Astronomy: The Human Quest for Understanding

Astronomy: The Human Quest for Understanding
Author: Dale A. Ostlie
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 913
Release: 2022-08-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0192560220

Since humans first looked up at the stars, astronomy has had a particular ability to stir the imagination and challenge the thinking of scientists and non-scientists alike. Astronomy: The Human Quest for Understanding is an introductory astronomy textbook specifically designed to relate to non-science majors across a wide variety of disciplines, nurture their curiosity, and develop vital science-based critical-thinking skills. This textbook provides an introduction to how science operates in practice and what makes it so successful in uncovering nature's secrets. Given that the study of astronomy dates back thousands of years, it is the ideal subject for tracing the development of the physical sciences and how our evolving understanding of nature has influenced, and been influenced by, mathematics, philosophy, religion, geography, politics, and more. This historical approach also illustrates how wrong turns have been taken, and how the inherent self-correcting nature of science through constant verification and the falsifiability of truly scientific theories ultimately leads us back to a more productive path in our quest for understanding. This approach also points out why, as a broadly educated citizenry, students of all disciplines must understand how scientists arrive at conclusions, and how science and technology have become central features of modern society. In discussing this fascinating and beautiful universe of which we are a part, it is necessary to illustrate the fundamental role that mathematics plays in decoding nature's mysteries. Unlike other similar textbooks, some basic mathematics is integrated naturally into the text, together with interpretive language, and supplemented with numerous examples; additional tutorials are provided on the book's companion website. Astronomy: The Human Quest for Understanding leads the reader down the path to our present-day understanding of our Solar System, stars, galaxies, and the beginning and evolution of our universe, along with profound questions still to be answered in this ancient, yet rapidly changing field.

Astronomy: the Human Quest for Understanding

Astronomy: the Human Quest for Understanding
Author: Dale A. Ostlie
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 913
Release: 2022-08-11
Genre:
ISBN: 019882582X

Since humans first looked up at the stars, astronomy has had a particular ability to stir the imagination and challenge the thinking of scientists and non-scientists alike. Astronomy: The Human Quest for Understanding is an introductory astronomy textbook specifically designed to relate to non-science majors across a wide variety of disciplines, nurture their curiosity, and develop vital science-based critical-thinking skills. This textbook provides an introduction to how science operates in practice and what makes it so successful in uncovering nature's secrets. Given that the study of astronomy dates back thousands of years, it is the ideal subject for tracing the development of the physical sciences and how our evolving understanding of nature has influenced, and been influenced by, mathematics, philosophy, religion, geography, politics, and more. This historical approach also illustrates how wrong turns have been taken, and how the inherent self-correcting nature of science through constant verification and the falsifiability of truly scientific theories ultimately leads us back to a more productive path in our quest for understanding. This approach also points out why, as a broadly educated citizenry, students of all disciplines must understand how scientists arrive at conclusions, and how science and technology have become central features of modern society. In discussing this fascinating and beautiful universe of which we are a part, it is necessary to illustrate the fundamental role that mathematics plays in decoding nature's mysteries. Unlike other similar textbooks, some basic mathematics is integrated naturally into the text, together with interpretive language, and supplemented with numerous examples; additional tutorials are provided on the book's companion website. Astronomy: The Human Quest for Understanding leads the reader down the path to our present-day understanding of our Solar System, stars, galaxies, and the beginning and evolution of our universe, along with profound questions still to be answered in this ancient, yet rapidly changing field.

Wayfarers in the Cosmos

Wayfarers in the Cosmos
Author: George V. Coyne
Publisher: Crossroad Publishing
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2002
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

With the embarrassing Galileo condemnation far, far behind them, the time is ripe for a book by Vatican officials about how the Official Church sees the staggering developments in modern astronomy. Coyne and Omizzolo take readers through the history of human understandings of heavens to arrive at a deep understanding of what many secular physicists are themselves saying about the cosmos: that a loving Creator stands behind it all.

The Cosmos

The Cosmos
Author: Jay M. Pasachoff
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 629
Release: 2014
Genre: Science
ISBN: 110768756X

An exciting introduction to astronomy, using recent discoveries and stunning photography to inspire non-science majors about the Universe and science.

Planet Quest

Planet Quest
Author: Ken Croswell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 348
Release: 1999
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780192880833

Are we alone? In 1995 planet hunters discovered the first alien solar system around a star like our own Sun. Ken Croswell tells the fascinating story of this discovery and the people who made it, then explores the possibility that one day we may have the technology to travel to different solar systems and find life.

Cosmic Order and Cultural Astronomy

Cosmic Order and Cultural Astronomy
Author: Rana Singh
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2009-10-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1443816078

Throughout the Indian subcontinent there are territories and areas wherein culture, geography, and the archetypal cosmos interact with each other to create a sacredscape that is infused with meaning, cultural performances and transcendent power. These sacred sites possess extensive mythological associations where believed that spirit can cross between different realms. In a broad perspective such studies falls within the realm of cultural astronomy, which has two broad areas, viz. archaeoastronomy, concerned with the study of the use of astronomy and its role in ancient cultures and civilizations; and ethnoastronomy that studies the use of astronomy and its role in contemporary cultures. The seven essays in this volume deals with the critical appraisal of studying cultural astronomy and cosmic order and its implications in India, illustrated with case studies like heritagescape of Khajuraho, where stone speaks; manescape of Gaya, where manes come and bless the devotees; Deviscape of Vindhyachal, where goddess resorts; Shivascape of Kashi, where Shiva dances in making order; Shaktiscape of Kashi, that possesses the spatial ordering of goddesses; and Naturscape of Chitrakut, where mother earth blesses.

Neutron Stars

Neutron Stars
Author: Katia Moskvitch
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0674919351

The astonishing science of neutron stars and the stories of the scientists who study them. Neutron stars are as bewildering as they are elusive. The remnants of exploded stellar giants, they are tiny, merely twenty kilometers across, and incredibly dense. One teaspoon of a neutron star would weigh several million tons. They can spin up to a thousand times per second, they possess the strongest magnetic fields known in nature, and they may be the source of the most powerful explosions in the universe. Through vivid storytelling and on-site reporting from observatories all over the world, Neutron Stars offers an engaging account of these still-mysterious objects. Award-winning science journalist Katia Moskvitch takes readers from the vast Atacama Desert to the arid plains of South Africa to visit the magnificent radio telescopes and brilliant scientists responsible for our knowledge of neutron stars. She recounts the exhilarating discoveries, frustrating disappointments, and heated controversies of the past several decades and explains cutting-edge research into such phenomena as colliding neutron stars and fast radio bursts: extremely powerful but ultra-short flashes in space that scientists are still struggling to understand. She also shows how neutron stars have advanced our broader understanding of the universe—shedding light on topics such as dark matter, black holes, general relativity, and the origins of heavy elements like gold and platinum—and how we might one day use these cosmic beacons to guide interstellar travel. With clarity and passion, Moskvitch describes what we are learning at the boundaries of astronomy, where stars have life beyond death.

Einstein's Shadow

Einstein's Shadow
Author: Seth Fletcher
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 311
Release: 2018-10-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0062312030

Einstein’s Shadow follows a team of elite scientists on their historic mission to take the first picture of a black hole, putting Einstein’s theory of relativity to its ultimate test and helping to answer our deepest questions about space, time, the origins of the universe, and the nature of reality Photographing a black hole sounds impossible, a contradiction in terms. But Shep Doeleman and a global coalition of scientists are on the cusp of doing just that. With exclusive access to the team, journalist Seth Fletcher spent five years following Shep and an extraordinary cast of characters as they assembled the Event Horizon Telescope, a worldwide network of radio telescopes created to study black holes. He witnessed the team’s struggles, setbacks, and breakthroughs, and, along the way, Fletcher explored the latest thinking on the most profound questions about black holes: Do they represent a limit to our ability to understand reality? Or will they reveal the clues that lead to the long-sought theory of everything? Fletcher transforms astrophysics into something exciting, accessible, and immediate, taking us on an incredible adventure to better understand the complexity of our galaxy, the boundaries of human perception and knowledge, and how the messy endeavor of science really works. Weaving a compelling narrative account of human ingenuity with excursions into cutting-edge science, Einstein’s Shadow is a tale of great minds on a mission to change the way we understand our universe—and our place in it.

The First Galaxies in the Universe

The First Galaxies in the Universe
Author: Abraham Loeb
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 572
Release: 2013-01-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0691144923

This book provides a comprehensive, self-contained introduction to one of the most exciting frontiers in astrophysics today: the quest to understand how the oldest and most distant galaxies in our universe first formed. Until now, most research on this question has been theoretical, but the next few years will bring about a new generation of large telescopes that promise to supply a flood of data about the infant universe during its first billion years after the big bang. This book bridges the gap between theory and observation. It is an invaluable reference for students and researchers on early galaxies. The First Galaxies in the Universe starts from basic physical principles before moving on to more advanced material. Topics include the gravitational growth of structure, the intergalactic medium, the formation and evolution of the first stars and black holes, feedback and galaxy evolution, reionization, 21-cm cosmology, and more. Provides a comprehensive introduction to this exciting frontier in astrophysics Begins from first principles Covers advanced topics such as the first stars and 21-cm cosmology Prepares students for research using the next generation of large telescopes Discusses many open questions to be explored in the coming decade

Sumerian Mythology

Sumerian Mythology
Author: A.J. Kingston
Publisher: A.J. Kingston
Total Pages: 262
Release: 101-01-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 183938431X

📚 Discover the Enigmatic World of Sumerian Mythology: Unveil the Secrets of the Anunnaki Gods 🌌 Embark on an extraordinary journey through time and space with our captivating book bundle: "Sumerian Mythology: Ancient Anunnaki Gods From Nibiru To Earth." Delve deep into the mystique of ancient civilizations, cosmic connections, and the celestial beings who shaped the course of humanity. 🌟 What's Included in the Bundle? 🌟 📖 Book 1 - The Celestial Enigma: Anunnaki's Journey From Nibiru To Sumerian Civilization Step into the cosmic realm of Nibiru and trace the captivating journey of the Anunnaki to the cradle of Sumerian civilization. Uncover the mysteries that shroud their arrival on Earth and their profound influence on the rise of an advanced society. 📖 Book 2 - Echoes Of Eridu: Unraveling The Anunnaki Influence In Early Human History Explore the echoes of the Anunnaki's presence in the dawn of human existence. Journey to the ancient city of Eridu and witness their lasting impact on human evolution, from the birth of agriculture to the enchanting tapestry of myths that continue to resonate. 📖 Book 3 - Gateways Of Nibiru: Sumerian Mythology And The Cosmic Connections Of The Anunnaki Open the gates to the cosmic connections between Nibiru and Earth. Decode the intricate tapestry of Sumerian beliefs, as we unravel the messages and insights the Anunnaki imparted to humanity. Through symbolism and cosmic interplay, witness the profound link between the divine and the mortal. 📖 Book 4 - Sumer's Cosmic Rulers: Exploring Anunnaki Deities And Their Impact Across Millennia Embark on a sweeping exploration across ages, unveiling the enduring legacy of Anunnaki deities in human civilizations. From ancient pantheons to modern spirituality, trace their influence that echoes not only in religious practices but also in the foundations of governance, lineage, and cosmic order. 🌌 Why You Should Dive Into This Bundle 🌌 ✨ Immerse yourself in the mysteries of Sumerian mythology, where the celestial and earthly realms converge, shaping human culture and beliefs. ✨ Explore the profound connections between Nibiru, the Anunnaki, and our world, unraveling cosmic secrets and enduring truths. ✨ Witness the echoes of the Anunnaki's presence in myths, rituals, and the enduring threads of human civilization. ✨ Discover the enduring power of these ancient narratives, as they transcend time to captivate modern imaginations. 🌍 Experience the Cosmos Through the Eyes of the Anunnaki 🌍 Unearth the forgotten tales, decipher the cosmic symbols, and traverse the epochs to uncover the legacy of the Anunnaki in our "Sumerian Mythology" book bundle. Each volume holds a key to unlocking the enigma of our past, bridging the celestial and earthly, and resonating with the eternal questions that have shaped human existence. 🛍️ Get Your Bundle Today and Embark on a Cosmic Journey! 🛍️