The Scientific American Book of Astronomy [Paperback]

The Editors of Scientific American Magazine (Author), Timothy Ferris (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Scientific American | Publication Date: February 2001

Space. It has captivated and confounded human beings since the very moment our earliest ancestors gazed upward toward the starry heavens. From the seventeenth century, when Galileo viewed the moon through his newly invented telescope, to the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope just a few years ago, mankind continues to pursue its profound secrets. Is there life in our solar system beyond our own planet? Will the vast universe that surrounds us continue to expand infinitely? What are the chances that earth will collide with a celestial body in the near future, and would the consequences be catastrophic?

In The Scientific American Book of Astronomy, some of the biggest names presently working in the field address these and other inquiries in thirty-two cutting edge articles: Travel to a black hole with Leonard Susskind as he investigates the fate of matter that slips beyond its horizon; witness firsthand the heart-stopping 1994 collision between Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Jupiter, as presented by David H. Levy, Eugene M. Shoemaker, and Carolyn S. Shoemaker; reevaluate the Big Bang theory with Alan H. Guth and Paul J. Steinhardt, who explain why its flaws have led to the development of an alternate model, the inflationary universe; learn why Vera Rubin believes the existence of so-called dark matter will help us better predict the destiny of the universe.

The Scientific American Book of Astronomy presents an astonishing array of knowledge that has shaped our understanding of space thus far and continues to stimulate and drive the imagination. As Timothy Ferris so eloquently writes in his introduction, "Consider some of the cosmic wonders explored in the book, and ask yourself what poet or artist ever imagined anything so strange."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What's going on out there? Get the skinny on the Great Beyond with The Scientific American Book of Astronomy. Fifty-four prominent researchers and writers contribute articles on everything from the climate on Mars to the ever-changing theories of dark matter, each in the classic, highly enjoyable Scientific American style. Well- and carefully chosen illustrations guide the reader through the reviews of our understanding of far-out topics, and the authors--David Levy , Shannon Lucid, and Vera Rubin among them--are perfectly suited to presenting their material. Most of the articles are from the last few years of the 1990s, though a few classics reach as far back as 1984. With sections ranging from the tiniest topics ("Rays, Waves, and Particles") to the indescribably large ("The Universe"), the book has everything and all readers should find something engaging within. Reports on the Hubble Space Telescope and Mir provide updates on our search for better tools to probe more deeply, while theoretical articles on black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and more keep us on our toes about what we think we already know. Great for browsing or for reference, The Scientific American Book of Astronomy brings the farthest reaches of the universe a little closer with each reading. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-A collection of 32 essays culled from the magazine that looks at the cutting-edge topics of space exploration by some of the biggest names in the field. One article describes the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter, and another speculates on what Earth would be like with the inhospitable environment of Venus. Bruce M. Jakosky, an investigator on the Mars Global Surveyor mission, addresses the question of where we might look for life in our solar system. Andrei Linde begins his article by saying, "If my colleagues and I are right, we may soon be saying good-bye to the idea that our universe was a single fireball created in the big bang. We are exploring a new theory-which basically says the universe consists of many inflating balls that produce new balls, which in turn produce more balls, ad infinitum." The collection concludes with Shannon Lucid's description of her preparation for and experiences on the Russian space station Mir. All of the articles are well written and accessible to students with a background in the physical sciences.
Cynthia J. Rieben, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585742848
• ISBN-13: 978-1585742844
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,725,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice compilation in the usual Scientific American style, December 8, 2000

By 

John Lagerling (Stockholm Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Scientific American Book of Astronomy (Hardcover)

I bought this book after having missed far too many articles on astronomy in Sci. Am. This book offers thorough readings on the developments of astronomy and astronomy related space discovery during the last 10 years. It has great chapters on everything from Gamma Ray bursters to the "Life on Mars Rock".

A very nice review of current astronomy issues and is a good complement to the articles you can read in current issues of the magazine.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but...., January 25, 2001

By 

Richard La Fianza (San Bernardino) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Scientific American Book of Astronomy (Hardcover)

This book is a collection of articles from different people over the last five years. How much you like any article may depend on how interested you are in that topic and how well the author presents it. Since all of them, however, are tied together by Scientific America, I would have expected a more consistent style.

Unfortunately the editors do not seem to have much control of the writer's style. So, some of the article were very clear, others were not written as well. It really is hit or miss in this book. There are some really good articles and some that don't quite make the grade. My two favorites were about the Kupiter Belt and the Oort Cloud.

The Kupiter belt is a colletion of rocks, really, beyond Pluto. Indeed, Pluto appears to be the largest of these planetoids on the fringes of our solar system. That is why you may have heard that some scientists don't think Pluto desires "planet status."

Further out, about 1/5 of a light year, is the Oort Cloud which contains the true leftovers of our solar system. The Oort Cloud is believe to be the source of comets. Comets are relatively "new" and have to come from somewhere because they lose mass every time they come near the sun. My very favorite was the theory that all the water on Earth came from comets because, when the Earth was formed, all the water was burned off of it while the ground was molten. Indeed, the moon might have stuck the Earth during this time and then stayed as it was caught it the Earth's gravity.

Again, overall, this book was fun. Written for the masses, but with enough scientific details to satisfy most people with some background in the field. Probably a better bargain, though, if it comes out in paperback.

3.0 out of 5 stars Dated, December 9, 2010

By 

Yoda (Hadera, Israel) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Scientific American Book of Astronomy (Paperback)

This book was published in 1999 and contains articles written between 1991 and 1998. Articles cover a wide variety of then "cutting edge" science on the topics of comets, asteroids, meteorites, rays, waves, particles, planets, stars, galaxies and technology used in space exploration. Unfortunately, as of 2010, most of these articles are pretty outdated. For example, the chapters on the search for planets outside of our solar system contain considerable conjecture on the subject but none were discovered as of the time the article was written. Since then, not only have about a half dozen large Jupiter and Saturn sized planets been discovered but there is serious discussion of an Earth like plant having been discovered. The chapter on space travel, for example, makes no mention of using solar "winds" for space travel. Another problem with the book is the relatively heterogeneous writing in each chapter, not surprising considering how many authors contributed. Some of the chapters are very dry while others are better written and hold reader's attention in a more interesting fashion.