I want to learn about the most fascinating aspects of the universe. What do we know about black holes? Is it proven that the universe has no end? How close are we to finding galaxies with plantets like earth? I need a book geared towards a lay person.
2007-09-02 07:02:26 · 9 answers · asked by That girl 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I'm 31 years old with no background in science.
2007-09-02 09:17:55 · update #1
"Cosmos", by Carl Sagan is probably still available in book stores (certainly from Amazon.com).
He wrote the book to make it easy for normal people to understand.
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2007-09-02 07:10:59 · answer #1 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Steven Hawking is the revered author of many books on this timeless subject. I read the book "Red Giants and White Dwarfs". Wow, what an eye opener (unfortunately, he is disabled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); commonly known in the United States as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
As an introduction into the fascinating world of space, may I recommend the following websites. I've gone thru lots of them with a fine tooth comb and picked out some really interesting ones:
This website gives the exact location of each of the moons of Jupiter: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~sheppard/satellites
and this site tells us how to make an ATMOSPHERE on all the moons: http://www.atmospheres.5u.com/index.html
while this site tells you how to build a Fischer Tropsch reactor to make fuel and water:
http://www.xybex.50megs.com/custom2.html
2007-09-02 14:19:48 · answer #2 · answered by delta dawn 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Terence Dickinson: The Universe and Beyond (Firefly Books)
Terry is the best popular writer on astronomy today. Be sure to get the latest third edition, because this subject matter is changing fast.
2007-09-02 17:18:51 · answer #3 · answered by GeoffG 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Brief History of Time, by Steven Hawking
It's written for the lay person, but the ideas and concepts can still be a little mind-bending.
2007-09-02 14:22:54 · answer #4 · answered by oscarsnerd 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Scolastic
Title: Dont know much about space?
Author: Kenneth C. Davis
Barnes & Noble
Title: The big book of tell me why. (Tip: just read the space section i you have no interest in nature and the human body.)
Author: Arkady Leokum
I have them both, but i like the top one better, it's interesting and teaches you in a way you can remember.
2007-09-02 18:09:40 · answer #5 · answered by nondescript 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
another vote for "Cosmos"
I also liked "The First Three Minutes" by Steven Weinberg
and "Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics" by Smith & Jacobs was a great beginning text! I still have it!
(you really oughta tell us your age... background in science... for us to recommend a good book)
And remember! LIBRARY!
2007-09-02 14:58:12 · answer #6 · answered by Faesson 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check out the "Eyewitness" Universe book.The "Eyewitness" books are very informative and have nice photos and diagrams. Also, Barnes and Noble has a good book on it that I think I have somewhere, either titled "the universe" or "space"-published by Barnes and Noble:
http://www.amazon.com/Universe-DK-Eyewitness-Books-Publishing/dp/0789492385/ref=sr_1_12/102-6955408-9332143?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188757972&sr=1-12
2007-09-02 14:46:17 · answer #7 · answered by Connie B 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
See ASTRONOMY, by Ian Ridpath, DK Publishing, NY, NY.
It is excellent and of course has tons of pictures and sketches to aid in your understanding of the subject. Excellent book.
2007-09-02 15:16:09 · answer #8 · answered by zahbudar 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"Discovering the universe" Comins, Kaufmann
ISBN 0-7167-3637-3
2007-09-02 19:29:23 · answer #9 · answered by DrAnders_pHd 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋