Have you ever wondered what stars are made of, or how they blaze into life? What about how a black hole works, or whether there's alien life somewhere in the universe?
These are the kinds of incredible questions that astronomers spend their days trying to answer. This book won't only give you basic answers, it really digs in to explain some seriously cool and mysterious ideas, from gravity to the origin of the universe to the problem of warping through spacetime.
Find out what Astronomers and Cosmologists have discovered so far, how on Earth they figured it all out, and the head-scratching problems they're still puzzling over in this thrilling introduction.
Chapters in this book include: - Space rocks - How light works - Studying stars - Black holes - Gravity - Is anybody out there?
Exploring complex ideas in easy-to-digest chunks, with expert input from astronomer Dr. Sheila Kanani MBE, Astronomy for Beginners is perfect for space-obsessed children aged 10 and above.
Discover more from Usborne's award-winning For Beginners series
Muu info
A cosmic journey through astronomy, from the solar system to the far reaches of the universe
Chapters in this book include:
Introduction
All about what astronomy actually is, and the role it has played in people's
lives throughout history - from navigating the seas, to worshipping gods in
the skies.
Where are we?
Earth's place in the universe is in the solar system, orbiting the Sun, along
with seven other planets, countless space rocks and lumps of ice, and a whole
load of junk.
All we can see
Astronomers have found out a LOT about the universe by looking through huge
telescopes on earth - and by sending probes and telescopes into space.
More than meets the eye
Stars and planets give off radiation. By studying it, astronomers can find
out all sorts of things - from the temperature of a star and the chemicals it
contains, to the shape of a planet's surface.
Explaining it all
To explain how the universe works, astronomers come up with theories. These
are then backed up by evidence from telescopes., lab experiments, or
complicated models run on supercomputers.
The universe
The universe expanded from a tiny dot, in a mind-blowing event called the Big
Bang. But what shape is the universe? How might it end? And could there be
more than one?
Gravity
Gravity holds the universe together, interacting with space and time. Black
holes are the regions where gravity is strongest. What would happen if you
fell into one?
Is anybody out there?
Searching for aliens starts with a search for water, because all life we know
depends on it. At the same time, people listen out for alien signals, as well
as planning their own adventures in space.
Astronomy and you
Get stuck into astronomy from your own home, or choose your ideal astronomy
career. Also, find out about the everyday technology given to us by astronomy.
Tom Mumbray (Author) Tom studied History at university before joining Usborne in 2018. Since then he's worked on books about Planet Earth, technology, maths and inventions (and learned lots of amazing facts about everything from paleoburrows to fireworks along the way).
Sarah Hull (Author) Sarah grew up in London, then studied German and Fine Art in Oxford and Hamburg. She joined Usborne after working at Profile Books and Thames and Hudson, and now spends her time writing about art, investigating germs and devising ways for children to stave off boredom - all the important things, basically.
