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

by Schaaf, Fred

• ISBN13: 9780471704102
• ISBN10: 0471704105
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-04-21
• Publisher: Wiley

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.