FireFly

Introduction

Searching the Heavens

Ever since humans first gathered in groups, people have searched the heavens. Our ancestors looked to the skies for messages from the gods to guide them, celestial signs telling when to reap and sow. And even today, thousands of years later, we retain a fascination with the sky, though for different reasons.

• Astronomy through the ages
• Sky gods
• Archaeostronomy
• Scientific beginnings
• The development of astronomy tools
• Observatories
• Major space centers
• Space observatories
• Hubble Space Telescope
• Radio astronomy
• Infrared astronomy
• UV astronomy
• X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy
• The space race
• Mission milestones
• Space disasters
• Spacecraft
• Space stations
• A history of unmanned probes
• Solar and lunar probes
• Asteroid and comet probes
• Terrestrial planet probes
• Gas planet probes

The Solar System

The Solar System is our home in space, a prime piece of celestial real estate some 4600 million years old. This is the planetary system that contains the Sun, the nine known planets -- Earth among them -- and countless small but equally interesting chunks of debris called comets and asteroids.

• Formation of the Solar System
• The modern Solar System
• Future of the Solar System
• The planets
• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto
• The Sun
• The Moon
• Solar eclipses
• Lunar eclipses
• Meteors and meteorites
• Asteroids
• Comets
• Beyond Pluto

Stars, Galaxies and Celestial Light

Beyond the Solar System, things take on an extremely new scale. Stars are strewn across the Milky Way Galaxy like grains of sand many miles apart. They share their home with a whole host of celestial lights called nebulae. And then, beyond our own galaxy, there are hundreds of billions of others.

• Celestial clouds
• What is a star?
• Lifecycle of a star
• Binaries, multiples and variables
• Star clusters
• Star death: planetary nebulae
• Star death: supernovae
• Star death: black wholes
• Galaxy classification
• Spiral galaxies
• Elliptical galaxies
• Lenticular galaxies
• Irregular galaxies
• Active and radio galaxies
• Quasars
• Galaxy clusters
• Galaxy birth
• Galaxy evolution

The Night Sky

The night sky is more than just the Moon and a few dozen constellations of stars. Planets, nebulae, clusters of stars and even a few galaxies are all visible with the unaided eye. And with modest equipment such as a pair of binoculars or a small telescope, the celestial dome takes on a whole new dimension.

• Understanding the night sky
• Mapping the heavens
• The spinning Earth
• Constellations and the zodiac
• Beginning astronomy
• Choosing and using binoculars
• Choosing and using telescopes
• Reading the star maps
• Whole sky overview
• Monthly stars of the northern skies
• Monthly stars of the southern skies

The Universe

Our understanding of the Universe today is very different from what it was just 10 years ago. The very fabric of space and time is now seen as inextricably interwoven with a mysterious "dark energy" about which we know next to nothing. And this is just one example of the many unknowns that astronomers struggle with daily.

• Formation of the Universe
• Evidence for the Big Bang
• Our place in the Universe
• Life in the Universe
• Gamma ray bursters
• Wormholes
• Dark matter
• Dark energy
• Future of the Universe

Factfile
Glossary
Index

Introduction

Astronomy has fascinated us as far back in our history as we care to explore. At first, the interest stemmed from religious beliefs. The stars, and planets were considered deities -- indeed, this is true even today. Later, as we learned to domesticate animals and grow crops, the sky served as a celestial agricultural calendar, its constant motions reminding us when to sow and reap.

Today, our interest in astronomy is no less profound, and some might argue it is even more deep-rooted, perhaps because we know so much more about it. Or perhaps it's the human desire to explore, and to understand that which we currently do not. Whatever the reason, astronomy is a subject of research at universities across the globe. The more time our scientists spend peering into the depths of space, the greater the wonders -- and mysteries -- they uncover. Exploding stars called supernovae shine, just briefly, with the power of hundreds of billions of our Sun. They produce superdense neutron stars, shiny balls of matter the size of a city, and yet containing the mass of an entire planetary system, spinning hundreds of times every second. Enigmatic black holes twist time and space and suck in light. At the edge of the known Universe, quasars spew jets of charged particles millions of light-years into space. And then there is the material we cannot see but which we know must exist -- dark matter and the newly discovered, bizarre and poorly understood dark energy.

Join us on a cosmic journey in which we will meet all of these marvels and many more, in stunning words and pictures.

 

What makes Astronomy: A Visual Guide stand out is the interesting arrangement of content, mixture of graphics and photography, and the depth of coverage... highly recommended for academic and public library collections.
- Margaret Dominy  American Reference Books Annual, Volume 36  2005

Panoramic introductions... custom designed to inspire stargazing.
- Gilbert Taylor  Booklist  2004 10 15

Experts and amateurs alike will love this book for its stunning photography and clear description of celestial phenomena... The author's passion for astronomy is apparent... highly recommended.
- Valerie Ott  VOYA  2005 02

This title is recommended for all libraries; its excellent visuals coupled with straightforward, broad subject coverage make it appropriate for many purposes and nearly any audience from browsers to researchers.
- Courtney Greene  E-Streams  2005 02

What really sets this book apart is its stunning visual impact... also notable for its inclusion of multicultural astronomy, illustrating not just western thinking but also the contributions of many cultures to the study of the sky.
- Claudia Fetters  NSTA Recommends (National Science Teachers Assoc)  2005 03 09

The book is bursting with information but is so well-designed and written that the text never seems too heavy.
- John Lyons  Charleston Post and Courier  2004 12 12

A wonderfully useful, well-written, complete and attractive introductory text... an excellent, highly impressive book.
- Gary W. Finiol  Science Books and Films  2004 11

Novice astronomers seeking an all-in-one reference to the heavens will find it here.
-   Science News  2004 07 31

Introductory and comprehensive... an easy-to-use illustrated reference for amateur astronomers of all levels.
-   Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin  2004 12

Superb collection of images... Each of these is a work of art, and they can evoke in the viewer and almost intuitive understanding of the processes they depict.
- Geoff Chester  Air and Space Smithsonian  2004 11 01

A stargazer's wonderland, offering a trove of hard data and interesting speculation... eminently readable... best of all are the stunning photographs.
-   Bookpage  2004 12

Fun... of practical use to amateur stargazers... exactly the kind of book that might inspire a youngster to take an interest in the heavens, possibly starting a hobby that can last a lifetime.
- Dan Falk  Globe and Mail  2004 12 04

An attractive large-scale book... a volume with high visual impact and clear, although brief, explanations. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers.
- M.-K.Hemenway  Choice  2005 02

Detailed information and detail in the photographs and illustrations are the strengths of this book... Recommended.
- Mark Westhoff  Library Media Connection  2005 04

Will appeal to anyone who's ever marveled at the mysteries of a night sky.
-   Hemispheres  2004 10

One of the most beautiful introductory books on astronomy in a very long time... an excellent gift for anybody keen on astronomy.
-   Astronomy  2004 11

Overall the photos and the reproduction quality are excellent.
- Paul Deans  Sky and Telescope  2004 12