It is generally believed that most of the matter in the universe is dark, i.e. cannot be detected from the light which it emits (or fails to emit). Its presence is inferred indirectly from the motions of astronomical objects, specifically stellar, galactic, and galaxy cluster/supercluster observations. It is also required in order to enable gravity to amplify the small fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background enough to form the large-scale structures that we see in the universe today. For each of the stellar, galactic, and galaxy cluster/supercluster observations the basic principle is that if we measure velocities in some region, then there has to be enough mass there for gravity to stop all the objects flying apart. Dark matter has important consequences for the evolution of the universe and the structure within it. According...]]>
Universe or Multiverse?
door Bernard Carr

Recent developments in cosmology and particle physics, such as the string landscape picture, have led to the remarkable realization that our universe - rather than being unique - could be just one of many universes. The multiverse proposal helps to explain the origin of the universe and some of its observational features. Since the physical constants can be different in other universes, the fine-tunings which appear necessary for the emergence of life may also be explained. Nevertheless, many physicists remain uncomfortable with the multiverse proposal, since it is highly speculative and perhaps untestable. In this volume, a number of active and eminent researchers in the field - mainly cosmologists and particle physicists but also some philosophers - address these issues and describe recent developments. The articles represent the...]]>
Cosmic Collisions
door Lars Lindberg Christensen Davide Martin, Raquel Yumi Shida

Like no other telescope ever invented, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has given us magnificent high resolution views of the gigantic cosmic collisions between galaxies. Hubble's images are snapshots in time and catch the colliding galaxies in different stages of collision. Thanks to a new and amazing set of 60 Hubble images, for the first time these different stages can be put together to form a still-frame movielike montage showing the incredible processes taking place as galaxies collide and merge. The significance of these cosmic encounters reaches far beyond aesthetics. Galaxy mergers may, in fact, be some of the most important processes that shape our universe. Colliding galaxies very likely, hold some of the most important clues to our cosmic past and to our destiny. It now seems clear that the Milky Way is continuously...]]>
Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets
door Andrew S. Rivkin

This volume in the "Greenwood Guides to the Universe" series covers asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets - those small bodies that revolve the Sun - and provides readers with the most up-to-date understanding of the current state of scientific knowledge about them. Scientifically sound, but written with the student in mind, "Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets" is an excellent first step for researching the exciting scientific discoveries of the smallest celestial bodies in the solar system. The book will introduce students to all of the areas of research surrounding the subject, answering many intriguing questions. It defines a dwarf planet and explains why Pluto is one. It looks at how such small bodies form, what they are made of, and what kind of atmospheres might they have. And it asks - and answers - whether asteroids, comets,...]]>
Impact of HST on European Astronomy
door F. Duccio Macchetto ...]]>
Case for Pluto - How a Little Planet Made a Big Difference
door Alan Boyle

In support of Pluto - the cutest and most unfairly treated planet. Pity poor Pluto: It's a planet that was discovered because of a mistake, a planet that turned out not to be a planet at all, thanks to a still-disputed decision made in 2006. And yet, Pluto is the planet best-loved by Americans, especially children, one that may have contained the building blocks of life billions of years ago and may well serve as life's last redoubt billions of years from now. In "The Case for Pluto", award-winning science writer Alan Boyle traces the tiny planet's ups and downs, its strange appeal, the reasons behind its demotion, and the reasons why it should be set back in the planetary pantheon. It tells the compelling story of Pluto's discovery and how it became a cultural icon. It makes the case for Pluto as planet, countering the books that...]]>
Kosmos - Geschiedenis van de sterrenkunde van Stonehenge tot Hubble en verder
door Harm Habing

Wie wel eens in een heldere nacht naar boven heeft gestaard, begrijpt waarom de mensheid gefascineerd is door het heelal. Dit rijk geïllustreerde boek voedt die fascinatie. In een toegankelijke stijl schetst Harm Habing de geschiedenis van de sterrenkunde. Een overzichtswerk zoals dat niet eerder in de Nederlandse taal is verschenen. Het behandelt de vroegste astronomie vanaf de zonnewijzers van Stonehenge. In de Griekse tijd was met name Aristoteles invloedrijk. Hij meende dat sterren gaatjes waren in de hemelvloer en dat de planeten om de aarde heen draaiden. Copernicus, Galilei en Newton zouden dit beeld later corrigeren: de zon staat in het midden van ons stelsel.

Een onweerstaanbaar prachtboek over een fascinatie die iedereen deelt: de hemel boven...]]>
Astronaut's Cookbook
door Charles T. Bourland Gregory L. Vogt

Astronauts, cosmonauts, and a very limited number of people have experienced eating space food due to the unique processing and packaging required for space travel. This book allows anyone with a normal kitchen to prepare space food. Since some of the processing such as freeze dehydration, and packaging cannot be accomplished in the normal kitchen, many of the recipes will not produce the food that would be launched in space, but will prepare food similar to what the astronauts would eat after they had added the water to the food in space. Many of the space foods are prepared to the point of ready to eat, and then frozen and freeze dried. Food preparation in this book stops at the point of ready to eat before the freezing and dehydrating takes place. Recipes in this book are extracted from the NASA food specifications and modified for...]]>
De wetenschap van de kosmos
door Waelkens, C.

Wat zou iedereen moeten weten van de sterrenkunde? Hoeveel sterren er zijn en welke namen ze in verschillende culturen hebben gekregen, is wellicht niet zo relevant. Belangrijker is het inzicht dat de scheikundige elementen in sterren zijn ontstaan, dat wij sterrenstof zijn, en dat de hele kosmos in evolutie is en een begin heeft gehad dat we de oerknal noemen. Verder willen wij graag weten hoe uniek onze planeet en haar biosfeer zijn in dit grote heelal. Deze topics komen in dit boek dan ook uitgebreid aan...]]>
Astronomie.nl
door Schilling

Vierhonderd jaar geleden is de telescoop in Nederland uitgevonden. Dat ontketende een revolutie in de sterrenkunde; een revolutie die nog steeds gaande is en waarin Nederlandse wetenschappers een belangrijke rol spelen.

In Astronomie.nl haalt sterrenkundejournalist Govert Schilling de Nederlandse astronomie voor het voetlicht. Aan de hand van tientallen persoonlijke verhalen, unieke ontdekkingen en tot de verbeelding sprekende onbekende anekdotes voert hij de lezer mee op een wervelende, rijk geïllustreerde reis door ruimte en tijd, waarbij planeten, sterren en sterrenstelsels door een Hollandse bril worden...]]>