The Sun's Heartbeat And Other Stories from the Life of the Star That Powers Our Planet

by Berman, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780316090995
• ISBN10: 0316090999
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-07-17
• Publisher: Back Bay Books

Summary

The beating heart of the sun is the very pulse of life on earth. And from the ancients who plotted its path at Stonehenge to the modern scientists who unraveled the nuclear fusion reaction that turns mass into energy, humankind has sought to solve its mysteries. In this lively biography of the sun, Bob Berman ranges from its stellar birth to its spectacular future death with a focus on the wondrous and enthralling, and on the heartbreaking sacrifice, laughable errors, egotistical battles, and brilliant inspirations of the people who have tried to understand its power. What, exactly, are the ghostly streaks of light astronauts see-but can't photograph-when they're in space? And why is it impossible for two people to see the exact same rainbow? Why are scientists beginning to think that the sun is safer than sunscreen? And how does the fluctuation of sunspots-and its heartbeat-affect everything from satellite communications to wheat production across the globe? Peppered with mind-blowing facts and memorable anecdotes about spectral curiosities-the recently-discovered "second sun" that lurks beneath the solar surface, the eerie majesty of a total solar eclipse-THE SUN'S HEARTBEAT offers a robust and entertaining narrative of how the Sun has shaped humanity and our understanding of the universe around us.

Author Biography

Bob Berman, one of America's top astronomy writers, contributed the popular "Night Watchman" column to Discover for seventeen years. He is currently a columnist for Astronomy, a host on NPR's Northeast Public Radio, and the science editor of The Old Farmer's Almanac. He lives in Willow, New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 3
Yon Flaming Orb	p. 7
Genesis	p. 15
Strange History of Seeing Spots	p. 23
The Heartbeat Stops-and Other Peculiar Events	p. 40
The Unit	p. 51
Magnetic Attraction	p. 64
The Wild Science of the Bearded Men	p. 77
Cautionary Tales	p. 93
Why Jack Loved Carbon	p. 100
Tales of the Invisible	p. 115
The Sun Brings Death	p. 127
The Sun Will Save Your Life	p. 134
I'm an Aquarius; Trust Me	p. 143
Rhythms of Color	p. 157
Particle Man	p. 166
Totality: The Impossible Coincidence	p. 176
That's Entertainment	p. 194
Cold Winds	p. 210
The Weather Outside Is Frightful	p. 231
Tomorrow's Sun	p. 247
Acknowledgments	p. 255
Appendix: The Sun's Basics	p. 257
Notes	p. 259
Bibliography	p. 279
Index	p. 283
Reading Group Guide	p. 293
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