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This is an up-to-date view of the solar system's minor bodies (comets, asteroids, meteors, trans-Neptunian objects and small satellites), stressing their interrelations, and relevance to accretion processes in the early solar system. The topics cover physical aspects, as well as dynamics, and observing programs related to these bodies. The volume also contains material related to current and planned space missions to minor bodies, in particular the successful Deep Impact mission to the comet Tempel 1. The book comprises 28 articles written by specialists in the field, who gave invited talks at the IAU S229 ACM meeting held in Búzios, Brazil, in August 2005. It will be of interest to researchers and graduate students working in planetary sciences and related fields. ... Read more

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Discusses the origins and behavior of cosmic debris, such as shooting stars, meteors, meteorites, and comets. ... Read more

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Could an asteroid hit Earth? The answer is ‘yes’...and some already have! Craters here on Earth were made a long time ago by objects from space colliding with Earth. Could it happen again? Find out in this book. Detailed facts and photos help to answer you

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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Part of a series which takes the reader on an imaginary journey through the solar system. Each title covers: the position of the planet in the solar system; the planet's origin, composition and geology; and biographical information on the key people connected to the discovery of the planet. ... Read more

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Provides an introduction to comets, covering where they come from, how they travel, their importance to astronomers, as well as their relationship to meteor showers. ... Read more

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"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 Venus

The night sky holds endless fascination for anyone who chooses simply to look up and observe, but with so much to see, it can be difficult to know where to start. This remarkable book introduces you to the fifty best sights in astronomy and tells you exactly how to see them. In no time at all, you will learn how to find and appreciate the Orion group of constellations; the Summer Triangle; Venus, Jupiter, and Mars; the best meteor showers; man-made satellites; star clusters; novae; variable stars; and more.

The sights are presented according to the field of view necessary to see them. Your eyes and a clear night sky are all you need to view the sights in the first part of the book, before moving on to those that can be observed through binoculars and, finally, a telescope. Concise descriptions and explanations of these spectacular visual wonders will deepen your appreciation of them and spur further exploration. You will also find the essential basic information on astronomical observation you need to get started, including observing conditions, techniques, telescopes, and astronomical measurements.

Once you start gazing, you'll see that the sky really is the limit--and discovering its amazing treasures will become your lifetime passion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Joy of "Just Looking"
I was introduced to amateur astronomy about six years ago, and have recently realized that "I just enjoy looking." I didn't enjoy trying to take astro-photographs or much of the science, certainly not the chemistry! I just want the "WOW" factor, as Dean Koenig describes it.I think Fred Schaaf's recent book, 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them, was written just for me (ISBN: 978-0-471-69657-5, $19.95 MSR in paper, available on Amazon).

My library has some 18 other books on astronomy, and I've used many - some have a large number of tables (even the chemical composition of stars, asteroids, and the like) and most have star charts, many have diagrams of both telescopes and azimuth and equatorial systems and even graphs of comparative radiations - after all, science is important. I use some of them occasionally to determine a particular fact and to confirm what I have in my telescope, but few of them (other than those with color pictures) qualify as "enjoyment reading." But Schaaf is truly the "poet of the stars" that William Sheehan has called him, and has written a book that is as enjoyable to read on a cloudy night as a rainy afternoon.

Consider his Sight 13 - Bright Comet with Long Tail:"Of all the wonders in the heavens, there are two that have inspired fear and awe more often than any others: eclipses and comets. ... There is a central reason that comets were feared by our ancestors: of all the heavens' major kinds of sights, comets seemed to be the only ones that were spectacularly unpredictable and variable." Or, his Sight 26 - The Pleiades: "Everyone is first awed b y the strangeness and splendor, then moved to affection by the gentle loveliness of the Pleiades. Almost every culture in the world and throughout history has imagined the cluster as something gentle and delicate - a group of maidens, a flock of doves, or a mother hen and its chicks."

Schaaf has organized his book by Sights from the widest to narrowest view - starting, justly, with the entire night sky, 180, as Astronomy's Greatest Sight, and moving to 100, naked-eye scans, to 50 to 15 groupings, and then to 15 to 1 and finally less than 1. For the novice he quickly explains what is necessary, telescopes or binoculars, for enjoyable viewing and relates personal stories as to his own viewings. I think those personal stories are some of the best parts of his book (although he does include a few spectacular color plates for the truly visual of us). The method of organizing by size of the Sight works very well.

If you've forgotten the joy that can come from "just looking" at the heavens, 50 Best Sights is a wonderful way to recover the awe and appreciation for their beauty. A good pair of binoculars and a planisphere,are all that is necessary to enjoy most of Schaaf's Sights; a small quality rich field scope works for many of the rest. A "big" scope isn't necessary to "just look." ... Read more

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The series covers and expands upon the national curriculum's coverage of 'the earth, the Solar System and beyond' throughout KS3 and into the beginnings of KS4. Each book examines how we know what we know about the Earth and beyond and charts the history of these discoveries. The series also examines how much is still to be discovered and what plans are in place for future explorations. ... Read more

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When meteors fly through the earth's atmosphere they create a wondrous "shooting star" light show. Meteors explores the fascinating facts behind these cosmic wonders with the latest up-to-date information about meteoroids, meteorites, and where, when, and how to best observe meteor showers. (20031201) ... Read more

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This title explores: how a comet 'visits' the Earth at regular but slightly different times; the travelling mannerisms of asteroid belts; the effects of an asteroid hitting our planet; and, looks at how humans have explored outer space using different space craft. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1872.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume.Please note original contains color images and Cornell's version is printed in black and white only. ... Read more

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Briefly discusses the composition and position of comets, asteroids, and meteors. ... Read more

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Comets are really tiny planets flying through the solar system, flaring with beautiful tails as they pass close to the sun. Comets examines the life cycles of these mysterious space rocks from their birth in the cold reaches of outer space to their fiery deaths as they plunge into planets and stars. (20031201) ... Read more

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This volume is aimed at the junior undergraduate with a knowledge of physics and calculus. It is eminently readable and informative, and is marked by a straightforward approach from which as many technicalities as possible have been eliminated. This book deals with what might be called "interplanetary material", the region between the planets. Within this area, I have concentrated more on the interplanetary objects that have direct contact with the Earth, such as meteors and meteorites. Meteorites and tektites have been included in a separate chapter since they are an important component of interplanetary material. ... Read more