20 Products

Off-mint.

The starry night sky has inspired countless stories, myths and legends, and this book – aimed at the imaginative stargazer – tells some of those tales through poems, prose, letters and other literary devices. From the sinful Cassiopeia to the wandering Ursa Major, each story is accompanied by a charming illustration and constellation map, including adjacent constellations, the ‘apparent magnitude’ or brightness of each star as seen from Earth, and a list of asterisms or corresponding names. Felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

As he sets off to conduct a journey through the universe, the astrophysicist Christophe Galfard aims to ‘not leave any readers behind’ and promises to use only one equation (E=mc²). In a widely acclaimed, non-scientists’ introduction to modern physics and cosmology, Galfard uses humour, storytelling and thought experiments to make concepts such as electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, general relativity and black holes intelligible to all of us.

Stonehenge was built to observe sunset on Midwinter’s Day, not sunrise on Midsummer’s Day; and Galileo did not invent the telescope. These are just two of the surprising facts discussed in this unconventional history of astronomy. Focusing on the stories of breakthroughs that overturned accepted wisdom, two leading science communicators celebrate the important work of maverick scientists, enthusiastic amateurs and those unsung heroes and heroines who helped to promote the ideas and discoveries of others.

Working spacesuits were not required until the 1960s, but the technology used reaches back to pressurized suits developed for aviators in the 1930s and further to diving suits of the 19th century. This exploration of the spacesuit mixes the history of technical development with the predictions and hypotheses of science fiction. The book is illustrated with archive photographs and diagrams, and classic sci-fi artwork from comic books and pulp fiction.

Who are we, and why are we here? In the beautifully illustrated book of their BBC Two series Professor Cox and his Executive Producer Andrew Cohen tackle some of the biggest questions that humans have asked about the past, present and future of our species. They follow the intellectual journeys that led to discoveries about gravity, relativity and the Big Bang, then track down the earliest evidence for life on Earth and reflect on our quest to learn whether we are truly alone in the cosmos.

Looking from Earth's neighbours in the solar system and out to the farthest reaches of the universe, this volume from TIME Books brings together expert commentary and images from the Hubble Space Telescope and spacecraft including Cassini and the Mercury Messenger probe to give a full account of the latest explorations of space. Among the topics covered are powerful new telescopes, the Curiosity rover on Mars, the future for manned spaceflight, dark matter and new mysteries of the cosmos.

A practical tool for the young astronomer, and suitable for use in the British Isles, Northern Europe, Northern USA and Canada, the planisphere makes it possible to learn the position of the stars (down to magnitude 5) that are visible at specific hours throughout the year and to work out the times of sunrise and sunset. Its plastic wallet also contains step-by-step instructions for setting it correctly, making it glow and getting your bearings at night. Age 7+

As well as practical tips on the use of a telescope, binoculars and the naked eye, this comprehensive book on observing the night sky includes a complete set of star charts, a month-by-month guide to the constellations and detailed information to help the amateur astronomer identify the planets of the solar system and features of the Moon's surface. The concluding A–Z section gives definitions of technical terms, potted biographies of great astronomers and data on notable heavenly bodies.

Specially designed for observers with binoculars or small telescopes, this atlas contains all the maps needed to learn your way around the night sky. It can be used anywhere in the world, at any time of year, and although it is exceptionally straightforward to use, with five different sets of maps and 50 lists of observing targets it contains plenty of material for the experienced observer.

Weird and mysterious phenomena can often be observed in skies around the world, ranging from unusual sunsets, comets and St Elmo's fire to less easily explicable voices and humming sounds, phantom planes and UFOs. In this book Antony Milne analyses reports of such sightings, delves into defence files on UFOs and surveys some of the explanations that have been suggested by physicists, biologists, meteorologists and astronomers.

An ideal starter kit for star-gazers, this set comprises two booklets: The Night Sky, Sir Patrick Moore's classic, easy-to-follow guide for beginners, and John Woodruff and Wil Tirion's Month-by-Month Star Finder, with a map for each month showing the locations of stars and constellations; plus the essential Planisphere 51.5° North, a practical map that shows where stars and constellations are for every hour of every night of the year.

From the Big Bang to the end of our world billions of years later, one of Stephen Hawking's former graduate students takes the reader on a journey through the cosmos as it is currently understood by scientists. With humour and imaginative storytelling he brings to life the beauty of the universe and explains such mysteries as quantum mechanics and black holes without equations or graphs, in the belief that 'we can all understand this stuff'.

Here the astronomer and broadcaster Mark Thompson describes what a journey through the solar system might be like, from the preparations for take-off on Earth to arrival at the edge of interstellar space many years later. On the way he discusses what we know about the origins of the planets and their moons, describes physical features that would be visible and reflects on the challenges of navigation, weightlessness and living in a confined spaceship.