A Down to Earth Guide to the Cosmos

To the beginner, the star-filled sky at night can seem as mysterious and unfathomable as it was to our distant ancestors. But with this book as a guide, the awesome nature of the Cosmos is brought down to Earth. Learning about the Universe requires two distinct areas of focus: understanding the physical nature of the processes and objects amongst the stars and the ability to find objects and navigate around the sky. Mark Thompson's book combines these two areas in a unique and engaging way, taking the reader in just twelve chapters on the same journey that has taken mankind thousands of years. The twelve chapters of the book represent the twelve months of the year and each chapter will tackle an astronomical concept, such as how our view of the night sky has changed over the centuries, drawing on real objects in the sky to illustrate the point. Each chapter will be further broken down into three sections; a narrative which covers the concept, followed by a quick guide to the stars of the northern hemisphere for the that month and then those in the southern hemisphere. As fascinating as it is accessible, Mark Thompson's book is a must for anyone who gazes up at the sky at night and wishes they knew more about the final frontier...