Customer Reviews

Journey from the Center of the Sun (Princeton Science Library)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Journey from the Center of the Sun" hits the right level for me in describing the science of the sun; it uses words, pictures, and word-pictures (no math) to describe how the complex physics of nuclear reactions, plasmas, and enormous magnetic explosions all work to make the sun provide us with energy - and also blast the earth with solar wind storms. I am a reader of Scientific American and love to read layman books on science because there is no way that I could understand the technical, mathematical papers of the experts, and yet am fascinated by the rapidly unfolding developments in physics, astronomy, and cosmology. I would highly recommend this book for those readers who want a well-written explanation of the sun, the on-going work on solar cycles, sunspots, the "missing neutrino" problem, the "coronal heating" conundrum, and the new studies in helioseismology. I will also add that I enjoyed Jack Zirker's first book "Total Eclipses of the Sun" which inspired me to travel to an eclipse - an experience I would like to repeat.

In contrast to the other reviewers, I found some of the explanations of the physics behind solar processes rather confusing. For example, I couldn't quite understand the points made in the notes to chapter 5 about standing waves, modes and nodes. Also, the captions to the figures often don't explain what the axes of the graphs are supposed to represent.

This book takes you through an incredible journey inside our nearest star. If you ever thought the sun was just a big nuclear furnace, here you will learn of the amazing complexities and mysteries of this star that gives us all life. Along the way you will meet many of the great scientist that contributed to the wealth of knowledge that we have amassed about the sun over the short time (relative to the sun's life) that we have inhabited this third planet from it.

Dr. Zirker begins with many of the questions we still have about the sun; such as - Why the thin corona outer atmosphere is much hotter that the surface (photosphere)? How is the solar wind accelerated to velocities of 800 km/s? What causes the huge coronal mass ejections and solar flares that have direct consequences on earth? Why does the sun follow solar cycles? Where are the missing neutrinos that should be produced from the proton-proton chain reaction taking place in the core?

The book gives the latest research on these and many other aspects of solar science such as the relatively new fields of helioseismology, chaos theory, fractal geometry, and others. Along the way you will learn why the light produced in the core by the thermonuclear process takes a million years to reach the surface (and then only another 8.3 minutes to reach the earth), why the intense activity in the convection zone (the zone that reaches some 200,000 km below the surface) is attributed to sound waves, and how the sunspots are related to the intense magnetic storms occurring on the sun.

One of the subtle things you will get from this book is how the scientific process works - how theories are proposed, experiments designed and preformed and theories revised (or abandoned) and how our scientific knowledge is perpetuated by "standing on the shoulders of giants" - all the works and sacrifices of those that have come before us.
An inspiring book if ever there was one!

I loved this book. As a biochemistry professor I always particularly appreciate good popular science writing, the kind that can engage and excite my students. Clearly written and beautifully illustrated, Journey strikes a perfect balance between too simple and too heavy--with a few technical appendices for those who need more details. I highly recommend it as supplementary reading for college astronomy courses, or just fun reading for science buffs at all levels.

For science, always read the latest available information. For the sun, this book has it. Contains excellent summary descriptions of solar theories, both proven and proposed. The author is familiar with most solar research and the researchers involved. The writing is clear. The science is accurate. A "must read" for armchair astronomers wanting the latest about the sun.

deeper into magnetic fields and interactions than most authors. I would like to see more diagrams, particularly of how the magnetic fields interact. Would also like a bit more explanation of how to interpret the stuff coming from the satellites. The author clearly knows, but seems to assume we do too.

One thing I really liked was his explanation of how the differential rotation works. Having a physics background I figured I knew how it would work. Like most people who would try to use angular momentum to describe it, I was wrong. What actually happens is quite interesting. Be sure to read what happens in BOTH the radiative and convective layers!

The time reading this book was well spent. Missed understanding about 10% of the information on the first read, almost all of it pertaining to magnetic fields. Still, the author was clear enough in his other explanations that I have ordered another of his books.

Great divulgation book, the author takes you directly into the fountain of the Energy that causes life and climate on Earth.

This book by Zirker is a very good informative source about what is presently known about the sun. Mr. Zirker describes the layers of the sun and the corona/chromosphere around the star. Mr. Zirker writes clearly enough to be understandable. Basic concepts are clarified very well. Mr. Zirker also provides a history of the discovery of the sun and its attributes by astronomers and other scientists. I learned a lot.

Mr. Zirker has engaged in a very ambitious project in his book that is crammed with both scientific and histoical information. It seems to this reviewer as well as Mr. Zirker himself that a nonexpert viewer will not be able to catch and assimulate all the information presented in this work. But the book is still very informative and valuable. For those wanting to know something about the sun, this work is a must read.