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9780471704102

The Brightest Stars Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780471704102

  • ISBN10:

    0471704105

  • Edition: 1st
  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2008-04-21
  • Publisher: Wiley

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Summary

"Fred Schaaf is one of the most experienced astronomical observers of our time. For more than two decades, his view of the sky-what will be visible, when it will be visible, and what it will look like-has encouraged tens of thousands of people to turn their eyes skyward." -David H. Levy, Science Editor, Parade magazine, discoverer of twenty-one comets, and author of Starry Night and Cosmic Discoveries"Fred Schaaf is a poet of the stars. He brings the sky into people's lives in a way that is compelling and his descriptions have all the impact of witnessing the stars on a crystal-clear dark night." -William Sheehan, coauthor of Mars: The Lure of the Red Planet and The Transits of VenusIn this book, you'll meet the twenty-one brightest stars visible from Earth. You'll learn how to find these stars and discover the best ways to see them. Each star is profiled in a separate chapter, with detailed guidance on what to look for while observing it. Suitable for beginners as well as experienced amateur astronomers, the book shares fascinating information about the lore and legends connected with each star through history, as well as what the science of astronomy has to teach us about the star's physical nature.

Author Biography

Fred Schaaf, the writer of two popular long-running features in Sky & Telescope magazine, is the author of twelve books on popular astronomy, including The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them, Seeing the Deep Sky, and Seeing the Solar System, all from Wiley.

Table of Contents

acknowledgements
Introduction
Stars in the Sky
How Bright I s Bright?
Meet the 1st-Magnitude Stars
The Locations, Yearly Motions, and Names of the Stars
Seeing Stars Better (Skies, Eyes, and Telescopes)
Stars in the Universe
Parts, Structures, Distances, and Motions in the Universe
The Varieties of the Stars
The Lives and Deaths of the Stars
Profiles of the Brightest Stars
Sirius
Canopus
Alpha Centauri
Arcturus
Vega
Capella
Rigel
Procyon
Achernar
Betelgeuse
Beta Centauri
Beta Crucis
Altair
Aldebaran
Spica
Antares
Pollux
Fomalhaut
Beta Crucis
Deneb
Regulus
The Brightest Stars: Position, Spectral Type, Apparent and Absolute Magnitude, and Distance
The Brightest Stars: Spectral type, Color Index, Color, and Surface temperature
Midnight and 9:00 P.M. Culminations, Season of Prime Evening Visibility
Diameters and Masses of the Brightest Stars
Motions of the Brightest Stars
The 200 Brightest Stars
Glossary
Sources
Illustration Credits
Index
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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