In First Light, he demonstrates his gift for creating an exciting and absorbing narrative around a complex scientific subject--in this case the efforts by astronomers at the Palomar Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains of California to peer to the farthest edges of space through the Hale Telescope, attempting to solve the riddle of the creation of the universe. Richard Preston's name became a household word with The Hot Zone, which sold nearly 800,000 copies in hardcover, was on The New York Times's bestseller list for 42 weeks, and was the subject of countless magazine and newspaper articles. Preston has become a sought-after commentator on popular science subjects. For this hardcover reprint of what has been called "the best popular account of astronomy in action," (Kirkus Reviews) he has revised the text and written a new introduction.

    While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences. The fourth edition of this successful calculus-based textbook and reference includes a wealth of new information and several chapters are restructured for clarity and improved organization. The chapters on radiation mechanisms and temperatures have been combined, and some of the material from the appendices has been redistributed to appropriate places throughout the text. In addition, the chapters on the solar system and cosmology are rewritten to reflect new understanding and tables in the appendix on the theory of relativity have been updated. Long considered a standard text for physical science majors, Fundamental Astronomy is also an excellent reference and entrA(c)e for dedicated amateur astronomers.

    It has an algebra and trigonometry prerequisite, but calculus is preferred.

    At some time or another your body has contained atoms that were once part of Moses or Isaac Newton. So begins this spectacular illustrated tour of the subatomic world, the science of particle physics and its attempts to understand the very nature of matter and energy. The Particle Explosion is the first book to describe to the general reader how the study of basic particles by scientists over the last hundred years has led us closer to an understanding of the origins of the Universe. Particle physicists are attempting to answer such questions as: How did theUniverse begin? Why does it have the form it does? Will it continue expanding forever or will it eventually begin to contract? With over 300 illustrations, the book brings together many fascinating historical pictures of leading scientists in the field and the actual images in which the particles were first identified. There are photographs of the increasingly vast and complex equipment they use (bubble chambers, accelerators and modern electronic detectors) as well as some of the most striking images of particle tracks that they have recorded. This journey to the heart of matter opens with an introduction to the basic particles (the subatomic zoo that includes quarks, electrons, leptons, 'strange' particles and 'charmed' particles) and of the methods used to create and investigate them. The even-numbered chapters tell the story oftheir discovery, from the first experiments with X-rays and the elucidation of the nature of the atom, to the great machines that today smash particles together at enormous energies and the underground caverns where physicists are seeking confirmation of a Grand Unified Theory. The odd-numberedchapters describe the major particles in more detail. The book ends with an explanation of how some of the particles have been put to work in the service of medicine, industry, and even the detection of art forgerie

    In this book, we gather together the scientists, the intellectuals, and the artists, to learn about and speculate upon the cosmos. The world right now desperately needs both the physicist and the dreamer. G-d has blessed us with the most magnificent world imaginable. We have barely made the first steps in seeing all the light in the darkness. Perhaps it is the dreamer who will find out the nature of dark matter; perhaps it is the scientist who will find solutions to needless hunger and mindless war. For them both, the bounty of the Earth and the cosmos is the currency of hope. Humanity must use what it has been blessed with to survive. Then, as in Paul Simon s phrase, we all might be dancing together with diamonds on the soles of our shoes. They will be the diamonds of the stars and it will be a dance of peace.

    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.The book is divided into three sections. The first is a 10-step voyage from the Earth's vicinity to the distant reaches of the universe. Organized by increasing distance from the Earth, it touches on the Moon, Mars, Pluto, comets, the three stars of Alpha Centauri, the center of the Milky Way, the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Andromeda Galaxy, and vantage points at 10,000,000 light-years from Earth and 300,000,000 light-years from Earth.The second section, Alien Vistas, is a sequence of 10 close-up looks at some of the most interesting objects mentioned in the first section, including all the planets of the solar system, stars, black holes and quasars, and makes speculations about extraterrestrial life.The final section is a guide to viewing the night sky, which enables readers to go outside on any clear night of the year and identify celestial objects. There is a glossary with explanations of unfamiliar terms and for pronunciations.Exploring the Night Sky is a clearly written, well-illustrated introduction to astronomy for anyone interested in the universe around us.