Astronomy For Dummies
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)
Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring updated star maps, charts, and an insert with gorgeous full-color photographs, Astronomy For Dummies provides an easy-to-follow introduction to exploring the night sky. Plus, this new edition also comes with chapter quizzes online to help your understanding.
For as long as people have been walking the earth, those people have looked up into the night sky and wondered about the nature of the cosmos. Without the benefit of science to provide answers, they relied on myth and superstition to help them make sense of what they saw. Lucky for us, we live at a time when regular folks, equipped with nothing more than their naked eyes, can look up into the night sky and gain admittance to infinite wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, stars, galaxies, and even galactic clusters comprising hundreds of millions of stars and spanning millions of light-years.
Whether you're an amateur astronomer, space enthusiast, or enrolled in a first year astronomy course, Astronomy For Dummies gives you a reason to look into the heavens.
Ever wonder what's out there in the big ol' universe? This is the book for you!
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
Stephen P. Maran. (2017). Astronomy For Dummies. 4 Wiley.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Stephen P. Maran. 2017. Astronomy For Dummies. Wiley.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Stephen P. Maran, Astronomy For Dummies. Wiley, 2017.
MLA Citation (style guide)Stephen P. Maran. Astronomy For Dummies. 4 Wiley, 2017. Web.
| Library | Owned | Available |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Digital Collection | 1 | 1 |
OverDrive Product Record
- id
- 3db6029c-aac1-44aa-92a5-847a0e1f98a9
- primaryCreator
- name: Stephen P. Maran
- role: Author
- starRating
- 0
- title
- Astronomy For Dummies
- crossRefId
- 3139512
- sortTitle
- Astronomy For Dummies
- images
- cover300Wide:
- type: image/jpeg
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0128-1/3DB/602/9C/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img400.jpg
- cover:
- type: image/jpeg
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0128-1/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img100.jpg
- thumbnail:
- type: image/jpeg
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0128-1/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img200.jpg
- cover150Wide:
- type: image/jpeg
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0128-1/3DB/602/9C/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img150.jpg
- cover300Wide:
- dateAdded
- 2017-08-28T12:48:00-04:00
- contentDetails
- account:
- id: 1351
- name: Nashville Public Library (TN)
- type: text/html
- href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=239&titleID=3139512
- account:
- mediaType
- eBook
- formats
- id: ebook-epub-adobe
- identifiers:
- value: 9781119374381
- type: ISBN
- name: Adobe EPUB eBook
- id: ebook-kindle
- identifiers:
- value: B074W7Z1WT
- type: ASIN
- name: Kindle Book
OverDrive MetaData
- isPublicDomain
- False
- images
- cover:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0128-1/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img100.jpg
- type: image/jpeg
- thumbnail:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0128-1/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img200.jpg
- type: image/jpeg
- cover150Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0128-1/3DB/602/9C/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img150.jpg
- type: image/jpeg
- cover300Wide:
- href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0128-1/3DB/602/9C/{3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9}Img400.jpg
- type: image/jpeg
- cover:
- isPublicPerformanceAllowed
- False
- formats
- fileName: AstronomyForDummies9781119374381
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 18317757
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781119374381
- rights:
- type: CopyingTimesPerDays
- value: 7
- type: Printing
- value: -1
- type: Lending
- value: 0
- type: ReadAloud
- value: 0
- type: ExpirationRights
- value: 0
- name: Adobe EPUB eBook
- id: ebook-epub-adobe
- onSaleDate: 08/15/2017
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: AstronomyForDummies9781119374381
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 0
- identifiers:
- type: ASIN
- value: B074W7Z1WT
- name: Kindle Book
- id: ebook-kindle
- onSaleDate: 08/15/2017
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- fileName: AstronomyForDummies9781119374381
- partCount: 0
- fileSize: 18317757
- identifiers:
- type: ISBN
- value: 9781119374381
- name: OverDrive Read
- id: ebook-overdrive
- onSaleDate: 08/15/2017
- samples:
- source: From the book
- formatType: ebook-overdrive
- url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=3DB6029C-AAC1-44AA-92A5-847A0E1F98A9&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
- languages
- code: en
- name: English
- creators
- role: Author
- fileAs: Maran, Stephen P.
- bioText:
Stephen P. Maran, PhD, is the retired assistant director of space sciences for information and outreach at the NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. An investigator of stars, nebulae, and comets, he worked on the Hubble Space Telescope, Space Shuttle missions, Skylab, and other NASA projects.
- name: Stephen P. Maran
- imprint
- For Dummies
- subjects
- value: Science
- value: Nonfiction
- publishDate
- 2017-08-28T00:00:00-04:00
- edition
- 4
- publishDateText
- 08/28/2017
- mediaType
- eBook
- shortDescription
- Your updated guide to exploring the night sky
Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring updated star maps, charts, and an insert with gorgeous full-color photographs, Astronomy For Dummies provides an easy-to-follow introduction to exploring the night sky. Plus, this new edition also comes with chapter quizzes online to help your understanding.
For as long as people have been walking the earth, those people have looked up into the night sky and wondered about the nature of the cosmos. Without the benefit of science to provide answers, they relied on myth and superstition to help them make sense of what they saw. Lucky for us, we live at a time when regular folks, equipped with nothing more than their naked eyes, can look up into the night sky and gain admittance to infinite wonders. If you know what to look for, you...
- isOwnedByCollections
- True
- title
- Astronomy For Dummies
- fullDescription
- Your updated guide to exploring the night sky
Do you know the difference between a red giant and a white dwarf? From asteroids to black holes, this easy-to-understand guide takes you on a grand tour of the universe. Featuring updated star maps, charts, and an insert with gorgeous full-color photographs, Astronomy For Dummies provides an easy-to-follow introduction to exploring the night sky. Plus, this new edition also comes with chapter quizzes online to help your understanding.
For as long as people have been walking the earth, those people have looked up into the night sky and wondered about the nature of the cosmos. Without the benefit of science to provide answers, they relied on myth and superstition to help them make sense of what they saw. Lucky for us, we live at a time when regular folks, equipped with nothing more than their naked eyes, can look up into the night sky and gain admittance to infinite wonders. If you know what to look for, you can make out planets, stars, galaxies, and even galactic clusters comprising hundreds of millions of stars and spanning millions of light-years.
Whether you're an amateur astronomer, space enthusiast, or enrolled in a first year astronomy course, Astronomy For Dummies gives you a reason to look into the heavens.
- Includes updated schedules of coming eclipses of the Sun and Moon and a revised planetary appendix
- Covers recent discoveries in space, such as water on the Moon and Pluto's demotion from "planet" status
- Collects new websites, lists of telescope motels, sky-watching guides, and suggestions for beginner's telescopes and suppliers
- Provides free online access to chapter quizzes to help you understand the content
Ever wonder what's out there in the big ol' universe? This is the book for you!
- sortTitle
- Astronomy For Dummies
- crossRefId
- 3139512
- popularity
- 131
- publisher
- Wiley
- links
- self:
- href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/L1BFAIAAA2J/products/3db6029c-aac1-44aa-92a5-847a0e1f98a9/metadata
- type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
- self:
- id
- 3db6029c-aac1-44aa-92a5-847a0e1f98a9
- starRating
- 0
- tableOfContents
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 3
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with Astronomy 5
Chapter 1: Seeing the Light: The Art and Science of Astronomy 7
Astronomy: The Science of Observation 8
What You See: The Language of Light 9
They wondered as they wandered: Understanding planets versus stars 10
If you see a Great Bear, start worrying: Naming stars and constellations 10
What do I spy? Spotting the Messier Catalog and other sky objects 18
The smaller, the brighter: Getting to the root of magnitudes 19
Looking back on light-years 19
Keep on moving: Figuring the positions of the stars 22
Gravity: A Force to Be Reckoned With 25
Space: A Commotion of Motion 26
Chapter 2: Join the Crowd: Skywatching Activities and Resources 29
You’re Not Alone: Astronomy Clubs, Websites, Smartphone Apps, and More 30
Joining an astronomy club for star-studded company 30
Checking websites, magazines, software, and apps 31
Visiting Observatories and Planetariums 34
Ogling the observatories 35
Popping in on planetariums 38
Vacationing with the Stars: Star Parties, Eclipse Trips, Dark Sky Parks, and More 38
Party on! Attending star parties 39
Getting festive at an AstroFest 40
Tapping into Astronomy on Tap 40
To the path of totality: Taking eclipse cruises and tours 40
Motoring to telescope motels 42
Setting up camp at dark sky parks 44
Chapter 3: Terrific Tools for Observing the Skies 47
Seeing Stars: A Sky Geography Primer 48
As Earth turns 48
keep an eye on the North Star 50
Beginning with Naked-Eye Observation 52
Using Binoculars or a Telescope for a Better View 55
Binoculars: Sweeping the night sky 56
Telescopes: When closeness counts 60
Planning Your First Steps into Astronomy 66
Chapter 4: Just Passing Through: Meteors, Comets, and Artificial Satellites 69
Meteors: Wishing on a Shooting Star 70
Spotting sporadic meteors, fireballs, and bolides 72
Watching a radiant sight: Meteor showers 74
Comets: The Lowdown on Dirty Ice Balls 79
Making heads and tails of a comet’s structure 80
Waiting for the “comets of the century” 84
Hunting for the great comet 86
Artificial Satellites: Enduring a Love–Hate Relationship 88
Skywatching for artificial satellites 89
Finding satellite viewing predictions 91
Part 2: Going Once Around the Solar System 93
Chapter 5: A Matched Pair: Earth and Its Moon 95
Putting Earth under the Astronomical Microscope 96
One of a kind: Earth’s unique characteristics 96
Spheres of influence: Earth’s distinct regions 99
Examining Earth’s Time, Seasons, and Age 101
Orbiting for all time 102
Tilting toward the seasons 103
Estimating Earth’s age 105
Making Sense of the Moon 106
Get ready to howl: Identifying phases of the Moon 107
In the shadows: Watching lunar eclipses 110
Cultivating an interest in the occult(ations) 111
Hard rock: Surveying lunar geology 112
Quite an impact: Considering a theory about the Moon’s origin 117
Chapter 6: Earth’s Near Neighbors: Mercury, Venus, and Mars 119
Mercury: Weird, Hot, and Mostly Metal 120
Dry,...
