Exploring the Night Sky

by Dickinson, Terence

• ISBN13: 9780920656662
• ISBN10: 0920656668
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1987-02-01
• Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd

Summary

Exploring the Night Sky is aimed at novice star gazers anxious to expand their astronomical repertoire beyond the Big and Little Dippers. Dickinson has designed a superb introduction to astronomy that is clear, concise, beautifully illustrated, and very "user friendly" no matter what the child's age.

Author Biography

Terence Dickinson is a prolific science writer specializing in astronomy. More than one million copies of his books are in print. He is the recipient of many national and international science awards, including the New York Academy of Sciences Book of the Year Award and the Royal Canadian Institute's Sandford Fleming Medal. He live near Kingston, Ontario. Dickinson's new edition of Nightwatch has already sold over 75,000 copies.

Table of Contents

Introduction	4	(7)
A COSMIC VOYAGE
1.3 Light-Seconds From Earth	7	(2)
4 Light-Minutes From Earth	9	(2)
4 Light-Hours From Earth	11	(2)
2 Light-Months From Earth	13	(2)
4.3 Light-Years From Earth	15	(2)
10,000 Light-Years From Earth	17	(2)
170,000 Light-Years From Earth	19	(2)
2,500,000 Light-Years From Earth	21	(2)
10,000,000 Light-Years From Earth	23	(2)
300,000,000 Light-Years From Earth	25	(45)
ALIEN VISTAS
The Solar System: Our Sun's Family	26	(2)
Venus and Mercury: Two Broiled Worlds	28	(2)
Mars: The Most Earthlike Planet	30	(2)
Jupiter: King of the Planets	32	(2)
Saturn and Beyond: Rings and Ice Worlds	34	(2)
Planets of Other Stars	36	(2)
Nearby Stars: Our Sun's Neighbours	38	(2)
How Stars End Their Lives	40	(2)
Black Holes: Gravity Whirlpools in Space	42	(2)
Quasars: The Beacons of Deep Space	44	(2)
Extraterrestrials: Is Anyone Out There?	46	(3)
STARGAZING
How to Recognize Planets, Stars and Constellations	49	(2)
Easy Sky Guides: Lend a Helping Hand	51	(2)
The Big Dipper and the Summer Sky	53	(2)
The Summer Triangle	55	(2)
Cassiopeia, Pegasus and the Stars of Autumn	57	(2)
The Big Dipper and the Winter Sky	59	(2)
Orion and the Stars of Winter	61	(2)
Stargazing From the City: Orion Still in View	63	(2)
Signs of Spring	65	(2)
Arcturus, Spica and the Spring Sky	67	(2)
Binoculars and Telescopes for Astronomy	69	(1)
Index/Glossary	70	(1)
Credits	71	(1)
Further Reading	72