posted 08-05-2006 05:35 AM               

Chris.

1. Lunar Orbiter Photographic Atlas of the Near Side of the Moon
Byrne, Charles J.

2005, X, 329 p., 619 illus., Hardcover
ISBN: 1-85233-886-5

This item usually ships in 2-3 days.
$79.95

About this book

In 1967, Lunar Orbiter Mission 4 sent back to Earth a superb series of photographs of the surface of the Moon, despite severe degradation caused by scanning artifacts and the reconstruction processes involved in transmission from lunar orbit.

Using 21st century techniques, Charles Byrne – previously System Engineer of the Apollo Program for Lunar Orbiter Photography – has removed the artifacts and imperfections to produce the most comprehensive and beautifully detailed set of images of the lunar surface.

The book has been organized to make it easy for astronomers to use, enabling ground-based images and views to be compared with the Orbiter photographs. The photographs are striking for their consistent Sun angles (for uniform appearance). All features have been identified with their current IAU-approved names, and each photograph has been located in terms of latitude and longitude. To help practical astronomers, all the photographs are systematically related to an Earth-based view.

A CD is included with the book, providing the enhanced and cleaned photographs for screen viewing, lectures, etc..

Written for:
Amateur astronomers

Web link
Amazon

2. Contact with Alien Civilizations
Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials

Michaud, Michael A.G.
2006, Approx. 445 p., Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-28598-9

Not yet published. Available: October 13, 2006
$27.50

About this book

This book describes a wide variety of speculations by many authors about the consequences for humanity of coming into contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The assumptions underlying those speculations are examined, and some conclusions are drawn. The book emphasizes the consequences of contact rather than the search, and takes account of popular views. As necessary background, the book also includes brief summaries of the history of thinking about extraterrestrial intelligence, searches for life and for signals, contrasting paradigms of how contact might take place, and the paradox that those paradigms allegedly create.
Written for:

Readers interested in extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial intelligence, astronomy, and space exploration. Though the book is written in non-technical language and does not require a scientific background, it will be of interest to researchers, university teachers, and university students.

Web link
Amazon

3. Hubble
15 Years of Discovery

Lindberg Christensen, Lars, Fosbury, Robert A.
2006, IV, 124 p., 108 illus., 108 in colour, Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-28599-7
This item usually ships in 2-3 days.
$39.95

About this book
Hubble: 15 Years of Discovery forms a key element of the European Space Agency's 15th anniversary celebration activities for the 1990 launch of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

As an observatory in space, Hubble is one of the most successful scientific projects of all time, both in terms of scientific output and its immediate public appeal.

Hubble continues to have an enormous impact by exploiting a unique scientific niche where no other instruments can compete. It consistently delivers super-sharp images and clean, uncontaminated spectra over the entire near-infrared and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This has opened up new scientific territory and resulted in many paradigm-breaking discoveries.

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To mark the 15th anniversary on 24 April 2005, the European Space Agency presented a series of unique activities in collaboration with partners all over Europe. This included an exclusive, full-length DVD film (one of the most widely distributed documentary films ever); please see this link: http://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/anniversary/
Written for: Space/science enthusiasts; however this book appeals to all audiences
Keywords:
Hubble

Web Link
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4. The Seven Secrets of How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist
Longuski, James

2006, Approx. 150 p., 8 illus., Hardcover
ISBN: 0-387-30876-8
Not yet published. Available: September 29, 2006
$25.00
About this book

This book explains the methods that rocket scientists use, expressed in ways that can be applied in everyday life. The book illustrates the Seven Secrets with anecdotes, quotations and biographical sketches of famous scientists, ideas from sci-fi, personal stories and insights, and an occasional bit of space history. The author reveals that rocket science is just common sense applied to the extraordinarily uncommon environment of outer space and that rocket scientists are people, too.
Written for:

General "armchair" scientists; those interested in popular psychology, space history, and science fiction films

Web link
Amazon