A Dictionary of Astronomy (Oxford Paperback Reference) [Paperback]

Ian Ridpath (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 2007 | ISBN-10: 019921493X | ISBN-13: 978-0199214938 | Edition: 2

Edited by renowned author and broadcaster Ian Ridpath, with the help of over 20 expert contributors, the second edition of this highly popular dictionary contains over 4,200 up-to-date entries on all aspects of astronomy. Readers will find a galaxy of informative, vividly written entries on everything from space exploration and the equipment involved, to astrophysics, cosmology, and the concept of time. The dictionary also features biographical entries on eminent astronomers--ranging from Galileo to Edwin Hubble--as well as world-wide coverage of observatories and telescopes. Appendices include tables of Apollo lunar landing missions, and the constellations. Entries are supported by numerous tables and diagrams. The text has been fully revised and updated for the second edition, and includes information on new space missions, both those planned for the future and those that have recently come to fruition (such as the Huygens Probe of Saturns moon Titan). It also boasts entry-level Internet links (accessed via a regularly updated website), and in-depth features on topics such as the Big Bang, Dark matter, and Gamma-ray bursts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Notable for its authoritative content, this dictionary is recommended as a quick reference source for public, academic, and special libraries."--Booklist

About the Author

Ian Ridpath has been a full-time writer, broadcaster, and lecturer on astronomy and space since 1972. A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, he has written numerous trade books on aspects of astronomy, including the longest-standing star atlas in print.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (October 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019921493X
• ISBN-13: 978-0199214938
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,161,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Many of today's amateur stargazers learned their way around the night sky with the observing guides of Ian Ridpath. Among these are The Monthly Sky Guide, now in its 8th edition; the Collins Stars and Planets Guide (known in the US as the Princeton Field Guide to Stars and Planets), now in its 4th edition; and Collins Gem Stars. A particular interest of Ian's is the Greek myths of the constellations, which he wrote about in his book Star Tales.

Ian is editor of the authoritative Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and is a former Council member of the Royal Astronomical Society. He was a major contributor to the recent Dorling Kindersley encyclopedia Universe, and is author of Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Companion to Astronomy.

He is also a leading UFO skeptic and is well-known for his investigation and explanation of Britain's leading UFO case, the Rendlesham Forest Incident.

For more about Ian Ridpath, see his personal website
http://www.ianridpath.com
and his entry in Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Ridpath

Support pages for Ian Ridpath's books in print can be found here
http://www.ianridpath.com/books/support.htm

For talks by Ian Ridpath see
http://www.ianridpath.com/cv/lectures.htm

Read Ian Ridpath's author blog
http://ianridpathauthorblog.blogspot.com/