Bad Astronomy
John Wiley & Sons Inc (Verlag)
978-0-471-40976-2 (ISBN)
A clever, thought-provoking guide that attacks common astronomical misconceptions
What is Bad Astronomy? Anything that accidentally or intentionally mangles the basic principles of astronomy. And who is on the lookout for good examples of Bad Astronomy? The Bad Astronomer, of course, a/k/a professional astronomer Phil Plait. In Bad Astronomy, Plait clears up misconceptions and malarkey relating to our Earth, moon, and the wider Universe. Ranging from commonly misunderstood notions such as why the sky is blue and the reason we have seasons, to large-scale shenanigans such as the so-called moon landing hoax and UFO sightings, Bad Astronomy wipes the stardust from readers' eyes to reveal just how the Universe works. Not only does Plait clearly explain the principles behind major concepts like the Big Bang, he leads readers to understand basics such as what makes the Moon look big when it rises and why the planets -- and astrology-- cannot directly influence our lives. Here is a fascinating and enlightening read for amateurs and experts alike. Bad Astronomy is the first volume in Wiley's "Bad Science" series; forthcoming titles will look at common misconceptions related to biology, weather, and the Earth.
PHILIP PLAIT, Ph.D., works in the physics and astronomy department at Sonoma State University in California. He maintains the Web site badastronomy.com and writes monthly articles on astronomy for the German newspaper Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. His work has appeared in the Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook of Science and the Future and Astronomy magazine. He also writes a monthly column for astronomy.com.
Introduction
PART I: Bad Astronomy Begins at Home
1. The Yolk's on You: Egg Balancing and the Equinox
2. Flushed with Embarrassment: The Coriolis Effect and Your Bathroom
3. Idiom's Delight: Bad Astronomy in Everyday Language
PART II: From the Earth to the Moon
4. Blue Skies Smiling at Me: Why the Sky Is Blue
5. A Dash of Seasons: Why Summer Turns to Fall
6. Phase the Nation: The Moon's Changing Face
7. The Gravity of the Situation: The Moon and the Tides
8. The Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie: The Big Moon Illusion
PART III: Skies at Night Are Big and Bright
9. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Why Stars Appear to Twinkle
10. Star Light, Star White: Stars of Many Colors
11. Well, Well: The Difficulty of Daylight Star Sighting
12. The Brightest Star: Polaris-Just Another Face in the Crowd
13. Shadows in the Sky: Eclipses and Sun-Watching
14. The Disaster that Wasn't: The Great Planetary Alignment of 2000
15. Meteors, Meteoroids, and Meteorites, Oh My!: The Impact of Meteors and Asteroids
16. When the Universe Throws You a Curve: Misunderstanding the Beginning of It All
PART IV: Artificial Intelligence
17. Appalled at Apollo: Uncovering the Moon-Landing Hoax
18. Worlds in Derision: Velikovsky vs. Modern Science
19. In the Beginning: Creationism and Astronomy
20. Misidentified Flying Objects: UFOs and Illusions of the Mind and Eye
21. Mars Is in the Seventh House, But Venus Has Left the Building: Why Astrology Doesn't Work
PARTV: Beam Me Up
22. Hubble Trouble: Hubble Space Telescope Misconceptions
23. Star Hustlers: Star Naming for Dummies
24. Bad Astronomy Goes Hollywood: The Top-Ten Examples of Bad Astronomy in Major Motion Pictures
Recommended Reading.
Acknowledgments
Index
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 3.4.2013 |
|---|---|
| Verlagsort | New York |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Maße | 152 x 226 mm |
| Gewicht | 340 g |
| Themenwelt | Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Naturwissenschaft |
| Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Weltraum / Astronomie | |
| Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik | |
| ISBN-10 | 0-471-40976-6 / 0471409766 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0-471-40976-2 / 9780471409762 |
| Zustand | Neuware |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
aus dem Bereich
