Showing titles in Astronomy

On August 21, 2017, more than 10 million Americans will experience an awe-inspiring phenomenon: the first total eclipse of the sun in America in almost 40 years. In Sun Moon Earth, astronomer Tyler Nordgren illustrates how this most seemingly unnatural of natural phenomena was transformed from a fearsome omen to a tourist attraction. From the astrologers of ancient China and Babylon to the high priests of the Maya, Sun Moon Earth takes us around the world to show how different cultures interpreted these dramatic events.

Award-winning journalist Stephen Petranek says humans will live on Mars by 2027. Now he makes the case that living on Mars is not just plausible, but inevitable. It sounds like science fiction, but Stephen Petranek considers it fact: Within twenty years, humans will live on Mars. We’ll need to...

One of the most elusive and controversial figures in NASA's history, George W. S. Abbey was called "the Dark Lord", "the Godfather", and "UNO" (unidentified NASA official) by those within NASA. Yet Abbey had more influence on human spaceflight than almost anyone in history. From young pilot and wannabe astronaut to engineer, bureaucrat, and finally director of the Johnson Space Center, Abbey's story has never been fully told - until now. The Astronaut Maker takes listeners inside NASA to learn the real story of how Abbey rose to power and wielded it out of the spotlight.

Spectroscopy, the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, may sound complex and esoteric, but at its heart lies a simple and profound idea: the colors of light can reveal the secrets of the universe. From the examination of distant stars to the analysis of molecules in a laboratory, spectroscopy is the key that unlocks the hidden stories encoded in light.

Now in its fourth edition, this low-cost astronomy audio-textbook is designed for a one-semester introductory astronomy course aimed at non-science majors and future teachers. This new edition brings the latest astronomical discoveries together with cutting-edge teaching and learning strategies designed specifically to improve student learning and retention.

Over 50 years ago, astronomers launched the world's first orbiting telescope. This allowed them to gaze further into outer space and examine anything that appears in the sky above our heads, from comets and planets to galaxy clusters and stars. Since then, almost 100 space telescopes have been launched from Earth and are orbiting our planet, with 26 still active and relaying information back to us. In Eyes in the Sky, science writer Andrew May takes us on a journey into space. 

This third edition surveys the applicability of Egyptian cosmological concepts to our modern understanding of the nature of the universe, creation, science, and philosophy. Egyptian cosmology is humanistic, coherent, comprehensive, consistent, logical, analytical, and rational.

The ID The Future (IDTF) podcast carries on Discovery Institute's mission of exploring the issues central to evolution and intelligent design. IDTF is a short podcast providing you with the most current news and views on evolution and ID. IDTF delivers brief interviews with key scientists and scholars developing the theory of ID, as well as insightful commentary from Discovery Institute senior fellows and staff on the scientific, educational and legal aspects of the debate. Episode notes and archives available at idthefuture.com.

Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934-December 20, 1996), born in Brooklyn, NY, was an American astronomer and astrophysicist. His best-known scientific contribution was his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by exposure to light. The following is a lecture Sagan gave in 1977 during which he discussed the place, scale and geometry of earth–the third planet from the Sun, formed 4.5 billion years ago–in our solar system.

There is a lot of interest these days in space exploration. After 50 years, we are looking at going back to the Moon to build a base and planning early for a manned trip to Mars. After that, further exploration and settlement of the Solar System will be on the table. One of the main limiting factors for all of this space exploration are the types of rockets and rocket engines available to get there.

Mars, the red planet, is ingrained in our culture, from David Bowie's extra-terrestrial spiders to Captain Scarlet to War of the Worlds. It has inspired hundreds of authors, scientists and science-fiction writers - but why? What is it about this particular planet that makes it so intriguing? Ancient mythologies defined Mars as a violent harbinger of war, star-gazers puzzled over its peculiar motion, and astrologers defined human personalities by its position and bizarre dance through the sky.

An extraterrestrial colony, in some form, may already exist, just awaiting discovery. But the greatest impediment to such an important scientific discovery may not be technological, but political. No scientific endeavor can be launched without a budget, and matters of money are within the arena of politicians. Dr. Ben Bova explores some of the key players and the arguments waged in a debate of both scientific and cultural priorities.

"Siamo soli nell'universo?" è una domanda che lascia un senso di vertigine a chiunque. Amedeo Balbi, nato all'alba degli anni '70, se la pone fin da quando era bambino. All'epoca erano tanti gli stimoli che potevano suscitare questo genere di curiosità in una mente giovane ed entusiasta: il ricordo recente della corsa allo spazio culminata con lo sbarco sulla Luna nel 1969, ma anche la serie Spazio 1999 del '76, Guerre stellari del '77, Goldrake del '78... Oggi, a distanza di quarant'anni, Balbi è un astrofisico.

Veteran science journalist Leonard David explores the moon in all its facets, from ancient myth to future "Moon Village" plans. David offers inside information about how the United States, allies, and competitors, as well as key private corporations like Moon Express and Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin, plan to reach, inhabit, and even harvest the moon in the decades to come. Spurred on by the Google Lunar XPRIZE - $30 million for the first to get to the moon and send images home - the 21st-century space race back to the moon has become more urgent, and more timely, than ever.

Host Celeste Skye unravels aviation's essential speed unit born from 17th-century sailors counting rope knots against sand timers. Discover why pilots worldwide still use this maritime measure, how it aligns with Earth's geometry, and what 450 knots means at cruising altitude. For more content like this, visit QuietPlease.aiThis show includes AI-generated content.

As a child, Aomawa Shields was always bumping into things, her neck craned up at the sky, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. Now an astronomer and astrobiologist at the top of her field, Dr Shields studies the universe outside our solar system, researching and uncovering the planets circling distant stars with just the right conditions that could support life. But it's been a road as winding and complex as the physics she has mastered. Life on Other Planets is a journey of discovery on this world and on others.

A New Scientist Best Popular Science Book of 2023 How seeing Earth through the eyes of an astronaut brings new wonder and meaning to life on our planet. One stifling summer night, the poet and journalist Marjolijn van Heemstra lay awake, unable to sleep—like so many of us feeling anxious and...

Weißt du, wie viel Sternlein stehen? Mehr als man sich vorstellen kann - und alle erzählen sie eine Geschichte über das Universum. Dank Gamma Draconis wissen wir, dass die Erde sich um ihre Achse dreht, und 61 Cygni hat uns verraten, wie große der Kosmos ist. Die Sterne nehmen uns mit auf die Suche nach außerirdischem Leben, erklären, wie schwarze Löcher funktionieren und warum die Dinosaurier ausgestorben sind. Und sie zeigen, wie wir durch den Weltraum reisen und andere Planeten besiedeln könnten.

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.

Rédigés par Becky Smethurst, astrophysicienne à l'université d'Oxford, les dix petits textes qui composent ce livre vous guideront à travers les galaxies et les trous noirs, et vous raconteront pourquoi la matière noire est l'une des énigmes les plus fascinantes du cosmos. Vous apprendrez...