The Ever-Changing Sky
The Ever-Changing Sky
$82.99
USDThe Ever-Changing Sky is a comprehensive and uniquely non-mathematical guide to spherical astronomy. In a clear and lucid text, it guides through terrestrial and celestial co-ordinate systems, time measurement and celestial navigation, on to the stars and constellations (with useful star maps provided), the motions and appearance of the Moon and planets, tides and eclipses, and the smaller bodies of the Solar System (asteroids, meteors, meteorites and comets). There is also a brief overview of atmospheric phenomena. This text is invaluable to students of naked-eye astronomy, amateur and professional astronomers, and more general readers wanting to know how the night sky changes.
- Comprehensive and uniquely non-mathematical guide
- Detailed discussions of the stars and constellations, with handy star charts
- Appendix with a useful, compact introduction to spherical trigonometry; and graphs that allow the reader to calculate the times of sunrise and sunset anywhere on the Earth
- Well known and successful author
Reviews & endorsements
"[A]n excellent discussion of the variations in solar time. This is essential material for understanding sundials." Joe Heafner, Sky & Telescope
"It develops into a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the sky that could be useful to astronomers, whether they are professionals, amateurs, or students, and to general readers who simply wish to learn about the night sky...a thoroughly enjoyable read." Astronomy
Product details
June 2002Paperback
9780521499187
516 pages
247 × 176 × 28 mm
1.149kg
310 b/w illus. 57 tables
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. The Earth and the celestial sphere
- 2. The moving Earth and the travelling observer
- 3. The orbital motion of the Earth
- 4. Stars and constellations
- 5. Precession, nutation, and aberration
- 6. Time
- 7. Sunrise and sunset
- 8. Positions in the sky and on Earth
- 9. The Moon
- 10. Tides, eclipses, and calendars
- 11. The planets
- 12. The small bodies of the solar system
- 13. Light and atmosphere
- Appendices: I. Graphs and tables
- II. Star maps
- III. Trigonometric relationships
- IV. Bibliography
- Index.
