Showing titles in Astronomy

Entropy is one of the most profound and misunderstood concepts in modern science — at once a physical quantity, a measure of uncertainty, and a metaphor for the passage of time itself. Entropy: The Order of Disorder explores this concept in its full philosophical and scientific depth, tracing its evolution from the thermodynamics of Clausius and Boltzmann to the cosmology of the expanding universe, the information theory of Shannon, and the paradoxes of quantum mechanics.

Once dismissed as a mathematical curiosity, black holes are so strange they almost defy belief. Since their existence was confirmed, research into the nature of black holes has opened up new vistas in physics. In this audiobook, we examine some of the most fascinating discoveries about black hole formation and behavior, the new and evolving research in gravitational wave astronomy, theoretical possibilities such as wormholes, and much more.

Best New Books on Space 2024 – Forbes ‘Rarely is a non-fiction book about science this engaging’ – Forbes Why darkness is so important – to plants, to animals, and to ourselves – and why we must protect it all costs. Darkness is the first thing we know in our human existence. Safe...

America’s favorite astrophysicist has written the most entertaining and universally appealing book of his stellar career: a practical guide for dealing with Alien visitors, an exploration of how it might happen, and a cultural history of our fascination with extraterrestrials. “Ever since...

Historian William Sheehan and astronomer and planetary scientist Jim Bell combine their talents to tell a unique story of what we've learned by studying Mars through evolving technologies. What the eye sees as a mysterious red dot wandering through the sky becomes a blurry mirage of apparent seas, continents, and canals as viewed through Earth-based telescopes. 

The NASA Apollo 13 recordings are a unique and valuable resource for understanding the Apollo 13 mission and the challenges faced by the crew. The recordings include everything from the astronauts' conversations with Mission Control to their descriptions of the explosion that damaged the spacecraft and their efforts to survive and return to Earth.The Apollo 13 recordings were recently digitized and restored, and they are now available online for the first time. This is a significant event, as it allows us to hear the events of the mission unfold firsthand from the perspective of the ...

This “accessible and always entertaining” (Booklist) combination of history, pop science, and in-depth reporting offers a fascinating account of the asteroids that hit Earth long ago and those streaming toward us now, as well as how prepared we are against asteroid-caused catastrophe. One of...

Every generation has looked up from the Earth and wondered at the beauty of the moon. 50 years ago, a few Americans became the first to do the reverse - with the whole world watching through their eyes. In this short but wide-ranging book, Oliver Morton explores the history and future of humankind's relationship with the moon. A counterpoint in the sky, it has shaped our understanding of the Earth from Galileo to Apollo. Its gentle light has spoken of love and loneliness; its battered surface of death and the cosmic.

This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid-19th century. Historical records are first found in Babylon and Egypt, and after two millennia the arithmetical astronomy of the Babylonians merged with the Greek geometrical approach to culminate in the Almagest of Ptolemy. This legacy was transmitted to the Latin West via Islam and led to Copernicus's claim that the Earth is in motion.

Jacobson provides a comprehensive overview of the space industry, allowing everyone to understand the role space plays in our lives and how it will continue to transform the world. Over 100 industry experts and leaders share insights, presenting a 360-degree view of the wide-ranging space industry, its emerging opportunities, investment potential, and benefits.

Although space is a virtual vacuum, this does not mean there is no sound. Sound exists as electromagnetic vibrations. The specially designed instruments aboard the space probes were designed to pick up and record electromagnetic vibrations. This information, when sent back to Earth and decoded, can be heard as intriguing and beautiful sounds from space. The real music of the spheres.

Mark Watney wasn't the mission commander of Ares 3, a month-long expedition to Mars. He was just the science geek, botany guru, and mechanical engineer: the lowest guy on the totem pole and the only one who didn't make it back to the ascent vehicle when the storm hit. Left for dead on the surface of a barren planet, Watney must plumb the depths of his considerable ingenuity and resourcefulness to find a way to survive - and to let the people on Earth know he's still alive.

Just trying to define a man who had the qualities of a mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, inventor, and astrologer can prove difficult. But all of that can be ascribed to Johannes Kepler, one of the giants of his era who ushered in the Scientific Revolution and is often considered the first modern scientist.

For millennia, the moon has been associated with many central concerns of human existence: love, passion, fertility, mystery, death and rebirth, and the divine feminine. For Wiccans and other Pagan practitioners, the moon is a vital presence with much to teach us. Wicca Moon Magic by best-selling author Lisa Chamberlain is for anyone wanting to learn more about the connections between the moon and the practice of magic.

A sweeping account of the century of experimentation that confirmed Einstein's general theory of relativity, bringing to life the science and scientists at the origins of relativity, the development of radio telescopes, the discovery of black holes and quasars, and the still unresolved place of gravity in quantum theory.

How big is our galaxy? Is there life on those distant planets? Are we really made of star dust? And where do stars even come from? In An Earthling's Guide to Outer Space, we finally have the answers to all those questions and more. With clarity, wisdom, and a great deal of enthusiasm, McDonald explores the curiosities of the big blue planet we call home as well as our galactic neighbors - from Martian caves to storm clouds on Jupiter to the nebulae at the far end of the universe.

Award-winning science writer and documentarian Rod Pyle presents an insider's perspective on the most unusual and bizarre space missions ever devised inside and outside of NASA. The incredible projects described here were not merely flights of fancy....

With such a vast universe, there is so much we have learned and much more that we will one day discover. In this book, you will discover new fun facts about space, astronauts, and NASA. You will have the opportunity to test your knowledge with multiple-choice questions.

Galileo Unbound traces the journey that brought us from Galileo's law of free fall to today's geneticists measuring evolutionary drift, entangled quantum particles moving among many worlds, and our lives as trajectories traversing a health space with thousands of dimensions. Remarkably, common themes persist that predict the evolution of species as readily as the orbits of planets or the collapse of stars into black holes.

A masterful, genre-defying narrative of the most ambitious science project ever conceived: NASA’s deep-space mission to Europa—the Jovian moon where might swim the first known alien life in our solar system—powered by a motley team of obsessives and eccentrics. When scientists discovered...