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Comets!
by David J. EicherJoin David J. Eicher in this fast-paced and entertaining journey through the history, present, and future of these important yet mysterious cosmic bodies. From ancient times, humans have been fascinated by 'broom stars' and 'blazing scimitars' lighting up the sky and moving against the fixed background of stars. The Great Comets of our time still receive in-depth attention - ISON, Hale-Bopp, Hyakutake, West, and others - while recent spacecraft encounters offer amazing insight into the earliest days of the solar system. In this guide you will discover the cutting-edge science of what comets are, how they behave, where they reside, how groups of comets are related, and much more. The author carefully explores the ideas relating comets and life on Earth - and the danger posed by impacts. He finishes with practical, how-to techniques, tips, and tricks on how to successfully observe comets and even to capture your own images of them.
Comets: Creators and Destroyers
by David H. LevyDavid Levy brings these "ghostly apparitions" to life. With fascinating scenarios both real and imagined, he shows how comets have wreaked their special havoc on Earth and other planets. Beginning with ground zero as comets take form, we track the paths their icy, rocky masses take around our universe and investigate the enormous potential that future comets have to directly affect the way we live on this planet and what we might find as we travel to other planets. In this extraordinary volume, David Levy shines his expert light on a subject that has long captivated our imaginations and fears, and demonstrates the need for our continued and rapt attention.
Comets: Creators And Destroyers
by David H. LevySpectacular and mysterious objects that come and go in the night sky, comets have dwelt in our popular culture for untold ages. As remnants from the formation of the Solar System, they are objects of key scientific research and space missions. As one of nature's most potent and dramatic dangers, they pose a threat to our safety - and yet they were the origin of our oceans and perhaps even life itself. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the biggest and most awe-inspiring of all comets: those that have earned the title 'Great'. It focuses on Great Comets Hyakutake in 1996 and Hale-Bopp in 1997, which gripped attention world-wide because, for many, they were the first comets ever seen. For everyone interested in astronomy, this exciting book reveals the secrets of the Great Comets and provides essential tools for keeping up-to-date with comet discoveries in the future.
Comets and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides)
by Richard Schmude Jr.Comets have inspired wonder, excitement and even fear ever since they were first observed. But they are important members of the solar system, that contain material from early in the life of the system, held in deep-freeze. This makes them key in our understanding of the formation and evolution of many Solar System bodies. Recent ground- and space-based observations have changed much in our understanding of comets. Comets, and How to Observe Them gives a summary of our current knowledge and describes how amateur astronomers can contribute to the body of scientific knowledge of comets. This book contains many practical examples of how to construct comet light-curves, measure how fast a comet's coma expands, and determine the rotation period of the nucleus. All these examples are illustrated with drawings and photographs. Because of their unpredictable nature comets are always interesting and sometime spectacular objects to observe and image. The second part of the book therefore takes the reader through the key observing techniques that can be used with commercially available modern observing equipment, from basic observations to more scientific measurements.
Comets And Their Origin
by Uwe MeierhenrichDivided into two parts, the first four chapters of Comets and their Origin refer to comets and their formation in general, describing cometary missions, comet remote observations, astrochemistry, artificial comets, and the chirality phenomenon.The second part covers the cometary Rosetta mission, its launch, journey, scientific objectives, and instrumentations, as well as the landing scenario on a cometary nucleus. Along the way, the author presents general questions concerning the origin of terrestrial water and the molecular beginnings of lifeon Earth, as well as how the instruments used on a space mission like Rosetta can help answer them. The text concludes with a chapter on what scientists expect from the Rosetta mission and how its data will influence our life on Earth.As a result, the author elucidates highly topical and fascinating knowledge to scientists and students of various scientific backgrounds, allowing them to work with Rosetta's data.
Comets, Asteroids and Meteorites
by Cynthia Pratt NicolsonLong ago, people observed comets, asteroids and meteorites with wonder and fear. What were these unusual rocks that dropped from the sky, strange lights that flashed and glowed, and craters that dented the ground? Today scientists continue their quest to learn more about these amazing -- and sometimes dangerous -- space rocks. The sixth book in the popular Starting with Space series features NASA photos of these space phenomena, including close-up glimpses from space probes such as Galileo.
Comets, Asteroids, and Meteorites (Planet Guides)
by Duncan BrewerWhat is the difference between a meteor and a meteorite? What is the difference between an asteroid and a meteoroid? What causes the tails of comets. Where do comets come from? What causes a meteor to try to collide with the earth? Learn the answers to these and many other questions in this fact filled book on Comets, Asteroids, and Meteorites. This book designed for middle school students but enjoyable by anyone interested in astronomy and how the universe is set up will find something interesting in this short, but fact filled book.
Comets, Meteors, And Asteroids
by Seymour SimonWhether they appear as distant specks in an astronomer's telescope or shoot brilliantly across the evening sky, comets, meteors, and asteroids have fascinated sky gazers throughout history. But where do these racing celestial bodies come from, and what can they teach us about our universe? Join Seymour Simon for a look at the fiery mystery and wild wonder of these luminous bodies of night.
Comets, Popular Culture, and the Birth of Modern Cosmology
by Sara SchechnerIn a lively investigation into the boundaries between popular culture and early-modern science, Sara Schechner presents a case study that challenges the view that rationalism was at odds with popular belief in the development of scientific theories. Schechner Genuth delineates the evolution of people's understanding of comets, showing that until the seventeenth century, all members of society dreaded comets as heaven-sent portents of plague, flood, civil disorder, and other calamities. Although these beliefs became spurned as "vulgar superstitions" by the elite before the end of the century, she shows that they were nonetheless absorbed into the science of Newton and Halley, contributing to their theories in subtle yet profound ways. Schechner weaves together many strands of thought: views of comets as signs and causes of social and physical changes; vigilance toward monsters and prodigies as indicators of God's will; Christian eschatology; scientific interpretations of Scripture; astrological prognostication and political propaganda; and celestial mechanics and astrophysics. This exploration of the interplay between high and low beliefs about nature leads to the conclusion that popular and long-held views of comets as divine signs were not overturned by astronomical discoveries. Indeed, they became part of the foundation on which modern cosmology was built.
Comets: The Quest to Solve a Space Mystery (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading Grade 5)
by Elizabeth Rusch Isabelle RuschMYSTERIOUS VISITORS They hang in the sky for weeks and then disappear. They're bright like stars, but they have tails. What are they? And where do they come from? Even after hundreds of years of study, we're still tracking down answers. NIMAC-sourced textbook
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars
by Douglas FlorianBlast off with Douglas Florian's new high-flying compendium, which features twenty whimsical poems about space. From the moon to the stars, from the Earth to Mars, here is an exuberant celebration of our celestial surroundings that's certain to become a universal favorite among aspiring astronomers everywhere. Includes die-cut pages and a glossary of space terms.
Comeuppance: Costly Signaling, Altruistic Punishment, and Other Biological Components of Fiction
by William FleschWith Comeuppance, William Flesch delivers the freshest, most generous thinking about the novel since Walter Benjamin wrote on the storyteller and Wayne C. Booth on the rhetoric of fiction. In clear and engaging prose, Flesch integrates evolutionary psychology into literary studies, creating a new theory of fiction in which form and content flawlessly intermesh. Fiction, Flesch contends, gives us our most powerful way of making sense of the social world. Comeuppance begins with an exploration of the appeal of gossip and ends with an account of how we can think about characters and care about them as much as about persons we know to be real. We praise a storyteller who contrives a happy or at least an appropriate ending, and fault the writer who refuses us one. Flesch uses Darwinian theory to show how fiction satisfies our desire to see the good vindicated and the wicked get their comeuppance. He conveys the danger and excitement of reading fiction with nimble intelligence and provides wide reference to stories both familiar and little known. Flesch has given us a book that is sure to claim a central place in the discussion of literature and the humanities.
Comfortably Unaware: What We Choose To Eat Is Killing Us And Our Planet
by Richard OppenlanderIn Comfortably Unaware, Dr. Richard Oppenlander tackles the crucial issue of global depletion as it relates to food choice. We should all be committed, he tells us, to understanding the reality and consequences of our diet, the footprint it makes on our environment, and seek food products that are in the best interest of all living things. His forthright information and stark mental images are often disturbing-and that's how it should be. As the guardians of Planet Earth, we need to be shaken out of our complacency, to stop being comfortably unaware, and to understand the measures we must take to ensure the health and well-being of our planet-and of ourselves. Oppenlander
The Coming Authoritarian Ecology
by Fabrice FlipoThe book examines ecological issues such as climate change and biodiversity, articulating local and global scales, and short and long term perspectives, questioning what “development” and “progress” are. The goal is to show how diverging points of view are conflictingly articulated to one another, in a political ideology perspective. This perspective, which is close to the main actor's point of view, allows displacement of the usual analysis, and offers a new synthesis.
Coming Home to the Pleistocene
by Paul Shepard Florence R. ShepardPaul Shepard was one of the most profound and original thinkers of our time. Seminal works like The Tender Carnivore and the Sacred Game, Thinking Animals, and Nature and Madness introduced readers to new and provocative ideas about humanity and its relationship to the natural world. Throughout his long and distinguished career, Paul Shepard returned repeatedly to his guiding theme, the central tenet of his thought: that our essential human nature is a product of our genetic heritage, formed through thousands of years of evolution during the Pleistocene epoch, and that the current subversion of that Pleistocene heritage lies at the heart of today's ecological and social ills.Coming Home to the Pleistocene provides the fullest explanation of that theme. Completed just before his death in the summer of 1996, it represents the culmination of Paul Shepard's life work and constitutes the clearest, most accessible expression of his ideas. Coming Home to the Pleistocene pulls together the threads of his vision, considers new research and thinking that expands his own ideas, and integrates material within a new matrix of scientific thought that both enriches his original insights and allows them to be considered in a broader context of current intellectual controversies. In addition, the book explicitly addresses the fundamental question raised by Paul Shepard's work: What can we do to recreate a life more in tune with our genetic roots? In this book, Paul Shepard presents concrete suggestions for fostering the kinds of ecological settings and cultural practices that are optimal for human health and well-being.Coming Home to the Pleistocene is a valuable book for those familiar with the life and work of Paul Shepard, as well as for new readers seeking an accessible introduction to and overview of his thought.
Coming Home to the Pleistocene
by Paul Shepard Florence R. Shepard"When we grasp fully that the best expressions of our humanity were not invented by civilization but by cultures that preceded it, that the natural world is not only a set of constraints but of contexts within which we can more fully realize our dreams, we will be on the way to a long overdue reconciliation between opposites which are of our own making." --from Coming Home to the Pleistocene. Paul Shepard was one of the most profound and original thinkers of our time. Throughout his long and distinguished career, Paul Shepard returned repeatedly to his guiding theme, the central tenet of his thought: that our essential human nature is a product of our genetic heritage, formed through thousands of years of evolution during the Pleistocene epoch, and that the current subversion of that Pleistocene heritage lies at the heart of today's ecological and social ills. Coming Home to the Pleistocene provides the fullest explanation of that theme. Completed just before his death in the summer of 1996, it represents the culmination of Paul Shepard's life work and constitutes the clearest, most accessible expression of his ideas. Coming Home to the Pleistocene pulls together the threads of his vision, considers new research and thinking that expands his own ideas, and integrates material within a new matrix of scientific thought that both enriches his original insights and allows them to be considered in a broader context of current intellectual controversies. In addition, the book explicitly addresses the fundamental question raised by Paul Shepard's work: What can we do to recreate a life more in tune with our genetic roots? In this book, Paul Shepard presents concrete suggestions for fostering the kinds of ecological settings and cultural practices that are optimal for human health and well-being. Coming Home to the Pleistocene is a valuable book for those familiar with the life and work of Paul Shepard, as well as for new readers seeking an accessible introduction to and overview of his thought.
Coming of Age in the Milky Way
by Timothy FerrisAn eloquent and accessible journey through our evolving notions of the cosmos from “the best science writer of his generation” (Washington Post).From the second-century celestial models of Ptolemy to modern-day research institutes and quantum theory, our perception of the universe—and out place in it—has changed drastically. This classic book offers a breathtaking tour of astronomy and the brilliant, eccentric personalities who have shaped it through the ages. From the first time mankind had an inkling of the vast space that surrounds us, those who study the universe have had to struggle against political and religious preconceptions. They have included some of the most charismatic, courageous, and idiosyncratic thinkers of all time. In Coming of Age in the Milky Way, Timothy Ferris uses his unique blend of rigorous research and captivating narrative skill to draw us into the lives and minds of these extraordinary figures, creating a landmark work of scientific history.
The Coming of Age of Solar and Wind Power (Green Energy and Technology)
by Tariq Muneer Eulalia Jadraque Gago Saioa Etxebarria BerrizbeitiaThis book focuses on the current situation of two technologies for electricity production from renewable energy sources, wind and solar photovoltaic energy, analysing and describing both technologies in detail. Four regions of the world, with distinct energy markets and conditions, are explored. Together, the USA, Europe, China and Japan represent one third of the world’s population and occupy 25% of the planet, therefore offering a representation of a global picture. In each of these regions, the development of the solar and wind energy is examined, and the economic implications are described.
The Coming Population Crash and Our Planet's Surprising Future
by Fred PearceA leading environmental writer looks at the unexpected effects—and possible benefits—of a shrinking, graying population. Over the last century, the world’s population quadrupled and fears of overpopulation flared, with baby booms blamed for genocide and terrorism, and overpopulation singled out as the primary factor driving global warming. Yet, surprisingly, it appears that the population explosion is past its peak—by mid-century, the world’s population will be declining for the first time in over seven hundred years. In The Coming Population Crash, veteran environmental writer Fred Pearce reveals the dynamics behind this dramatic shift and describes the environmental, social, and economic effects of our surprising demographic future.
Coming to Life: How Genes Drive Development
by Christiane Nusslein-VolhardChristiane Nusslein-Volhard, winner of The Nobel Prize in Medicine, gives a concise and illustrative overview of genetics, evolution, and cellular processes as well as a discussing of current ethical issues in human biology. Coming to Life is a remarkable journey through developmental biology that reveals miraculous processes in the microscopic world of cells. Through an accounting of groundbreaking discoveries, Christiane Nusslein-Volhard tells us many answers to historical and contemporary questions in science. For example, she brings us the newest knowledge about embryonic forms, explains the genetic mechanisms that influence adult development of all animals, and shares insights into the ethical standards society moist uphold in the face of new scientific discoveries. As the author leads us from laboratory research to its applications in human beings, we also come to understand why children look like their parents, how an embryonic cell knows to become an eye rather than an eyelash, and other incredible influences hat result in variety in life. Complete with her own hand-drawn illustrations, Coming to Life gives a rare opportunity to understand a Nobel Prize-winner's passion for science in concise, understandable language. 55 b/w illustrations.
Coming to Our Senses: A Boy Who Learned to See, a Girl Who Learned to Hear, and How We All Discover the World
by Susan R. BarryA neurobiologist reexamines the personal nature of perception in this groundbreaking guide to a new model for our senses.We think of perception as a passive, mechanical process, as if our eyes are cameras and our ears microphones. But as neurobiologist Susan R. Barry argues, perception is a deeply personal act. Our environments, our relationships, and our actions shape and reshape our senses throughout our lives.This idea is no more apparent than in the cases of people who gain senses as adults. Barry tells the stories of Liam McCoy, practically blind from birth, and Zohra Damji, born deaf, in the decade following surgeries that restored their senses. As Liam and Zohra learned entirely new ways of being, Barry discovered an entirely new model of the nature of perception. Coming to Our Senses is a celebration of human resilience and a powerful reminder that, before you can really understand other people, you must first recognize that their worlds are fundamentally different from your own.
Comm Check … The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia
by Michael Cabbage William HarwoodOn February 1, 2003, the unthinkable happened. The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated 37 miles above Texas, seven brave astronauts were killed and America's space program, always an eyeblink from disaster, suffered its second catastrophic in-flight failure. Unlike the Challenger disaster 17 years earlier, Columbia's destruction left the nation one failure away from the potential abandonment of human space exploration. Media coverage in the immediate aftermath focused on the possible cause of the disaster, and on the nation's grief. But the full human story, and the shocking details of NASA's crucial mistakes, have never been told -- until now. Based on dozens of exclusive interviews, never-before-published documents and recordings of key meetings obtained by the authors,Comm Checktakes the reader inside the conference rooms and offices where NASA's best and brightest managed the nation's multi-billion-dollar shuttle program -- and where they failed to recognize the signs of an impending disaster. It is the story of a space program pushed to the brink of failure by relentless political pressure, shrinking budgets and flawed decision making. The independent investigation into the disaster uncovered why Columbia broke apart in the sky above Texas. Comm Checkbrings that story to life with the human drama behind the tragedy. Michael Cabbage and William Harwood, two of America's most respected space journalists, are veterans of all but a handful of NASA's 113 shuttle missions. Tapping a network of sources and bringing a combined three decades of experience to bear, the authors provide a rare glimpse into NASA's inner circles, chronicling the agency's most devastating failure and the challenges that face NASA as it struggles to return America to space.
Command-control for Real-time Systems
by Mohamed Chadli Hervé CoppierA real-time system is a complex system which is an integral part of an industrial or experimental system, a vehicle or a construction machine. The peculiarity of these systems is that they are driven by real-time targets in distributed environments. Command-control for Real-time Systems presents the calculation of correction for industrial systems of different physical natures, their implementation on real-time target industrial systems (PLC-SCADA, embedded systems with distributed networks, Networked Control Systems) and their validation by simulation. It optimizes industrial processes by the use of automatic tools, industrial computing and communications networks and aims to successively integrate new control laws (linear, nonlinear and fuzzy controllers) so that users can leverage the power of engineering science as an automatic service process optimization while maintaining their high maintainability facilities. Contents 1. Introduction. 2. Modeling Tools, Sébastien Cabaret and Mohammed Chadli. 3. Control Tools, Mohammed Chadli and Hervé Coppier. 4. Application to Cryogenic Systems, Marco Pezzetti, Hervé Coppier and Mohammed Chadli. 5. Applications to a Thermal System and to Gas Systems, Sébastien Cabaret and Hervé Coppier. 6. Application to Vehicles, Elie Kafrouni and Mohammed Chadli. 7. Real-time Implementation, Marco Pezzetti and Hervé Coppier. About the Authors Mohamed Chadli is a senior lecturer and research supervisor at the University of Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV) in France. His main research interests lie in robust control, the diagnosis and fault tolerant control of polytopic systems and applications for automobiles. He is a senior member of the IEEE, and Vice President of the AAI Club as part of SEE-France. He is the author/co-author of 3 books, book chapters and more than 100 articles published in international journals and conferences. Hervé Coppier is a lecturing researcher at ESIEE-Amiens in France. He has collaborated with industrialists in the field of automation and industrial computing, particularly with CERN, and has spearheaded various international European projects.
Commander Toad and the Dis-asteroid (Commander Toad #4)
by Jane YolenYoung fans of Star Wars and silliness will toad-ally love Commander Toad! When Commander Toad and the crew of the Star Warts learn that a disaster has struck an asteroid, they race across the galaxy to the rescue. But it's hard to figure out just what is wrong, especially when there is a language barrier between the Star Warts' crew and the pigeon inhabitants of the dis-asteroid. A hero is needed, but is even intrepid Commander Toad brave enough to save the day?