The Armchair Astronomer, Volume 1 (Nebulae)

5/5 ( ratings)

This book is about nebulae-- massive clouds of cosmic gas and dust set aglow by the borrowed light of stars. In cosmic terms, a nebula is as fleeting as a sunset or a campfire, and to many casual stargazers, just as beautiful.

With stunning, full-color original images and easy-to-understand descriptions, this book helps you understand a little of the science and history behind these amazing cosmic assemblies. In this book you will discover...

* The 18th-century musician who turned to astronomy in search of a new challenge and discovered hundreds of nebulae and other sights in the deep sky beyond our solar system
* The nature and composition of nebulae, and what these objects can teach us about the birth and death of stars in our galaxy
* A tour of the famous Orion Nebula, the nearest cosmic star factory to Earth
* The chess-piece outline of a churning, dark nebula among the bright blue-white stars of Orion’s Belt
* A chain of astonishing star-forming nebulae along the rich band of the Milky Way that are among the most beautiful objects in the night sky
* An “accidental nebula” created by a rogue star that was slingshotted across the galaxy 2 million years ago by a supernova explosion
* A gnarled and glowing shock-wave in the constellation Cygnus that marks the remnants of a star that detonated in prehistoric times
* Glimpses of islands of new stars and glowing nebulae in spiral galaxies tens of millions of light years away

With dozens of colorful, high-resolution images captured by renowned astrophotographer Terry Hancock, this book will delight and educate “armchair astronomers” who wish to learn more about the workings of the universe.