Category: Astronomy and Cosmology    Sirius: Brightest Diamond in the Night Sky free download

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Author(s): Jay B. Holberg Publisher: Springer; 1 edition Date     : 2007 Pages    : 250 Format   : PDF OCR      : Yes Quality  : Language : English ISBN-10  : 038748941X ISBN-13  : Comments can be added at the bottom of the page.

Description: Click to see full description Of all the fixed stars in the night sky, Sirius is by far the brightest - almost twice as bright as its nearest rival, the star Canopus, which lies too far south to be viewed from most of the Northern Hemisphere. Only the Sun, Moon and the planets Venus, Jupiter and, at times, Mars, appear brighter. Sirius, with its flashing brilliance, is a striking feature of the northern winter sky and has understandably drawn the attention of observers of the night sky for thousands of years. Sirius has many names. Astronomers recognize over fifty designations for the star, but the most commonly used is Alpha Canis Majoris, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. This is Latin for the 'Great Dog', which has led to its popular nickname the 'Dog Star'. Over the centuries many beliefs have come to be associated with Sirius. Some of these beliefs still echo in such phrases as 'the dog days of summer', which the ancient Romans understood well. Other old beliefs long ago fell from public consciousness - only to be revived and to grow into modern popular and scientific controversies. Although these beliefs may seem quite recent, many have their origins in the ancient lore surrounding Sirius; humans seem naturally drawn to its brilliance, and a surprising number of modern cults have nucleated around beliefs in which Sirius plays a prominent role. From the reviews: "This book is wonderful, being an authoritative and connected history of Sirius as seen throughout the ages. : I am highly impressed by the original new research reported in this book. : I could imagine that this book would be good for constructing an astro-history course around. : But mainly, for people like us, it is a great story with a lot of new information." (HAD News, Vol. 70, May, 2007) "To write a complete book about a single star may sound like a daunting task, but Jay Holberg, a senior research scientist at the lunar and planetary laboratory in Arizona, has done so with success. : The book is meticulously researched : . It's a fascinating read and will appeal equally to the newcomer to astronomy and to the serious student. This is recommended without the slightest hesitation." (Patrick Moore, BBC Sky at Night, July, 2007) Contents Acknowledgments Introduction List of Figures List of Abbreviations and Acronyms PART ONE ANCIENT SIRIUS 1 The Goddess of the Eastern Horizon Dawn-July 17, 2276 BC-Memphis, Egypt 2 The Dog Star 15 PART TWO THE NATURE OF THE STARS 3 From Myth to Reality 4 A Dark Star Prophesied 5 A Dark Star Revealed PART THREE THE PHYSICS OF THE STARS 6 An Odd Pair 7 Giants among the Dwarfs 8 A Matter of Degeneracy 9 Einstein's Well PART FOUR A CONTROVERSIAL AND OCCULT SIRIUS 10 A Red Sirius 11 Modern Mysteries PART FIVE A CONTEMPORARY AND FUTURE SIRIUS 12 A View from Space 13 Past, Present, and Future APPENDICES A Glossary B Properties of the Sirius System References Index   Links:  Download instruction    Title Links Password Size (MB) Thank to Del 5462 Book http://rapidshare.com/files/112654615/A7... www.freebookspot.com   book_worm X Title Link Password Size (MB)   Related books:          Comments

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