Sirius: Brightest Diamond in the Night Sky | Date: 08 May 2011, 00:43
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Of all the fixed stars in the night sky, Sirius is by far the brightest - almost twice as bright as its nearest rival, the star Canopus, which lies too far south to be viewed from most of the Northern Hemisphere. Only the Sun, Moon and the planets Venus, Jupiter and, at times, Mars, appear brighter. Sirius, with its flashing brilliance, is a striking feature of the northern winter sky and has understandably drawn the attention of observers of the night sky for thousands of years.
Sirius has many names. Astronomers recognize over fifty designations for the star, but the most commonly used is Alpha Canis Majoris, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. This is Latin for the 'Great Dog', which has led to its popular nickname the 'Dog Star'. Over the centuries many beliefs have come to be associated with Sirius. Some of these beliefs still echo in such phrases as 'the dog days of summer', which the ancient Romans understood well. Other old beliefs long ago fell from public consciousness - only to be revived and to grow into modern popular and scientific controversies. Although these beliefs may seem quite recent, many have their origins in the ancient lore surrounding Sirius; humans seem naturally drawn to its brilliance, and a surprising number of modern cults have nucleated around beliefs in which Sirius plays a prominent role.
From the reviews:
"This book is wonderful, being an authoritative and connected history of Sirius as seen throughout the ages. : I am highly impressed by the original new research reported in this book. : I could imagine that this book would be good for constructing an astro-history course around. : But mainly, for people like us, it is a great story with a lot of new information." (HAD News, Vol. 70, May, 2007)
"To write a complete book about a single star may sound like a daunting task, but Jay Holberg, a senior research scientist at the lunar and planetary laboratory in Arizona, has done so with success. : The book is meticulously researched : . It's a fascinating read and will appeal equally to the newcomer to astronomy and to the serious student. This is recommended without the slightest hesitation." (Patrick Moore, BBC Sky at Night, July, 2007)
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations and Acronyms
PART ONE ANCIENT SIRIUS
1 The Goddess of the Eastern Horizon
Dawn-July 17, 2276 BC-Memphis, Egypt
2 The Dog Star 15
PART TWO THE NATURE OF THE STARS
3 From Myth to Reality
4 A Dark Star Prophesied
5 A Dark Star Revealed
PART THREE THE PHYSICS OF THE STARS
6 An Odd Pair
7 Giants among the Dwarfs
8 A Matter of Degeneracy
9 Einstein's Well
PART FOUR A CONTROVERSIAL AND OCCULT SIRIUS
10 A Red Sirius
11 Modern Mysteries
PART FIVE A CONTEMPORARY AND FUTURE SIRIUS
12 A View from Space
13 Past, Present, and Future
APPENDICES
A Glossary
B Properties of the Sirius System
References
Index
PassWord: www.freebookspot.com
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