The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars

by Fred Schaaf

Overview

"Fred Schaaf is one of the most experienced astronomical observers of our time. For more than two decades, his view of the sky-what will be visible, when it will be visible, and what it will look like-has encouraged tens of thousands of people to turn their eyes skyward."
—David H. Levy, Science Editor, Parade magazine, discoverer of twenty-one comets, and author of Starry Night and Cosmic Discoveries

"Fred Schaaf is a poet of the stars. He brings the sky into people's lives in a way that is compelling and his descriptions have all the impact of witnessing the stars on a crystal-clear dark night."
—William Sheehan, coauthor of Mars: The Lure of the Red Planet and The Transits of Venus

In this book, you’ll meet the twenty-one brightest stars visible from Earth. You’ll learn how to find these stars and discover the best ways to see them. Each star is profiled in a separate chapter, with detailed guidance on what to look for while observing it. Suitable for beginners as well as experienced amateur astronomers, the book shares fascinating information about the lore and legends connected with each star through history, as well as what the science of astronomy has to teach us about the star’s physical nature.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470249178
Publisher:	Trade Paper Press
Publication date:	07/21/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Fred Schaaf, the writer of two popular long-running features in Sky&Telescope magazine, is the author of twelve books on popular astronomy, including The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them, Seeing the Deep Sky, and Seeing the Solar System, all from Wiley.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

Part One: Stars in the Sky.

1. How Bright I s Bright?

2. Meet the 1st-Magnitude Stars.

3. The Locations, Yearly Motions, and Names of the Stars.

4. Seeing Stars Better (Skies, Eyes, and Telescopes).

Part Two: Stars in the Universe.

5. Parts, Structures, Distances, and Motions in the Universe.

6. The Varieties of the Stars.

7. The Lives and Deaths of the Stars.

Part Three: Profiles of the Brightest Stars.

8. Sirius.

9. Canopus.

10. Alpha Centauri.

11. Arcturus.

12. Vega.

13. Capella.

14. Rigel.

15. Procyon.

16. Achernar.

17. Betelgeuse.

18. Beta Centauri.

19. Beta Crucis.

20. Altair.

21. Aldebaran.

22. Spica.

23. Antares.

24. Pollux.

25. Fomalhaut.

26. Beta Crucis.

27. Deneb.

28. Regulus.

Appendix A. The Brightest Stars: Position, Spectral Type, Apparent and Absolute Magnitude, and Distance.

Appendix B. The Brightest Stars: Spectral type, Color Index, Color, and Surface temperature.

Appendix C. Midnight and 9:00 P.M. Culminations, Season of Prime Evening Visibility.

Appendix D. Diameters and Masses of the Brightest Stars.

Appendix E. Motions of the Brightest Stars.

Appendix F. The 200 Brightest Stars.

Glossary.

Sources.

Illustration Credits.

Index.