National Geographic Encyclopedia of Space Book by Linda K Glover with Andrew Chaikin Patricia S Daniels Andrea Gianopoulos and Jonathan T Malay and Foreword by Buzz Aldrin C2004

Reference id: EP0lMI4JknM 242

Book "National Geographic Encyclopedia of Space" by Linda K. Glover, with Andrew Chaikin, Patricia S. Daniels, Andrea Gianopoulos, and Jonathan T. Malay copyright 2004.

ISBN 0792273192

Minor wear to the edges of the dust jacket. Book is like new with perfectly clean pages, with the exception of a name label on the front end paper.

Measures 11.25 inches tall, 9.5 inches wide. 400 pages.

We have always been awed and fascinated by space: its beauty, its mystery, its remoteness. For 5,000 years and more, stargazers have wondered, watched, and learned enormous amounts about our Earth, our solar system, and our universe - and this authoritative reference explores and explains what we know.

Featuring clear definitions; vivid diagrams, charts, and photographs; and expert essays by astronauts, astrophysicists, historians, scientists, and more, the Encyclopedia of Space tells an engrossing tale of observation, deduction, and sophisticated technology. It explores and explains the universe, from our own slar system to the farthest galaxies; it documents the milestones of nearly 40 years of spaceflight, both manned and unmanned; and it presents a detailed review of the vital role played by space and space-based technology in the every day life of the modern world.

We peer deep into space and time to discover the structure of the universe and watch as stars and galaxies are born, life and die. Closer to home, we examine the sun, the planets and their moons, and such astronomical nomads as comets, asteroids, and meteors. We learn about tools and techniques, from the earliest telescopes to orbiting observatories, and trace humankinds firest ventures into the unknown, from astro-pioneers Yuri Gagarin and John Glennto the Apollo moon missions, the space shuttle, and such long-term experiments as Mir and the International Space Station. Finally, we look at how we have already put our knowledge to such practical uses in environmental and cartographic research, weather forecasting, telecommunication and global positioning networks, and extraordinarily sophisticated surveillance and intelligence instruments - as well as what the future may hold for further exploration of scientific, commercial, and military potential.

Systematic, easy to read, and superbly illustrated, the Encyclopedia of Space is truly state of the art: an informative scientific reference, a wonderful chronicle of our species fascination with worlds beyond our own, and a magnificent volume with scope - and appeal - as broad and deep as the universe itself.