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_'Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary of Astronomy', 'This lavishly illustrated new dictionary written by an experienced writer and consultant on astronomy provides an essential guide to the universe for amateur astronomers of all ages. It can be used both as a comprehensive reference work, and as a fascinating compendium of facts to dip into.', 'Around 1300 carefully selected and cross-referenced entries are complemented by hundreds of beautiful color illustrations, taken from space missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and other major observatories on Earth and in space. Distinguished stellar illustrator Wil Tirion has drawn 20 new star maps especially for inclusion here. A myriad of named astronomical objects, constellations, observatories and space missions are described in detail, as well as biographical sketches for 70 of the most luminous individuals in the history of astronomy and space science. Acronyms and specialist terms are clearly explained, making for the most thorough and carefully assembled reference resource that teachers and enthusiasts of astronomy will ever need.', 'Jacqueline Mitton trained as an astronomer at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She is the author or co-author of over 20 astronomy books for both children and adults, and has also been consultant or contributor to many other reference books. She has been editor of the Journal of the British Astronomical Association, and the annual Handbook of the British Astronomical Association. As Press Officer of the Royal Astronomical Society, she made regular contributions to TV and radio about astronomical developments. She continues to keep up-to-date with recent astronomical advances.', 'Cambridge Illustrated Dictionary', 'of Astronomy', 'Jacqueline Mitton', 'Cambridge University Press Cambridge New York Melbourne Madrid Cape Town Singapore São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building Cambridge CB2 8RU UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York', 'www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org 9780521823647', '© J. Mitton 2007', 'This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.', 'First published 2007', 'Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge', 'A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library', 'Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data', 'ISBN 978-0-521-82364-7 hardback', 'Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.', 'Preface', 'There is always something new in astronomy. Exciting discoveries follow one after another at a dizzying pace, thanks to the batteries of giant telescopes perched on mountain tops and equipped with the latest technological innovations, observatories orbiting high above the troublesome atmosphere, and spacecraft exploring the worlds of the solar system from close quarters. Keeping abreast of it all can be a challenge!', 'For this illustrated A-to-Z, I have made an up-to-date selection of 1800 entries covering hundreds of named astronomical objects as well as the terms and abbreviations most commonly encountered in astronomy. I have also included biographical entries on 70 people who have made significant contributions to the development of astronomy. Three hundred entries are illustrated, nearly all in color.', 'The idea for an illustrated dictionary grew from the dictionary I originally compiled in 1988–90, the most recent edition of which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2001. But this is a new book with a fresh style, which I hope will appeal to a wide range of readers young and old—not just as a reference source in which to look things up, but also as a book full of fascinating facts and beautiful pictures to dip into anytime.', 'Using the Book', 'The alphabetical order takes no account of word breaks or hyphens. Entries beginning with a Greek letter or a number are treated as if the number or letter were spelled out. Words printed in italics and preceded by the symbol ¤ have their own entries, but not all possible cross-references are indicated in this way. The symbol ¤¤ preceding a word or words in italics means 'see also'.', 'Acknowledgements I am deeply grateful to the numerous individuals who have provided me with advice and information and indebted to the countless reference sources I have consulted since I began to compile my dictionary database in 1988. It is impossible to list them all but I would particularly like to thank my husband, Simon, for his support and for his assistance in compiling the biographical entries. Any errors or omissions, however, I accept as being my own responsibility. I would like to thank the many organizations that have freely', '_v_', 'Preface', 'made their superb pictures available and those who have given me individual permission to use their copyright images. A full list of credits can be found at the end of the book. Finally, I would like to thank Cambridge University Press for their continuing support during the preparation of this book. Jacqueline Mitton November 2006', '_vi_', 'A', 'aberration An effect that makes the observed position of a star slightly different from its true position. It results from a combination of the finite speed of the starlight and the motion through space of the observer on Earth. Most aberration is due to Earth's yearly motion in orbit around the Sun and is called annual aberration. A much smaller contribution from Earth's daily rotation is called diurnal aberration.', 'absolute magnitude A number that gives the true, relative brightness of an astronomical body, ignoring the dimming effect of distance. The absolute magnitude of a star is the magnitude it would appear to be if it were 10 parsecs away. The absolute magnitude of a planet, asteroid or comet is the apparent magnitude it would have if it were at a distance of 1 AU from both the Sun and Earth, with its disk fully illuminated.', 'absolute zero The lowest possible temperature. It is the zero point of the Kelvin temperature scale used in science. Its equivalent on the Celsius scale is -273.16°C.', 'absorption line A sharp dip in a continuous spectrum. Absorption lines look like narrow gaps in a spectrum. They are seen in the spectra of the majority of stars. In the case of the Sun, they are known as Fraunhofer lines. Atoms create these dark lines by absorbing radiation. Each chemical element creates a unique pattern of lines. By measuring the strengths of absorption lines it is possible to deduce the abundance of the various elements, though the lines are also affected by temperature, density and other factors.', 'absorption nebula A dark interstellar cloud that blocks the light from stars and galaxies lying behind it. Absorption nebulae range in size from small globules to large clouds visible to the naked eye. Absorption nebulae contain both dust and gas, and the temperatures in them are low enough for simple molecules to form. Much of what is known about these nebulae comes from observing their infrared and radio radiation, which, unlike visible light, can pass through them.', 'accretion disk A disk that forms around a spinning object, such as a star or black hole, when its gravity draws in material from a companion star or from the interstellar medium. Achernar (Alpha Eridani) The brightest star in the constellation Eridanus, representing the River Eridanus. Its name comes from Arabic and means 'the end of the river.' It marks the extreme southern point of the constellation. Achernar is a B star of magnitude 0.5 and is 144 light years away.', '588 Achilles The first of the Trojan asteroids to be identified. Discovered by Max Wolf in 1906, its diameter is about 116 km (72 miles). achondrite A type of stony meteorite that crystallized from molten rock. Unlike chondrites, achondrites do not contain small mineral spheres known as chondrules.', 'active region An artist's impression of the accretion disk that forms around a black hole as it draws material from a companion star.', 'Acrux (Alpha Crucis) The brightest star in the constellation Crux. To the naked eye it looks like a single white star of magnitude 0.9, but a telescope shows two B stars, of magnitudes 1.4 and 1.9, separated by 4.4 arc seconds. The spectrum of the brighter one shows it has a very close companion so there are at least three stars in this system, which is 320 light years away.', 'active galactic nucleus (AGN) A small central region in a galaxy where exceptionally large amounts of energy are being generated. The only way such a concentrated source of power can be explained is by matter falling into a supermassive black hole. Active galaxies are categorized by their appearance and the nature of the radiation they emit. Quasars, Seyfert galaxies, radio galaxies, N galaxies and blazars are all examples. AGNs have high-speed jets of material shooting out.', Ключевые слова: e, r, o