Amazon.com
Richard Feynman, the rock star of theoretical physics, has left an image that belies his nerdy side. Not many bongo-playing surfer beatniks would have spent hours of their spare time proving Newton's law of elliptical planetary motion using only plane geometry. But Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun shows that the great man did just that. Originally delivered to an introductory physics class at Caltech in 1963, this 76-minute CD and book set contains everything the math-savvy listener needs to savor the pleasures of applied math. Caltech physicist David L. Goodstein and archivist Judith R. Goodstein found the notes and tape amid another professor's papers and set to work making sense of them; unfortunately, photographs of the blackboard drawings didn't survive. The book briefly covers their find and recovery work, then presents the proof as reconstructed--crucial reading if one is to follow the lecture. There's nothing easy about it, as Feynman acknowledges in the lecture:
I am going to give what I will call an elementary demonstration. "Elementary" means that very little is required to know ahead of time in order to understand it, except to have an infinite amount of intelligence.
He means, instead, that he is strictly using geometrical methods to reach his destination, which explains why it was so difficult to reconstruct without his diagrams. His charming Brooklyn accent and good humor show through in this lecture, even if the material is quite a bit drier than his fans might expect. Still, those interested in adding a new dimension to their understanding of this brilliant scientist--and those with a deep interest in Newtonian physics--will find The Motion of Planets Around the Sun a rare and unexpected treat. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
Rescued from obscurity, Feynman's Lost Lecture is a blessing for all Feynman followers. Most know Richard Feynman for the hilarious anecdotes and exploits in his best-selling books "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and "What Do You Care What Other People Think?" But not always obvious in those stories was his brilliance as a pure scientist--one of the century's greatest physicists. With this book and CD, we hear the voice of the great Feynman in all his ingenuity, insight, and acumen for argument. This breathtaking lecture--"The Motion of the Planets Around the Sun"--uses nothing more advanced than high-school geometry to explain why the planets orbit the sun elliptically rather than in perfect circles, and conclusively demonstrates the astonishing fact that has mystified and intrigued thinkers since Newton: Nature obeys mathematics.
David and Judith Goodstein give us a beautifully written short memoir of life with Feynman, provide meticulous commentary on the lecture itself, and relate the exciting story of their effort to chase down one of Feynman's most original and scintillating lectures. David and Judith Goodstein live in Pasadena, California.
Customer Reviews:
If you are a Feynman fan.......2007-09-04
This is a lot of fun -- if. If you are pretty good at mathematical games and have a love for all things Feynman. What makes it work is the CD with Feynman giving the lecture. He goes at the speed of light, but he is always amazing, even when you have no idea what he just said! I can't imagine what it was like for the young folks trying to make sense out of what was going on. But, I bet he inspired them for the rest of their careers. He still does that to people today. If you want a sample of the Feynman magic this is a tough place to start. But do find a way to start.
Feynman's proof of the law of ellipses.......2007-02-04
First we see that planets sweep out equal areas in equal times, following Newton's easy proof. Now to prove that planets move in ellipses. Cut the orbit into infinitesimal, equiangular pieces (as seen from the sun). Each little piece of the orbit corresponds to the velocity vector at that point. Draw a velocity diagram by moving all of these velocity vectors so that they have a common origin point. Obviously, as we move around the orbit, the velocity vector will make one revolution around the origin. In fact, it will trace out a circle, as we shall now prove. The orbit is cut into infinitesimal triangles with equal angles at the sun, so clearly these triangles are similar with a scaling factor r, i.e. an area scaling factor r^2. But time is the same as area, so time also varies as r^2. The change in velocity in one of these pieces is force*time=(1/r^2)*(r^2)=independent of r, so the dv steps in the velocity diagram are all of equal size, and because of the equiangular division they all make equal angles with each other (dv parallel to PS), so the velocity vector does indeed trace out a circle, and the equiangular division of the orbit as seen from the sun translates to an equiangular division of this circle as seen from its center. Of course, the center of the circle is not the origin of the velocity vectors; in particular, the velocity vector going through the center of the circle is the longest velocity vector, so it corresponds to the position on the orbit closest to the sun (as is obvious by the law of equal areas). If we turn the orbit diagram so that this position is straight to the right of the sun, then the longest arrow in the velocity diagram points straight up, since the velocity vector drawn in the orbit diagram will of course be parallel to the tangent to the orbit. When we have advanced a given angle beyond this starting point on the orbit (as seen from the sun), the corresponding velocity vector (i.e. the tangent to the orbit at this point) is found by advancing the same angle in the velocity diagram (as seen from the center of the circle) and connecting this boundary point with the origin of the velocity vectors, and conversely. So the velocity diagram contains complete information about the tangents of the orbit, so it contains complete information about the orbit up to scaling. So the problem becomes: for any velocity diagram, to recreate the orbit. To do this we turn the velocity diagram 90 degrees to the right. To recreate the orbit we must now find a curve that is always perpendicular to the velocity vectors. This can be done as follows. For any point p on the circumference of the velocity diagram circle, draw the line connecting it to the origin O of the velocity vectors and the line connecting it to the center C of the circle. Mark the point P where the perpendicular bisector of Op cuts Cp as a point on the orbit. Now we prove that the orbit generated in this way, as p moves around the circle, is an ellipse (we assume O to be inside the circle; if it was on the boundary the orbit would be a parabola, etc.). The perpendicular bisector cuts the triangle OPp into congruent halves (SAS), making OP=Pp, so CP+OP=CP+Pp=radius of the circle=independent of p, so P traces out an ellipse with foci C and O, and the perpendicular bisector is tangent to this ellipse (because all its other points are outside of the ellipse because they have greater sum of distances to the foci), as required. QED.
Lucid explanation of Feynman's proof of the law of ellipses.......2003-09-11
The book first walks you through the works of Copernicus, Galileo, Brahe and Kepler. Then it gives a brief account of Feynman's life and his work. Then, through numerous diagrams, the authors clearly explain Feynman's ingenious proof of the law of ellipses. Finally, the book presents Feynman's lecture "The Motion of Planets Around the Sun".
It is amazing how Feynman, starting on the lines of Newton, and then not being able to follow Newton's reasoning, devised a different but elegant proof of the law of ellipses.
An Entertaining And Captivating Lecture.......2003-04-04
This Review refers to the paperback edition of Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun with audio CD.
The title of Goodstein's book, Feynman's Lost Lecture, may be a bit misleading in terms of the overall content. The book is, in truth, mainly an explanation of the elliptic patterns performed by the planets, among other things, that an unpublished Feynman lecture originally referred to (although the lecture is included in text and on CD, the lecture is only a fraction of the overall book). Goodstein provides a geometrical means of explaining elliptical patterns that even a non-physicist will find easily comprehensible, especially considering the frequency of companion diagrams. The book also includes a rather unique introduction providing a brief biography of Feynman along with the author's personal experiences related to the well-known physicist. An unexpected, but greatly appreciated, addition is Feynman's original notes regarding his lecture contained in the back of the book.
Feynman's Lost Lecture details how to use geometric proofs to find answers to problems such as the speed of a planet when in motion around the sun and how to prove geometrically that an object is an ellipse. The author properly explains and demonstrates these concepts throughout the book via written and visual examples.
Goodstein presents the topics in such a fashion that the reader can easily try for himself\herself the idea portrayed. This is generally due to a generous selection of diagrams and exemplary situations, which properly convey the ideas that Goodstein presents (although it would probably be much more beneficial if more of the diagrams accompanied Feynman's actual lecture). The main text is also of a form easily understood and more than adequately conveys the topic that the author presents. However, the literary style is slightly lacking - in that it often becomes a bit informal in description and detail.
Overall, the literary shortcomings do not interfere with the author's ability to convey the topic and makes for a rather interesting read. Yet another above-par lecture accompanied by a surprisingly above-par explanation, Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun is more than worth it's price and should be a welcome addition to any reader's (both physicists and non-physicists alike) personal library.
authors create a labour of love for Feynman.......2002-07-22
This book is a labour of love by Judith and David Goodstein for their friend Richard Feynman. I really enjoyed the revelations of the human side of the great physicist, especially the 20 page reminiscene by David Goodstein (a fellow physicist at cal tech) and Feynman's sometimes gruff answers to questions after the lecture. A different view of the human side of Feynman than what you read in "Surely, you're joking". I found the technical side of the book even more rewarding (see next paragraph) but be warned: this is pretty intense geometry and logic - I have a hard time imagining anyone without at least a couple years of post secondary math or physics or engineering following all the arguments.
But if you have the background and patience, it's some pretty cool stuff. Like many folks, I learned planetary dynamics using calculus, not geometry, and so this was my first exposure to the elegant relationship between velocity diagrams and orbits. While Feynman's lecture is somewhat unorganized and not entirely clear, the book does a great job filling in the blanks. There are certainly some rough spots (way too much time on the initial simple properties of ellipses, the argument connecting Kepler's third law to the law of gravitation is not clear, and more) but anyone with sufficient background willing to invest a few hours will be able to get past these minor problems. I kind of like how the pace accelerates to a ridiculous level by the end, leaving you to pretty much work out all the hard details of Rutherford's law of scattering for yourself.
Listen to the lecture, scratch your head wondering "what the heck was that", then read the book and study the arguments, then listen again and feel enlightened.
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Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth (Astrophysics and Space Science Library)
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 140204397X |
Book Description
Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth lays the foundation for an interdisciplinary study of the influence of interstellar material on the solar system and Earth as we travel through the Milky Way Galaxy. The solar wind bubble responds dynamically to interstellar material flowing past the Sun, regulating interstellar gas, dust, and cosmic particle fluxes in the interplanetary medium and the Earth. Cones of interstellar gas and dust focused by solar gravity, the magnetospheres of the outer planets, and cosmic rays at Earth all might yield the first hints of changes in our galactic environment.
Twelve articles from leading experts in diverse fields discuss the physical changes expected as the heliosphere adjusts to its galactic environment. Topics include the interaction between the solar wind and interstellar dust and gas, cosmic ray modulation, magnetospheres, temporal variations in the solar environment, and the cosmic ray isotope record preserved in paleoclimate data.
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- Outstanding...
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- An excellent layman's reference to solar system astronomy
- A legacy!
- This is the best!!!!!!!!!
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Encyclopedia of the Solar System, Second Edition
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Similar Items:
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The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Stars
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Planetary Sciences
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Physics and Chemistry of the Solar System, Volume 87, Second Edition (International Geophysics)
ASIN: 0120885891 |
Book Description
Long before Galileo published his discoveries about Jupiter, lunar craters, and the Milky Way in the Starry Messenger in 1610, people were fascinated with the planets and stars around them. That interest continues today, and scientists are making new discoveries at an astounding rate. Ancient lake beds on Mars, robotic spacecraft missions, and new definitions of planets now dominate the news. How can you take it all in? Start with the new
Encyclopedia of the Solar System, Second Edition.
This self-contained reference follows the trail blazed by the bestselling first edition. It provides a framework for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system, historical discoveries, and details about planetary bodies and how they interactand has jumped light years ahead in terms of new information and visual impact. Offering more than 50% new material, the
Encyclopedia includes the latest explorations and observations, hundreds of new color digital images and illustrations, and more than 1,000 pages. It stands alone as the definitive work in this field, and will serve as a modern messenger of scientific discovery and provide a look into the future of our solar system.
· Forty-seven chapters from 75+ eminent authors review fundamental topics as well as new models, theories, and discussions
· Each entry is detailed and scientifically rigorous, yet accessible to undergraduate students and amateur astronomers
· More than 700 full-color digital images and diagrams from current space missions and observatories amplify the chapters
· Thematic chapters provide up-to-date coverage, including a discussion on the new International Astronomical Union (IAU) vote on the definition of a planet
· Information is easily accessible with numerous cross-references and a full glossary and index
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding..........2007-03-15
This review refers to the 2nd Edition. The book is comprehensive and current (as of November 2006). Pluto, for example, is classified as a dwarf planet and its two recently discovered satellites are discussed.
The only criticism is that the metric system is utilized for ALL measurements. It would be very helpful to have U.S. measurements in parentheses next to their metric counterparts, since many potential buyers of this book may not be scientists or college/grad. school science majors.
Overall, the book is outstanding in every other respect and fully worthy of five stars. James.
Superb, but..........2002-09-13
This is the best work I've read on the solar system, period. The text is wonderful but I dearly wish the author had included the American measuring system along with the metric one. I'm one of those old fogies who has to cogitate in the extreme in order to convert kilometers into miles. Oh, well.
Seriously, this book is a "must-have" for astronomy aficionados and for those who merely wish to brush up on their knowledge of our solar neighborhood.
I also wish the book had a sewn binding. Otherwise, it is a really great read and a "keeper".
An excellent layman's reference to solar system astronomy.......2000-03-03
Don't buy this book thinking it will be an entertaining reference for your twelve-year-old nephew who enjoys astronomy. This hefty tome is more akin to a college-level textbook than an encyclopedia. If you want to get a detailed, but not overly technical, overview of modern solar system science, this is the book for you.
A legacy!.......2000-01-05
Following a thematic progression, ranging outward from the Sun to other planetary systems, the Encyclopedia of the Solar System details the dynamics of motions and rotations, solar wind, planetary, geologic, and atmospheric conditions, as well as other processes in the formation of planets, satellites and the smaller bodies of our planetary environment. The Encyclopedia covers the latest observations employing planetary radar, radio, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths.
Features convenient glossaries of technical terms, over 700 illustrations, numerous color plates, extensive cross-referencing throughout, further readings, useful appendices, and a comprehensive 4,500 entry index. Readers and web denizens like me will particularly appreciate the convenience of using the accompanying website (academicpress.com/solar) to link to related on-line resources.
Keep watching the sky!
This is the best!!!!!!!!!.......1999-05-07
If you are interested in the solar system in which you live in, this book is a must. It is very informative and complex, yet simple enough for the high school student. The absolute best book about our solar system.
Amazon.com
Everything you ever wanted to know about the sun, the powerhouse of our galaxy, sustaining life on earth, driving the weather, providing warmth and light--and, directly or indirectly, almost all the energy that plants and animals use.
Less a classic encyclopedia than a topic-by-topic textbook introducing readers to all things solar, astronomer Lang's compendium offers the very latest scientific views on a range of matters, from fundamental constants to the composition of sunlight, from the role of sunspots in terrestrial weather and human history to the methods scientists use to forecast such phenomena today, from the origins of the universe to days to come--when, 7 billion years from now, the "aging Sun will swell up to become a giant star," one that will spread to occupy the space the earth now occupies, and far beyond. Abundant photographs, charts, and line drawings, all very well made, accompany the text, which also includes a recent bibliography and a glossary of current terms.
Highly useful for students of astronomy and space science, this attractive volume will require little updating for years to come, and it serves as the best single general reference work on the subject. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
The Sun is our powerhouse, sustaining life on Earth, energizing our planet, and fueling the engine of life. Its warmth drives our weather, lifting water from the seas, and producing winds that drive clouds over the continents. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun is the fundamental, up-to-date reference source of information about this life-enhancing star, covering everything from basic facts to detailed concepts. Organized thematically, chapters feature: -the properties of the Sun as a star -the Sun's place in the Galaxy and the Universe -the science of the Sun's interior -the sun's visible disk -what makes the sun shine. Kenneth Lang also explains solar flares and the solar wind, and their impact on the Earth. Many full-color figures and photographs throughout the book make all the information highly accessible. Kenneth R. Lang is a professor of astronomy in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. He is the author of several astrophysics books including Wanderers in Space (Cambridge, 1991), Sun, Earth and Sky (Copernicus, 1997), and The Sun from Space (Springer Verlag, 2000).
Customer Reviews:
What you should know about the nearest star.......2003-04-26
This is a very nice book that will be of interest both to amateur astronomers and people with good physics background. The author separated descriptive text from text with mathematical content and as a result one can choose to read in a depth appropriate to their background. The book is also very well illustrated with informative captions below each picture. It is clear that the author is enthusiastic about the subject. However, what I did not like was that almost 100 from the 250 pages are devoted to general astronomical concepts and a glossary. This material is good but I would prefer to read more details about the sun. If the introduction explained solar physics (such as magnetism, spectra) in much more detail then subsequent chapters would be understood even better. I recommend the book to all people with a serious interest in the physics of our star.
Amazon.com
Merlin, a scholar visiting Earth from the planet Omniscia in the Andromeda galaxy, is familiar to readers of Star Date magazine, published by the McDonald Observatory. Just Visiting This Planet is the second collection of questions and answers written by Merlin's alter ego, Neil de Grasse Tyson, astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium. (The first collection was Merlin's Tour of the Universe.) Merlin is supersmart, sort of sassy, and he'll answer almost any question about the universe and the curious things in it. He's also really old, having rubbed elbow equivalents with the likes of Archimedes, Galileo, Einstein, and Santa Claus. In this volume, you can find Merlin's explanations for easy puzzlers such as "How many galaxies are visible to the naked eye?" and "Who discovered the planet Saturn?" The smarty-pants extraterrestrial also tackles toughies like "If aliens exploded our moon, what effect would it have on us?" and "What is the meaning of 'apparent magnitude'?" Amateur astronomers and weekend stargazers alike will find a wealth of trivia with which to astound dinner guests, and those who like their science in easily digestible chunks will be pleased--sometimes Merlin gives one-word answers! If you're looking for long explanatory essays, look for a more loquacious little green man. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
In a companion volume to Merlin's Tour of the Universe, here is a completely new collection of questions and answers about the cosmos for stargazers of all ages. Whether waxing about Earth and its environs, the Sun and its stellar siblings, the world of light, physical laws, or galaxies near and far, Merlin--a fictional visitor from Planet Omniscia--is easy to understand, often humorous, and always entertaining.
Merlin fields a wide range of questions from many curious mortals, and in so doing draws on his own vast knowledge as well as the expertise of many close friends, including Archimedes, Galileo, Einstein, and Santa.
So far, Merlin has not been stumped, responding to questions on mysteries such as:
If aliens exploded our moon, what effect would it have on us?
What are your thoughts on the theory that a star named Nemesis is circling our solar system and was responsible for killing off the dinosaurs?
Is it true that if I leave a container on my roof for a period of time, I can actually collect space particles from outer space?
Delightfully illustrated throughout, Just Visiting This Planet is a skywatcher's book for lovers of the universe by one of its brightest lights.
Customer Reviews:
Great Q&A On Outer Space.......2000-10-10
I love to ponder the mysteries of outer space, from planetary factoids to quasar theories. This book is chock full of all this and everything in between. The Q&A are taken from a monthly astronomy magazine and written from the perspective of "Merlin" who is from the Andromeda galaxy. Merlin offers a fun and lively way to discover outer space. I consider this book to be a nice, light read for all ages.
Book Description
Mike Seeds' goal in THE SOLAR SYSTEM, Fourth Edition (adapted from the newly revised FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY, Eight Edition) is to help students use astronomy to understand science and use science to understand what we are. Fascinating and engaging, this text illustrates the scientific method and guides students to these fundamental questions: "What are we?" and "How do we know?" In discussing the interplay between evidence and hypothesis, Seeds provides not just facts, but a conceptual framework for understanding the logic of science. The book vividly conveys his love of astronomy, and illustrates how students can comprehend their place in the universe by grasping a small set of physical laws. Crafting a story about astronomy, Mike shows students how to ask questions to gradually puzzle out the beautiful secrets of the physical world. Mathematics is incorporated into the text (and in separate sections for easy reference), but the book's arguments do not depend on mathematical reasoning, keeping even math-averse students engaged. The revision addresses new developments in astrophysics and cosmology, plus the latest discoveries, from Mars' buried water to the exploration of the Kuiper Belt. This edition is now fully integrated with a FREE, brand-new student tutorial system. AceAstronomy is Web-based, assessment-driven, and completely flexible, creating a personalized learning plan to help each student focus on key concepts to be mastered. This superior system gives students fun, interactive learning opportunities and a greater chance for success.
Customer Reviews:
The Solar System (with Printed Access Card AceAstronomy , Virtual Astronomy Labs).......2007-03-09
it's excellent but no cd included
Beautiful Book. Good Printing. Great Writing........2006-06-27
For a science that has been studied for as long as there have been humans around to look at the sky, astronomy is rapidly changing. That has resulted in this the fifth edition of this book. Dr. Seeds treats Astronomy almost like a revival preacher. He clearly loves the subject and this comes through in his writing. More than anything else he wants the students to learn a bit about astronomy but to come away clearly knowing the basic principles of the scientific method and perhaps, hopefully seek a career in science.
The book is printed like a high end coffee table book. Brilliant pictures, beautiful printing, and backed up with enough text to explain what is going on. Dr. Seeds has written several astronomy texts. He has had time and feedback from them so that his explanations of fairly complex things such as Einstein's General Theory of Relativity make it seem simple.
This book is primarily on the solar system, but it gets out enough to cover the rest of the galaxy just enough to let you know just how big the universe is.
Finally, visit SETI@Home and let your computer search for signs of extraterresterial intelligence.
Book Description
teve Squyres is the face and voice of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission. Squyres dreamed up the mission in 1987, saw it through from conception in 1995 to a successful landing in 2004, and serves as the principal scientist of its $400 million payload. He has gained a rare inside look at what it took for rovers Spirit and Opportunity to land on the red planet in January 2004-and knows firsthand their findings.
Customer Reviews:
FACT MORE INTERSTING THAN FICTION.......2007-09-16
The author captures how difficult it is to explore another planet--and to be one of the leaders of the team that imagined, built, launched and drove two robots around the surface of Mars. While the story is true, the book is anything but dull. Dr. Squyers' book reads like a novel and portrays the trials and tribulations of engineers trying to build and test a machine that can travel a million miles, get bounced on Mars, unhook itself, stand up, crawl onto the Mars surface, take photos, scratch the surface of and analyze rocks, and-- travel for more miles and months than anyone's wildest dreams. All this in search of evidence of water. Read the book to learn if they succeeded.
Hard to get past the initial part.......2007-09-03
I've been to Steve Squyres lecture with the same title. The lecture, and Steve Squyres, were inspiring. So I bought the book. I'm still trying to get past the initial phase where Steve Squyres describes the hurdles of getting the project up and running. The book is tedious, with a lot of details that don't add to clarity, rather confuse with acronyms that hide the goal and the mission. If Steve Squyres' goal was to educate the reader as to how complex a problem it is to send a rover to Mars, more politically than technically, then he has succeeded. I was hoping to see more vision and insipration and maybe I'll get it once I get past the initital phase of getting the project off the ground.
Absolute Must Read.......2007-06-07
Steven Squyres gives a detailed look into the world of NASA's space mission proposals, using his personal experiences. He explains how he completely messed up with the dimensions of his first proposal. Mr. Squyres has tendency to make others look bad and to make himself look good using 20/20 hindsight and probably omitting some credit to fellow scientists, especially when it comes to geology.
His account of the Rovers is something only he could do from his position as Principle Investigator. He points out the very important problems that the rovers encountered. I did not know that a heater on the opportunity's arm had malfunctioned and has been stuck on the whole time drawing a significant amount of the rover's energy and limiting what it can do in a sol (day) as a result.
His description of geology of the sites is amazing.
You have to read this book to understand what is happening in Mars research.
Quality Science Writing.......2007-05-05
I followed the Rovers from Finland via Webcasts, since the EU countries don't seem as interested in the success of the US space program, so there wasn't all that much material here on this project. However, I wasn't expecting a very well written book, since most of the Rover stuff on the web is either way too dumbed down or way too deep (and boring) geology discussions.
Steve Squyres managed to write a very interesting book which is interesting to me on many levels. First as an engineer and scientist, it was very interesting to follow the political as well as scientific background for this project. In my own line of work, as a telecom engineer, I'm also used to project deadlines, testing, failures, and murphy's law, but it seemed even more acute on this particular project.
Second, I always admire science writers who are able to weave in a story about the history and people involved in scientific works, not just a pure technical discussion, and I think he has done that quite well here.
The only criticism I have for this book, is to say that Dr. Squyres probably should have written/published this book a few years down the road rather than when he did so that he could have put a more in depth history/review of the Rover project and it's results. After all, the Rovers are still going strong and still producing science, whereas Steve seemed to be expecting failures due to power loss to end (at least for Spirit) back on Sol
<
< today. For example, this book has no inkling about the recent exploration by Opportunity of Victoria crater and the recent Mars Observer with the new visual evidence for water seeping down the side of a crater in comparative photos.
Latest ground news.......2007-01-17
This book is highly illustrative of our near cosmic neighbor, the photographs are excellent the written content is very well done, the authorship reflects those very closely connected with this particular space effort. It is well organized and highly entertaining for those interested in this topic. I highly recommend this publication.
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Auroral Plasma Physics (Space Sciences Series of ISSI)
Manufacturer: Springer
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ASIN: 1402009631 |
Book Description
This volume gives a broad synthesis of the current knowledge and understanding of the plasma physics behind the aurora. The aurora is not only one of the most spectacular natural phenomena on Earth, but the underlying physical processes are expected to be ubiquitous in the plasma universe. Recognizing the enormous progress made over the last decade) through in situ and groundbased measurements as well as theoretical modelling, it seemed timely to write the first comprehensive and integrated book on the subject. Recent advances concern the clarification of the nature of the acceleration process of the electrons that are responsible for the visible aurora, the recognition of the fundamental role of the large-scale current systems in organizing the auroral morphology, and of the interplay between particles and electromagnetic fields.
Book Description
Fundamental Astronomy gives a well-balanced and comprehensive introduction to the topics of classical and modern astronomy. While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences.
The fifth edition of this successful undergraduate textbook has been extensively modernized and extended in the parts dealing with the Milky Way, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology as well as with extrasolar planets and the solar system (as a consequence of recent results from satellite missions and the new definition by the International Astronomical Union of planets, dwarf planets and small solar-system bodies). Furthermore a new chapter on astrobiology has been added.
Long considered a standard text for physical science majors, Fundamental Astronomy is also an excellent reference and entrée for dedicated amateur astronomers.
Customer Reviews:
Great fundamental Astronomy Text.......2005-10-26
As an amateur astronomer who loves theory and the math that goes with it, I found this text to be utterly exquisite for helping me recapture a lot of my old math skills. While the real amount of calculus needed in the text was not overtly taxing, I did find the text very useful indeed for requiring the use of a strong algebra background, along with lots of Trig, and of course, geometry and Calculus.
The problems in this book were intriguing, challenging and just awesome in every respect. For example, I found myself for the first time since I can recall, drawing Trig and geometrical diagrams to assist in visualizing a particular problem as an aid toward the ultimate answer! These problems, all of them mathematical in nature, are extremely interesting and encourage you to make a sketch of the phenomenon at hand in order to arrive at a solution.
And in addition to the problems, the text has very useful solved examples that show you how a particular problem calculation is reached. You really do learn a lot just from these examples.
I think the book might have benefitted from having even more exercises in it, which to me would make it even more useful for a semester university course in introductory Astrophysics. Instead of having 73 exercises, perhaps 150-200 problems would have been more 'whetting' to an appetite like mine is for Astronomy. But, I can heartily recommend that this book, if completed and all the problems worked, will definitely prepare one for a more challenging text with more Math and problems!
The authors could only improve this thing with more text length and more problems, as far as I am concerned. The appendixes and Tables in the back give the student a little bit of good background to the Math needed in the book as well.
This text is a complete WINNER in the category of INTRODUCTORY TEXTBOOKS for the beginning course in college Astronomy!
A Fundamental Astronomy Reference.......2005-07-01
Fundamental Astronomy is both the title and an excellent description of the content of this handsome hard back volume. For the book to reach the fourth edition, it must be hitting a niche in the market. The preface to the first edition in 1987 identifies that market as a "university textbook for a first course in astronomy" which is also suited for serious amateurs who "find the popular texts too trivial". In my opinion, that description from the original preface is "spot on" and makes this volume a must-buy for any serious amateur looking for a comprehensive overview of matters astronomical.
The book covers the basics of astronomy, stellar astrophysics and mainly features of our Universe which are relatively close-at-hand. Large scale structure and cosmology are less than ten percent of the content. It covers all topics to considerable depth, far more so than most publications aimed at a general readership. It is mathematical, although the maths is present largely for academic completeness, and can be skimmed or by-passed as required without reducing to any great extent, the utility provided. Its usefulness for education purposes is enhanced by worked examples in each section followed by exercises.
Within its 19 major sections, it contains much relevant and dare I say fundamental material. The book is well illustrated with mainly monochrome plates which are relevant to the subject at hand plus many carefully constructed, concise graphics and illustrations.
This is a comprehensive reference volume, which will age but slowly on any serious amateur's book shelf, as the subject matter is largely timeless.
A Great Astronomy Textbook!.......2004-01-24
.This is a great and comprehensive primary textbook for a student. It is massive introduction to the huge field of astronomical study, and as such contains much of the basic concepts and plenty of hands-on exercises.
I have been mainly using the Finnish version, but having also browsed through the English one I can safely say that the two differ from each other only minimally and thus my experiences with the original hold true with the translation too.
As an end note I might point out, that even though having studied astronomy at the university, it is by no means my area of expertise: I'm majoring in linguistics. That alone, I think, proves how clear and well-written this tome really is: even an Arts students can read it and actually understand and learn! ;)
Fundamental to students.......2001-01-10
I am an astronomy student, i like so much this book, because i can laern all about the fundamental ideas in astrophisics, is so easy to read, so clear and it have a wonderful content.
The items of this book are so importants to any student in astronomy, and is very interesting to the other people, if they like study the universe.
I like so much the part about CCD, and the study of spectrography, I realy want to have this book with me.
Thank you so much.
Pablo Cuartas.
Books:
- Fundamental Astronomy
- Heaven and Earth in Early Han Thought: Chapters Three, Four and Five of the Huainanzi (S U N Y Series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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