State of the Universe 2008: New Images, Discoveries, and Events (Springer Praxis Books / Popular Astronomy) (Paperback)

by Martin Ratcliffe (Author)
Key Phrases: runaway universe, new dwarf galaxies, consult these websites, Milky Way, State of the Universe, Hubble Space Telescope (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
From the reviews:

"This softback volume brings together 100 of the most significant astronomy-related press releases that were issued between 2006 April and 2007 March, together with full-colour reproductions of the relevant illustrations. a ] this compilation by writer and educator Martin Ratcliffe is a welcome reference. a ] Written by recognized experts in their field, these articles cover such diverse topics as a ~The history and future of telescopesa (TM), a ~The state of the Universea (TM), and a ~Building planetary disksa (TM)." (Peter Bond, The Observatory, Vol. 128 (1204), 2008)

"A book that collates and presents a whole yeara (TM)s worth of news stories a ] . The succinct nature of these news stories captures the essence of the research, and for those who wish to read up more about each subject, web links to the original press release or even the scientific paper are provided, making this an excellent resource a ] . Anyone wanting a year book style review of the current state of affairs in the Universe a ] will enjoy reading this book." (Emily Baldwin, Astronomy Now, July, 2008)

Product Description
The aim of the "State of the Universe" annuals is to provide an annual astronomy review suitable for the popular science level reader to be published every September in a format that will be suitable for, and appeal to, the Christmas market. This book will cover all major astronomical news on topics beyond the Solar System and place them in the context of the longer term goals of astronomers and astrophysicists around the world. The aim is to capture the excitement and vibrancy of modern astronomical research. This section also includes web links for all major news stories, providing a bridge between the public news stories and the actual research web sites. The first chapter, 'A Year in News and Pictures', written by Martin Ratcliffe, appears every year and makes up the first half of the annual. It will present brief summaries of the major announcements, discoveries and news items from that year, with the major ones being explained in detail through later chapters written by invited contributors who are at the forefront of research in these fields. The January meeting of the American Astronomical Society each year will be the major source of astronomical news for the following year's volume, giving access to potential authors and contacts with public information officers of major observatories, space centers, etc. The invited contributions which make up the second half of the annual each year will cover a variety of topics and are written to appeal to a wide readership. These are written by leading astronomers or science writers. One feature introduced in the first volume, the overall review of the State of the Universe, by Dr Jim Kaler will be retained for "State of the Universe 2008". The set of appendices at the end of the book will include a list of launches of major astronomical observatories/satellites during the past year, a list of planned future astronomical satellites, and basic data on all astronomical observatories currently in operation with web links for the reader who wishes to find out more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Praxis; 1 edition (December 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387716742
• ISBN-13: 978-0387716749
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #603,672 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Astrono0mers view, April 5, 2008

By	Mr. F. C. Gear "Frank Gear F.R.A.S. Director/... (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book should be in the reading list of every educator who is involved in teaching Astronomy. Martin Ratcliff has collected in one publication information that would require many hours of research from the worlds leading authorities in each subject. I particularly liked the references given to each entry and have been able to contact via e-mail a number of the contributors to raise questions and gain further information.

A must in any library.

Frank Gear F.R.A.S.
Director/Presenter
NIAS Planetarium

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, July 15, 2009

By	Eric Asher "94JZA80" (Sarasota, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book if you are simply looking to update yourself on what's currently going on in the aerospace, astronomy, astrophysics, optics, etc. fields. It gives just enough information to enlighten one on the latest and greatest of these fields. However, if you're looking for a more in-depth look at the multiple topics presented in this book, you'll have to turn to supplementary materials (which this book does a good job of referencing so that you don't have to conduct in-depth supplementary materials searches yourself). It reads like a magazine full of editorials, and they are written by scientists and researchers who are renowned in their respective fields of research.

It is a bit redundant in places, as it covers some topics that were "cutting edge" in the previous volume, "State Of The Universe 2007." But that is to be expected, as many such topics can remain at the forefront of these fields of interest for years at a time. Nevertheless, there is plenty of new material, making it worth while to get "SOTU 2008" even if you have "SOTU 2007."

In summary, this book does exactly what it was intended to do - inform interested parties of what's going on at the forefront of the many astronomically-related fields in a clear and concise manner.