Authored by David A. Aguilar of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the National Geographic Space Encyclopedia is ideal for the family bookshelf, providing both accessible information for school reports and compelling reading on the mysteries beyond our world.

    Beautiful photographs or illustrations accompany each entry. Open the book to any page to discover some new wonder or mystery about the Universe around us.

    This is the story of that journey... Journey by Starlight follows Albert Einstein and his traveling companion through space and time as they travel on a beam of light from a star over 3,000 light years away to Earth. Along the way, Einstein explains the science behind everything from the origins of the universe to the meaning of life, relativity, black holes, quantum mechanics (for beginners), climate change, evolution vs. intelligent design, and how the brain works, all delivered in fun, easy-to-understand, bite-sized chunks. Based on the popular blog of the same name, Journey By Starlight has been given the graphic novel treatment, pairing the narrative with fantastic, whimsical artwork to assist in simplifying what can be difficult-to-understand ideas.

    The media ignores it. But the evidence is irrefutable. Somewhere, centuries ago, a secret has been lost to time. A secret that for a brief moment in 1989 seemed on the edge of being exposed... it wasn’t Roswell!

    

    Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won't be able to get anywhere else. So whether you’re looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes, or just want to learn more about your favorite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answers—even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.

    

    The author also explains, how this medium could be the common source of electrostatic, gravitational and nuclear forces and thus unifying them all.The Author has presented his idea by explaining the established theories of physics to his children and comparing them with his ideas. He has assumed in this book, that his son is having difficulties in studing the science subjects. Then author takes upon himself to teach him, and during his discussion of the structure of the atom and other theories of physics with his children, he confronts few questions such as - where do the electrons get their negative charge? How the universe was created? What existed before Big-Bang? Did Big-Bang really happen? All these questions made him study deep into theories of physics . He studied Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Time Dilation, Space-Time Warpness, Cause of Gravitation, Bending of Light by Gravity, Expansion of the Universe, the Big-Bang theory and after studying them all, he was still not satisfied. With his updated knowledge and having unanswered questions in his mind, he sets out on a hunt for the answer of these questions. The author found during his search that in his Theory of Relativity, Einstein had said that either ‘Space’ or ‘Time’ adjusts itself to keep ‘the Speed of Light’ constant. And he chose ‘Time’ instead of ‘Space’, that adjusted itself, and gave the world the concept of ‘Time Dilation’. This concept was proved to be true by astronauts when they measured time in outer space. Despite this proof, author thought of the possibility of ‘Space’ adjusting itself to keep ‘the Speed of Light’ constant for all observers. Based on this assumption, he envisaged that the space can be considered to be formed of a medium of thin invisible lines similar to magnetic lines of force, that have tensile as well as compressive stresses. The author also conjectured, in the beginning of the Universe, there was dense uniform space in the Universe, having uniform stress in the Lines of space. Then due to some energy disparities, this dense space converted into matter by contraction and caused different stresses in the remaining space. The author found mathematical formulae to calculate the number of lines of space at various locations and their stress. He explained the relation of Lines of Space with Cause of Gravitation, Bending of Light, the Expansion of the Universe, Theory of Relativity, Creation of subatomic particles, Cause of strong nuclear forces, Cause of electrostatic forces. Through the use of Lines of Space, he has elucidated that instead of 'Time', 'Space' adjusts itself to keep the speed of light constant for all observers and hence he has presented, in this book, a new look in to the world of physics

    Located somewhere between art and science, the book brings together for the first time a series of panoramic images recently sent back by the U.S. observation satellite MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter). Since its arrival in orbit in 2006, MRO and its HiRISE telescope have been mapping Mars' surface in a series of exceptionally detailed images that reveal all the beauty of this legendary planet. Conceived as a visual atlas, the book takes the reader on a fantastic voyage--plummeting into the breathtaking depths of the Velles Marineris canyons; floating over the black dunes of Noachis Terra; and soaring to the highest peak in our solar system, the Olympus Mons volcano. The search for traces of water also uncovers vast stretches of carbonic ice at the planet's poles. Seamlessly compiled by French publisher, designer and editor Xavier Barral, these extraordinary images are accompanied by an introduction by research scientist Alfred S. McEwen, principle investigator on the HiRISE telescope; an essay by astrophysicist Francis Rocard, who explains the story of Mars' origins and its evolution; and a timeline by geophysicist Nicolas Mangold, who unveils the geological secrets of this fascinating planet.

    Like all great breakthroughs in science, it is often an unexpected result, which spurs the science community into rethinking how the Universe works. Towards the end of the twentieth century scientists thought they had a unified picture of how the Universe worked. Then, at the end of the twentieth century an entirely unexpected discovery was made. This discovery has the potential to revolutionize the way we understand the Universe. Indeed, the discovery may allow science to unravel the mysteries of the entire physical Universe.

    Accompanied by dramatic visuals, Your Ticket to the Universe is a hybrid coffee-table book and field guide.Beginning with our home planet, Your Ticket to the Universe embarks on an entertaining and accessible trip to the most interesting stops known in the cosmos. Learn about objects nearby within our Solar System (our backyard in space, so to speak) as well as wonders that are found throughout the Milky Way galaxy and beyond (the most distant and exotic lands to explore). Accompanied by brilliant photographs that bring the reading experience to vivid, immediate life, Your Ticket to the Universe is designed to make space exploration accessible to everyone. Your Ticket to the Universe outlines the essentials anyone needs to know, while piquing the reader's curiosity to learn more.

    

    People of all ages frequently ask, “How did you find that so quickly?” Well, this book will explain just that! The planets in our solar system, the International Space Station, sunspots, birds, nebula, airplanes, and comets are just some of the items that his book will help you find!If you have been having difficulties enjoying your small telescope, this book is for you. There is something interesting about pretty much everything in outer space and it is exciting how many pop-culture references are derived from things in the night sky! Viewing the stars referenced in Star Trek, or talking about a character in Harry Potter named after a constellation, is just another way to make stargazing that much more fun! I am very excited to share my knowledge of astronomy and I am sure you will enjoy this book for years to come. By working through the 50 items in this book you will achieve a well-rounded understanding of amateur astronomy.

    'The Cosmic Gallery' contemplates the entire cosmos as a grand celestial art exhibit: an array of stunning images, ranging from easily seen phenomena to the most distant and intricate galaxies, providing the reader with an exciting and beautiful new perspective on the cosmos.

    This manual covers the development, design and engineering of three generations of Mars rover: Sojourner, which landed in 1997, was the size of a microwave; Spirit and Opportunity, both the size of a shopping cart, followed in 2004; and Curiosity is the size of a car, with a design life of two years. Learn how these machines work as well as what they have found and hope to discover - and look forward to the possibility that humans may yet set foot on the Red Planet.

    From launch to landing, this Limited First Edition of 1981 copies worldwide is a spectacular piece of photographic history you will want to revisit time and time again. This stunning piece of work commemorates 30 years of manned space flight aboard an American treasure, a world phenomenon and arguably, the most technologically advanced vehicle ever made - The NASA space shuttle. This book pays tribute to the 5 space worthy orbiters built by NASA: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, and exhibits them in some of the most amazing images you will ever see. From the dangerous launch sequence to some of the most vivid mission photographs, such as space walks, extraordinary astronaut maintenance work, docking with the International Space Station and more. The photographs are presented beautifully and displayed in a fashion which lets the images do the talking. Within the book, you will find details on every single space shuttle mission flown, including launch dates, crew members for each mission, plus a fantastic gallery of all 135 mission patches.

    Evidence instead shows that the force responsible for all the objects and events we observe throughout the universe is the electric force that enables current flow and therefore magnetic fields to exist. If we consider that the electric force is fundamentally one thousand, billion, billion, billion, billion times more powerful than gravity and that the universe consists of 99.99% plasma; charged matter through which electric currents flow, then you have good reason to open your mind and reading what this book has to say.

    Learn details about the 8 planets of the Solar System and the elements contained in their atmospheres. Discover the other amazing things that can be found in our Solar System! Explore new vocabulary in this exciting 4th installment of the Super Smart Science Series. Colorful illustrations and simplified text make a complex topic easy to understand!

    It presents astrophysics from basic principles without requiring any previous study of astronomy or astrophysics. It serves as a comprehensive introductory text, which takes the student through the field of astrophysics in lecture-sized chapters of basic physical principles applied to the cosmos.This one-semester overview will be enjoyed by undergraduate students with an interest in the physical sciences, such as astronomy, chemistry, engineering or physics, as well as by any curious student interested in learning about our celestial science. The mathematics required for understanding the text is on the level of simple algebra, for that is all that is needed to describe the fundamental principles.The text is of sufficient breadth and depth to prepare the interested student for more advanced specialised courses in the future. Astronomical examples are provided throughout the text, to reinforce the basic concepts and physics, and to demonstrate the use of the relevant formulae. In this way, the student learns to apply the fundamental equations and principles to cosmic objects and situations. Astronomical and physical constants and units as well as the most fundamental equations can be found in the appendix. Essential Astrophysics goes beyond the typical textbook by including references to the seminal papers in the field, with further reference to recent applications, results, or specialised literature.

    Although the climates of other worlds are extremely diverse, the chemical and physical processes that shape their dynamics are the same. As this book makes clear, the better we can understand how various planetary climates formed and evolved, the better we can understand Earth's climate history and future.

    This title introduces children to the ever-popular topic of space and the amazing worlds that make up our solar system.

    The authors provide an overview of our current knowledge and discuss some of the unanswered questions at the forefront of research in planetary science and astrobiology today. They combine knowledge of the Solar System and the properties of extrasolar planets with astrophysical observations of ongoing star and planet formation, offering a comprehensive model for understanding the origin of planetary systems. The book concludes with an introduction to the fundamental properties of living organisms and the relationship that life has to its host planet. With more than 200 exercises to help students learn how to apply the concepts covered, this textbook is ideal for a one-semester or two-quarter course for undergraduate students.

    Our galaxy is only one among 50 billion in the universe. With a vastness this incomprehensible, it is easy to feel like we are mere specks of sand on an endless shore. But our sun is special. Though roughly 150 million kilometers separate us, we could not be more connected. Literally, everything you see comes from the sun. The words you are reading now are really photons that left the sun about 8 minutes ago only to bounce off this page and into your eyes. We owe our very existence to our sun. It provides just enough heat to keep our fragile bodies from freezing to ice or burning to a crisp. Every bite of food we eat we owe to the sun, whose energy is converted into plants that provide sustenance for everything up the food chain.We have understood the sun's importance for millennia. The earliest humans, awestruck by its blazing splendor, left drawings of the sun on cave walls. Nearly every civilization, no matter where it sprang up on the planet, has revered the sun. Myths about the sun were the basis of the earliest deities of ancient Sumerian, Hindu, Egyptian, Chinese, and Meso-American cultures. Before Apollo, the ancient Greeks worshiped the sun-god Helios. Before Zeus, the ancient Romans worshiped Sol.Throughout our history, the sun has been central to humanity's quest for meaning in the universe. But our history has been a brief moment in our sun's 4.5 billion year life. Only recently, through advances in science and technology, have we begun to understand our sun - where it came from, how it functions, how it affects our lives and how it eventually will destroy our planet.Our Sun is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand guide to everything we know about our closest star. Illustrated with stunning pictures from NASA's newly-launched Solar Dynamics Observatory, Our Sun will reveal the science behind the sun, trace its impact on human history, and reveal its growing importance to our future way of life.

    Poems that explore existence--both real and imagined.

    A total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses the United States. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow will begin in the northern Pacific and cross the USA from west to east from Oregon to South Carolina. The Moon's penumbral shadow will produce a partial eclipse visible from most of North America. In fact, the 2017 full eclipse is such an important sky event that sky watchers in Europe are already planning trips to view it. 2017 Guide to the Night Sky provides all of the information needed to view this exciting eclipse and track its path. The time zones and transit of the eclipse will be noted inside the book's jacket for quick and easy reference.The night sky makes for exciting viewing any time of the year, and 2017 Guide to the Night Sky is the ideal guide to help amateur astronomers find their way for the entire 12 months. With monthly charts and other diagrams set for a latitude of 40 degrees North, it shows how the visible stars change from month to month and includes the many sky events that occur throughout the year. It is highly practical for beginning sky gazers because the objects and events may be observed with the naked eye, or nothing more complicated than a pair of binoculars.The month-by-month guides include sky activity charts and moon calendars; meteors (with dates of showers, including hourly rate of radiants); the Planets; ecliptic charts; diagrams of interesting events; plus sky and constellation maps throughout.An appendix includes a full glossary; the Greek Alphabet; the constellation genitives, abbreviations and English names; a table of common asterisms; further information; recommended astronomy journals, societies, institutions and organizations; software, and internet sources.Especially useful for beginning sky watchers, this guide will be fully updated to 2017. Its small and light format makes it the ideal portable reference for backyard astronomers.

    But they have been replaced by the reality of something even more exotic. For example, although it is still uncertain whether Mars ever had actual oceans, it now seems that a web of waterways did indeed at one time spread across its surface. The "water" in many places in our Solar System is a poisoned brew mixed with ammonia or methane. Even that found on Jupiter's watery satellite Europa is believed similar to battery acid. Beyond the Galilean satellites may lie even more "alien oceans." Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan seems to be subject to methane or ethane rainfall. This creates methane pools that, in turn, become vast lakes and, perhaps, seasonal oceans. Titan has other seas in a sense, as large shifting areas of sand covering vast plains have been discovered. Mars also has these sand seas, and Venus may as well, along with oceans of frozen lava. Do super-chilled concoctions of ammonia, liquid nitrogen, and water percolate beneath the surfaces of Enceladus and Triton? For now we can only guess at the possibilities. 'Alien Seas' serves up part history, part current research, and part theory as it offers a rich buffet of "seas" on other worlds. It is organized by location and by the material of which various oceans consist, with guest authors penning specific chapters. Each chapter features new original art depicting alien seas, as well as the latest ground-based and spacecraft images. Original diagrams presents details of planetary oceans and related processes.

    Yet the religious implications of this search and possible discovery have never been systematically addressed in the scientific or theological arena. SETI is nowentering its most important era of scientific development. New observation techniques are leading to the discovery of extra-solar planets daily, and the Kepler mission has already collected over 1000 planetary candidates. This deluge of data is transforming the scientific and popular view of theexistence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Earth-like planets outside of our solar system can now be identified and searched for signs of life.Now is a crucial time to assess the scientific and theological questions behind this search. This book sets out the scientific arguments undergirding SETI, with particular attention to the uncertainties in arguments and the strength of the data already assembled. It assesses not only the discoveryof planets but other areas such as the Fermi paradox, the origin and evolution of intelligent life, and current SETI strategies. In all of this it reflects on how these questions are shaped by history and pop culture and their relationship with religion, especially Christian theology. It is arguedthat theologians need to take seriously SETI and to examine some central doctrines such as creation, incarnation, revelation, and salvation in the light of the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

    For centuries, this methodology allowed philosophical and theological disciplines to advance by understanding science in the Aristotelian sense. Hugon's work uses this methodology, offering formal arguments with clearly identifiable premises and conclusions, and formal objections with clearly identifiable distinctions, etc, covering all of speculative philosophy.This manual is a true work of synthesis of seven centuries of Thomistic tradition. This translation now provides English speakers with an introduction to Thomistic philosophy that follows the scholastic scientific methodology faithfully, thus providing them with a solid means of learning the all-but-forgotten art of scholastic disputation. 'Cosmology, one volume in Thomas Hugons multi-volume work, covers the first part of natural philosophy, considering the physical world from the point of view of its efficient, material, formal, and final causes.

    But with this book as a guide the awesome nature of the Cosmos is brought down to Earth. Over the course of twelve chapters Mark Thompson, one of the presenters on BBC One’s Stargazing Live and the resident astronomer on ITV’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show, will take you on a journey through space, tackling the key concepts of astronomy and unlocking the secrets of the sky. From the origins of our Universe to the ever evolving techniques used to explore deep space, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos traces the journey of galactic discovery that has obsessed mankind for thousands of years.Accompanying the narrative, a series of monthly sky guides focus on the astronomical highlights visible at each given time of year, with handy charts to show you exactly what to look for and how to navigate around the sky at night. As fascinating as it is accessible, A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos is a must for anyone who gazes up and wishes they knew more about the final frontier...

    But there was a time, before the successful application of photography to the heavens, in which scientists had to rely on handmade drawings of these mysterious phenomena.           Observing by Hand sheds entirely new light on the ways in which the production and reception of handdrawn images of the nebulae in the nineteenth century contributed to astronomical observation. Omar W. Nasim investigates hundreds of unpublished observing books and paper records from six nineteenth-century observers of the nebulae: Sir John Herschel; William Parsons, the third Earl of Rosse; William Lassell; Ebenezer Porter Mason; Ernst Wilhelm Leberecht Tempel; and George Phillips Bond. Nasim focuses on the ways in which these observers created and employed their drawings in data-driven procedures, from their choices of artistic materials and techniques to their practices and scientific observation. He examines the ways in which the act of drawing complemented the acts of seeing and knowing, as well as the ways that making pictures was connected to the production of scientific knowledge.           An impeccably researched, carefully crafted, and beautifully illustrated piece of historical work, Observing by Hand will delight historians of science, art, and the book, as well as astronomers and philosophers.

    Complete with over 300 of the best astronomical images ever captured, a comprehensive introduction to the stars and other celestial phenomena, and a series of newly commissioned, state-of-the-art maps showing the stars that are visible from populated latitudes in both hemispheres throughout the year, this magnificent guide has all you need to know to become an expert stargazer.Step outside on a clear night, and the number of stars in the night sky can be overwhelming. Take a pair of binoculars or a small telescope with you, and a celestial vista of star clusters and clouds, knots of gas and dust, nearby planets and distant galaxies is revealed. Since ancient times, stargazers have made sense of the night sky by grouping its stars into constellationsâ??star patterns that often have symbolic or mythological meanings.

    Instead, Graham proposes that the advancesmade by Presocratic philosophers in the study of astronomy deserve to be considered as scientific contributions.Whereas philosophers of the sixth century BC treated astronomical phenomena as ephemeral events continuous with weather processes, those of the fifth century treated heavenly bodies as independent stony masses whirled in a cosmic vortex. Two historic events help to date and account for the change: asolar eclipse in 478 BC and a meteoroid that fell to earth around 466. Both events influenced Anaxagoras, who transformed insights from Parmenides into explanations of lunar and solar eclipses, meteors, and rainbows.Virtually all philosophers came to accept Anaxagoras' theory of lunar light and eclipses. Aristotle endorsed Anaxagoras' theory of eclipses as a paradigm of scientific explanation. Anaxagoras' theories launched a geometrical approach to astronomy and were accepted as foundational principles by allmathematical astronomers from Aristarchus to Ptolemy to Copernicus and Galileo-and to the present day.

    Starting from basic concepts, the narrative builds scientifically, including more in-depth material as boxed additions to the main text. The authors recount fascinating recent discoveries from space missions and observations using ground-based telescopes, of possible life-related artefacts in Martian meteorites, extrasolar planets, and subsurface oceans on Europa, Titan and Enceladus. They also provide a forward look to future missions. This is an exciting, informative read for anyone interested in the search for habitable and inhabited planets, and an excellent primer for students in astrobiology, habitability, planetary science and astronomy.

    Recent advances in technology have helped astronomers put to rest centuries-old debates about space and the universe, but they have also raised newer, more intriguing questions: What is the nature of dark matter and what does it tell us about the origins of the universe? Does new data strongly suggest that microbial life exists beyond Earth-in our own solar system? How does the discovery of far more exoplanets than scientists once estimated impact the odds that advanced life may exist elsewhere in the universe? Are space tourism and commercial asteroid mining feasible? TIME explores these topics and more in a stunning view of the final frontier.

    Perfect for beginners who want to learn more about Astronomy, DK's Get Started: Astronomy takes a "do and learn" approach by starting simple and building new skills, using photographed techniques to help people learn step-by-step.

    We begin with the simplest sight of the Tycho Crater on the Moon, through a repeat of Galileo's observations of Jupiter's moons, and then move out towards the nebulae, stars, and galaxies. The astronomical observations repeat the original groundbreaking discoveries that have changed our understanding of science and ourselves. This title contains graded observing challenges from the straightforward to the more difficult (in chapter order). It offers clear observing tips and lots of practical help, presuming no prior in-depth knowledge of equipment. Binoculars and/or a small astronomical telescope are all that is required for most of the observations. Secondly, it explores for each observation the science of what is seen, adding to the knowledge and enjoyment of amateur astronomers and offering lots of reading for the cloudy nights when there is not a star in view. Thirdly, the book puts the amateur astronomers' observations into a wider perspective. 'Twenty-Five Astronomical Observations That Changed the World' makes the observer part of that great story of discovery. Each chapter, each observing challenge, shows how to observe and then how to look with understanding. The projects begin with practicalities: where the object is, how best is it observed and with what appropriate equipment (usually a small-to-medium aperture amateur telescope, binoculars, even the naked eye). 'Twenty-Five Astronomical Observations that Changed the World' guides even the inexperienced amateur astronomer - beginners can use the book - around a variety of night-sky objects, and reminds the more experienced how they can best be seen. These practical observations put us in contact with all the history and culture surrounding them: through scientific speculation and literature to those first fuzzy images made in 1959 by the Russian space probe Luna 3.

    

    It begins with the 1963 Assassination of President John Kennedy. The Kennedy Assassination led to Secret Societies, the Spear of Destiny, the Shroud of Turin and the Resurrection of Jesus. By the end of Book One of the two book presentation, THE JOHN KENNEDY - JESUS CHRIST CONNECTION, secret history has revealed links between the death of Jesus and Adolf Hitler, between Kennedy’s death and Nazis, between Nazis and Freemasonry, between Kennedy, Khrushchev and Pope John XXIII; and introduced us to the Black Nobles and their control over reality. Meanwhile, the author became a U.S. Army Intelligence Officer and learned the secrets of Electronic Warfare. Understanding energy in its multitude of forms, became the foundation for comprehending concepts ranging from the human bioelectromagnetic field to the geometry of Earth and the Solar System; from telepathy to psychic weapons; from reincarnation to the Resurrection. These subjects are woven thru both books. Book Two, DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, brings in even more first hand experiences, which were critical to the narrative of Book One. By using an autobiographical approach to the subject matter, seeing secrets unfold as the author saw it, lessons in history and science are not only fun, they are journeys into mystery. Those experiences include numerous encounters with extraterrestrials, Archangels and Nature Spirits; experiments with pyramid and other energy devices; demonstrating how mineral energies and sound are the key to good health; longrange telepathy/remote viewing; time travel and memories of past lifetimes. Behind it all is the hunt for the Black Nobles and the matrix of lies that have warped our reality. Who is in control of Reality? How did the Federal Reserve come to dominate the world? Is there a secret Space Fleet, kept hidden because they use free energy propulsion systems? Are there ancient artifacts on the moon and in the desert of Iraq? Is Earth undergoing a massive change because of the Photon Belt? What is HAARP and a chemtrail? Is the sun white? How did the American Republic get taken over by a Corporation, and why is the Founding Fathers’ Constitution no longer the Law of the Land? What are Super Soldiers? Why is hemp the ultimate weapon in the return of the Republic? The book takes a leap into metaphysics by delving into concepts of consciousness, energy bodies, the DNA internet, and existence of the soul. And throughout are the teachings of Cosmic Reality and its rules. The book brings the reader to a working knowledge of Cosmic Reality. By the end, you should have ample scientific and historic proof that you are a manifestation of your soul. That your soul is a manifestation of something divine. That you have a moral obligation to access the knowledge and power of your soul and its divine counterpart. Such knowledge provides access to personal power. By becoming "empowered", total freedom can be understood. Those Black Nobles who have been ruling the world for millenniums, accessed Cosmic Reality, took the power, and ruled Reality as we perceive it upon Earth. These self-proclaimed rulers of Reality, have willingly conspired to keep mankind ignorant by keeping secret true history and science. It is ignorance that is the ultimate enemy. The Black Nobles are simply its agents. Cosmic Reality provides the key to defeating the Black Noble matrix and insuring a future of unlimited potential and beauty.

    According to Islamic reckoning late in 1979 we entered this phase, and the world as we know it will end at some point during this current century. There have been numerous ‘end time’ claims in the past that have been repeatedly discredited, however since 1986 following the latest apparition of Halley’s Comet the earth has indeed been subjected to an increasingly long list not only of terrorist acts and revolutions across the Islamic world but also of ‘record’ traumas in the form of hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis. Early in 2013 the world witnessed the power of a very small asteroid exploding over populated areas of Russia. Is there any substance to the long held claims of Islam and other religions? This is the first ever book to analyse ancient chronologies and testimonies in relation to modern scientific research concerning major climatic cycles in the Earth’s recent past. The results are not only eye-opening but disturbing. Nicholas Costa is a freelance writer and lecturer.

    This book tells the remarkable story of how the celestial objects that make up the solar system arose from common beginnings billions of years ago, and how scientists and philosophers have sought to unravel this mystery down through the centuries, piecing together the clues that enabled them to deduce the solar system's layout, its age, and the most likely way it formed.Drawing on the history of astronomy and the latest findings in astrophysics and the planetary sciences, John Chambers and Jacqueline Mitton offer the most up-to-date and authoritative treatment of the subject available. They examine how the evolving universe set the stage for the appearance of our Sun, and how the nebulous cloud of gas and dust that accompanied the young Sun eventually became the planets, comets, moons, and asteroids that exist today. They explore how each of the planets acquired its unique characteristics, why some are rocky and others gaseous, and why one planet in particular--our Earth--provided an almost perfect haven for the emergence of life.From Dust to Life is a must-read for anyone who desires to know more about how the solar system came to be. This enticing book takes readers to the very frontiers of modern research, engaging with the latest controversies and debates. It reveals how ongoing discoveries of far-distant extrasolar planets and planetary systems are transforming our understanding of our own solar system's astonishing history and its possible fate.

    Taking contributions from notable experts in several fields, the editors skillfully introduce and develop a broad look at the moral questions facing humans on Earth and beyond. Major advances in biology, biotechnology, and medicine create an urgency to ethical considerations in those fields. Astrobiology goes on to debate how we might behave as we explore new worlds, or create new life in the laboratory, or interact with extraterrestrial life forms. Stimulated by new technologies for scientific exploration on and off the Earth, astrobiology is establishing itself as a distinct scientific endeavor. In what way can established philosophies provide guidance for the new frontiers opened by astrobiology research? Can the foundations of ethics and moral philosophy help answer questions about modifying other planets? Or about how to conduct experiments to create life in the lab or about? How to interact with organisms we might discover on another world? While we wait for the first echo that might indicate life beyond Earth, astobiologists, along with philosophers, theologians, artists, and the general public, are exploring how we might behave—even before we know for sure they are there. Encountering Life in the Universe is a remarkable resource for such philosophical challenges.

    Understanding these objects requires extensive knowledge in many different areas: accretion disks, the physics of dust and ionized gas, astronomical spectroscopy, star formation, and the cosmological evolution of galaxies and black holes. This new text by Hagai Netzer, a renowned astronomer and leader in the field, provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory underpinning our study of AGN and the ways that we observe them. It emphasizes the basic physics underlying AGN, the different types of active galaxies and their various components, and the complex interplay between them and other astronomical objects. Recent developments regarding the evolutionary connections between active galaxies and star-forming galaxies are explained in detail. Both graduate students and researchers will benefit from Netzer's authoritative contributions to this exciting field of research.

    Connected to the evolution of the galaxies that contain these black holes, galactic nuclei are the sites of uniquely energetic events, including quasars, stellar tidal disruptions, and the generation of gravitational waves. This textbook is the first comprehensive introduction to dynamical processes occurring in the vicinity of supermassive black holes in their galactic environment. Filling a critical gap, it is an authoritative resource for astrophysics and physics graduate students, and researchers focusing on galactic nuclei, the astrophysics of massive black holes, galactic dynamics, and gravitational wave detection. It is an ideal text for an advanced graduate-level course on galactic nuclei and as supplementary reading in graduate-level courses on high-energy astrophysics and galactic dynamics. David Merritt summarizes the theoretical work of the last three decades on the evolution of galactic nuclei, the formation of massive black holes, and the interaction between black holes and stars. He explores in depth such important topics as observations of galactic nuclei, dynamical models, weighing black holes, motion near supermassive black holes, evolution of nuclei due to gravitational encounters, loss cone theory, and binary supermassive black holes. Self-contained and up-to-date, the textbook includes a summary of the current literature and previously unpublished work by the author. For researchers working on active galactic nuclei, galaxy evolution, and the generation of gravitational waves, this book will be an essential resource.

    In Robotic Exploration of the Solar System, Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide a comprehensive account of the design and management of deep-space missions, the spacecraft involved - some flown, others not - their instruments, and their scientific results.This fourth volume in the series covers the period 2004 to the present day and features:coverage of the Rosetta and Curiosity missions up to the end of 2013coverage of Mars missions since 2005, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Phoenix and Fobos-Grunt, plus a description of plans for future robotic exploration of the Red Planetcoverage of all planetary missions launched between 2004 and 2013, including the Deep Impact cometary mission, the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter, the New Horizons Pluto flyby and the Juno Jupiter orbiterthe first complete description of the Chinese Chang'e 2 asteroid flyby mission ever publishedextensive coverage of future missions, including the European BepiColombo Mercury orbiter and international plans to revisit the most interesting moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

    Brown shows the ways in which Jews ignored, rejected, or accepted the Copernican model, and the theological and societalunderpinnings of their choices.Throughout New Heavens and a New Earth are deft historical studies of such colorful figures as Joseph Delmedigo, the first Jewish Copernican and a student of Galileo's; Tuviah Cohen, who called Copernicus the Son of Satan; Zelig Slonimski, author of a collection of essays on Halley's Comet; andcontemporary Jewish thinkers who use Einstein's Theory of Relativity to argue that the Earth does not actually revolve around the sun. Brown also provides insightful comparisons of concurrent Jewish and Christian writings on Copernicus, demonstrating that the Jewish reception of Copernicus waslargely dependent on local factors and responses.The book concludes with the important lessons to be learned from the history of the Jewish reception of Copernican thought, and shows how religions make room for new scientific descriptions of reality while upholding their most cherished beliefs.

    Pulsars, quasars, Big Bang cosmology: all are discoveries of the new science of radio astronomy. Here, Francis Graham-Smith describes the birth, development, and maturity of radio astronomy, from the first discovery ofcosmic radio waves to its present role as a major part of modern astronomy.Radio is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, covering infra-red, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma-rays, and Graham-Smith explains why it is that radio waves give us a unique view of the Universe. Tracing the development of radio telescopes he shows how each new idea in observingtechniques has led to new discoveries, and looks at the ways in which radio waves are generated in the various cosmic sources, relating this to the radio world of mobile phones, radio and television channels, wireless computer connections, and remote car locks.Today a new generation of radio telescopes promises to extend our understanding of the Universe into further, as yet unknown, fields. Huge new radio telescopes are being built, such as the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA), Low Frequency Array for Radioastronomy (LOFAR), and the Square KilometreArray (SKA). Radio telescopes on spacecraft such as the Cosmic Microwave Explorer (COBE) and Planck are tracing in minute detail the faint but universal radio signal from the expanding early Universe.Graham-Smith shares the excitement of discovering the wonders of the radio universe, and the possibilities promised by the new age of giant radio telescopes.

    Highlights recent key discoveries in context of Hubble's achievements.