Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy

Packed with up-to-date astronomical data about the Solar System, our Galaxy and the wider Universe, this is a one-stop reference for astronomers of all levels. It gives the names, positions, sizes and other key facts of all the planets and their satellites; discusses the Sun in depth, from sunspots to solar eclipses; lists the dates for cometary returns, close-approach asteroids, and significant meteor showers; and includes 88 star charts, with the names, positions, magnitudes and spectra of the stars, along with key data on nebulae and clusters. Full of facts and figures, this is the only book you need to look up data about astronomy. It is destined to become the standard reference for everyone interested in astronomy. '... will be an invaluable reference work for serious observers - but it is equally suitable for armchair browsers, and indeed for anyone who is curious about what lies beyond the Earth.' Martin Rees, Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics, University of Cambridge, from the Foreword '... a wonderful compendium. It is an invaluable reference work for serious observers and is equally suitable for armchair browsers, and indeed for anyone who is curious about what lies beyond the Earth ... a one-stop reference for astronomers of all levels.' Spaceflight 'Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy holds ... [an] allure for the armchair traveller, a compendium of the far-away and strange destinations in the heavens. The diverse offerings of the night sky - nebulae, galaxies, constellations, clusters, comets, asteroids, double stars, variable stars, meteor storms, supernovae, planets and moons - are all here, neatly organised, catalogued and enumerated. Readers with no prior interest in amateur astronomy will find a lot to captivate here. It also contains clearly written, up-to-date sections explaining what all these various celestial objects are, and how we've come to know them. This work offers so much more than a handbook for backyard telescopes; it is an atlas for the Universe around us that will surprise every time you dip in.' Lewis Dartnell, The Times Higher Education Supplement '... a tremendously useful text to dip into.' The Observatory1. The Solar System; 2. The Sun; 3. The Moon; 4. Mercury; 5. Venus; 6. Earth; 7. Mars; 8. The asteroid belt; 9. Jupiter; 10. Saturn; 11. Uranus; 12. Neptune; 13. Beyond Neptune: the Kuiper Belt; 14. Comets; 15. Meteors; 16. Meteorites; 17. Glows and atmospheric effects; 18. The stars; 19. Stellar spectra and evolution; 20. Extrasolar planets; 21. Double stars; 22. Variable stars; 23. Stellar clusters; 24. Nebulae; 25. The Galaxy; 26. The evolution of the Universe; 27. The constellations; 28. The star catalogue; 29. Telescopes and observatories; 30. Non-optical astronomy; 31. The history of astronomy; 32. Astronomers; 33. Glossary; Index.