when we look out into the darkness that lies around us, the view can be misleading in yet another way: for the brightness and sheer number of stars, and their chance groupings into familiar constellations, make them seem much nearer to each other, and to us, that in truth they are. And every one of them--each twinkling, like a diamond in the sky--is a white-hot sun, much like our own. The nearest stars in our own galaxy--the Milky Way-- are more than a million times further away from us than our star, the Sun. We could make a telephone call to the Moon and expect to wait but a few seconds between pieces of a conversation, or but a few hours in calling any planet in our solar system.

There's a whole universe out there... Imagine you had a spacecraft capable of travelling through interstellar space. You climb in, blast into orbit, fly out of the solar system and keep going. Where do you end up, and what do you see along the way? The answer is: mostly nothing. Space is astonishingly, mind-blowingly empty. As you travel through the void between galaxies your spaceship encounters nothing more exciting than the odd hydrogen molecule. But when it does come across something more exotic: wow! First and most obviously, stars and planets. Some are familiar from our own backyard: yellow suns, rocky planets like Mars, gas and ice giants like Jupiter and Neptune. But there are many more: giant stars, red and white dwarfs, super-earths and hot Jupiters. Elsewhere are swirling clouds of dust giving birth to stars, and infinitely dense regions of space-time called black holes. These clump together in the star clusters we call galaxies, and the clusters of galaxies we call... galaxy clusters. And that is just the start. As we travel further we encounter ever more weird, wonderful and dangerous entities: supernovas, supermassive black holes, quasars, pulsars, neutron stars, black dwarfs, quark stars, gamma ray bursts and cosmic strings. A Journey Through The Universe is a grand tour of the most amazing celestial objects and how they fit together to build the cosmos. As for the end of the journey - nobody knows. But getting there will be fun.