Vagabonds of Space

Vagabonds of Space PDF

Author: Harl Vincent

Publisher: eStar Books

Published: 2010-09-09

Total Pages: 53

ISBN-13: 098293307X

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From the depths of the Sargasso Sea of Space came the thought-warning, "Turn back!" But Carr and his Martian friend found it was

Weird Comets and Asteroids

Weird Comets and Asteroids PDF

Author: David A. J. Seargent

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-05-17

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 3319565583

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This book concentrates on some of the odd aspects of comets and asteroids. Strange behavior of comets, such as outbursts and schisms, and how asteroids can temporally act as comets are discussed, together with the possible threat of Centaurs-class objects like the Taurid complex. Recent years have seen the distinction between comets and asteroids become less prominent. Comets in "asteroid" orbits and vice versa have become almost commonplace and a clearer view of the role of small bodies in the formation of the Solar System and their effect on Earth has become apparent. Seargent covers this development in detail by including new data and information from space probes.

Wanderers in Space

Wanderers in Space PDF

Author: Kenneth R. Lang

Publisher: CUP Archive

Published: 1991-03-21

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9780521422529

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How were the features on the Moon created?. What is the evidence for past or future life on Mars? What might cause the Earth to become as hot and steamy as Venus? . Why do some say that a colliding asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago? From the earliest of times the human race has pondered upon the nature of the Heavens. The moons and planets have changed from mere points of light to fascinating, diverse worlds. Spacecraft have visited all the planets known to ancient people. Human beings have visited the Moon, and robot spacecraft have landed on Venus and Mars. This book presents the result of this captivating voyage of discovery, recording more than two decades of extraordinary accomplishments. The voyage starts with the still, silent and lifeless Moon. Then on to the contrasting world of Mars with its towering volcanoes and deep canyons. The exploration continues across asteroid belts and icy comets to the outer planets where Voyager II revealed cyclonic storms, liquid hydrogen and helium rain and the beautiful pink and blue dynamic world of Neptune. This book includes numerous photos from spacecraft as well as a few works of modern art. They provide the best available metaphors and images of the previously invisible worlds.

The Greatest Comets in History

The Greatest Comets in History PDF

Author: David A.J. Seargent

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-12-16

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0387095136

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Naked-eye comets are far from uncommon. As a rough average, one appears every 18 months or thereabouts, and it is not very unusual to see more than two in a single year. The record so far seems to have been 2004, with a total of five comets visible without optical aid. But 2006, 1970, and 1911 were not far behind with a total of four apiece. Yet, the majority of these pass unnoticed by the general public. Most simply look like fuzzy stars with tails that are either faint or below the naked-eye threshold. The ‘classical’ comet – a bright star-like object with a long flowing tail – is a sight that graces our skies about once per decade, on average. These ‘great comets’ are surely among the most beautiful objects that we can see in the heavens, and it is no wonder that they created such fear in earlier times. Just what makes a comet ‘‘great’’ is not easy to define. It is neither just about brightness nor only a matter of size. Some comets can sport prodigiously long tails and yet not be regarded as great. Others can become very bright, but hardly anyone other than a handful of enthusiastic astronomers will ever see them. Much depends on their separation from the Sun, the intensity of the tail, and so forth.

Comet

Comet PDF

Author: Carl Sagan

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: 2011-07-06

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 0307801055

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What are these graceful visitors to our skies? We now know that they bring both life and death and teach us about our origins. Comet begins with a breathtaking journey through space astride a comet. Pulitzer Prize-winning astronomer Carl Sagan, author of Cosmos and Contact, and writer Ann Druyan explore the origin, nature, and future of comets, and the exotic myths and portents attached to them. The authors show how comets have spurred some of the great discoveries in the history of science and raise intriguing questions about these brilliant visitors from the interstellar dark. Were the fates of the dinosaurs and the origins of humans tied to the wanderings of a comet? Are comets the building blocks from which worlds are formed? Lavishly illustrated with photographs and specially commissioned full-color paintings, Comet is an enthralling adventure, indispensable for anyone who has ever gazed up at the heavens and wondered why. Praise for Comet "Simply the best." —The Times of London "Fascinating, evocative, inspiring." —The Washington Post "Comet humanizes science. A beautiful, interesting book." —United Press International "Masterful . . . science, poetry, and imagination." —The Atlanta Journal & Constitution

Astrophysical Data

Astrophysical Data PDF

Author: Kenneth R. Lang

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 942

ISBN-13: 146840640X

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This volume of Astrophysical Data deals with Planets and Stars; a second volume, Part II, will give data for Galaxies and the Universe. They both pro vide basic data for use by all scientists, from the amateur astronomer to the professional astrophysicist. In this first volume, we not only provide physical parameters of planets, stars and their environment, but we also provide the celestial coordinates required to observe them. Here we use c.g.s. units, for they are the most commonly used in astron omy and astrophysics; but our volume begins with astronomical and physical constants and the conversion factors needed for other units. The next section concerns the planets and their satellites; it singles out the Earth and Moon for special treatment. Spacecraft rendezvous with the planets and satellites have led to improved values for their atmospheric compositions, orbital parameters, magnetic fields, masses, radii, rotation periods, and surface pressures and temperatures. This section also contains data for the asteroids, comets and their debris. We then discuss everyday stars, beginning with the Sun, and continuing with basic stellar data, the brightest stars and nearby stars. Special categories of stars, such as the Wolf-Rayet stars, magnetic stars, flare stars, and RS CVn binary stars, are included.