United States
£ GBP
The revised second edition of this established dictionary contains over 4,300 up-to-date entries covering all aspects of astronomy. Compiled with the help of over 20 expert contributors under the editorship of renowned author and broadcaster Ian Ridpath, "A Dictionary of Astronomy" covers everything from space exploration and the equipment involved, to astrophysics, cosmology, and the concept of time. The dictionary also includes biographical entries on eminent astronomers, as well as worldwide coverage of observatories and telescopes. Supplementary material is included in the appendices, such as tables of Apollo lunar landing missions and the constellations, a table of planetary data, and numerous other tables and diagrams complement the entries.
New to this edition:
- All entries have been revised and updated to reflect recent developments in the field of astronomy
- Approximately 50 new entries, such as "Juno", "Plutoid", and "Interstellar Boundary Explorer"
- A new appendix listing planetary data
- Entry-level web links are listed and regularly updated on a companion website, expanding the scope of the dictionary
Preface
Preface to the Second Revised Edition
The Dictionary
Appendices
- Apollo lunar landing missions
- Main satellites of the planets
- The constellations
- The brightest stars
- The nearest stars
- The Messier objects
- The Local Group of galaxies
- An A to Z of variable star types
- Table of planetary data
Ian Ridpath is an author and broadcaster on stars and planets for a general audience. He is the editor of, among other titles, Norton's Star Atlas and The Monthly Sky Guide.
"This is an excellent dictionary. It has all the qualities one should reasonably expect from such a reference book: accuracy, clarity, consistency and good coverage of its subject. [...]The book is neatly laid out in a way that is easy to use, with a reasonable but not excessive number of cross-references [...] Ian Ridpath has done a remarkable job to achieve such consistency in the style, technical level and length of entries. And try as I might, I have failed to find any bloomers! This is a classic that the publisher, editor and contributors can be proud of - worthy of the Oxford name, world-famous for its dictionaries and reference books."
– Dr Jacqueline Mitton, writer and Public Relations Officer of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal of the British Astronomical Association
"I shall be glad to have this edition on my shelf."
– Robert Connon Smith, The Observatory
