Nearly 160,000 years ago, a star in the Large Magellanic Cloud (a galaxy close to our own Milky Way) erupted in a majestic, violent death. Traveling at the speed of light, the radiation from this explosion reached Earth on February 23, 1987. The brightest supernova seen in four centuries, it was one of the most significant discoveries of twentieth-century astronomy. The saga of Supernova "1987A" began with a once-in-a-lifetime observation by a lone astronomer in the Andes mountains. Astronomers soon found that the death throes of a far-off sun had yielded a treasure trove of information. This lucid, fascinating account by one of today's leading writers on astronomy details the results these astronomers obtained and the basic conclusions they drew. The story that Donald Goldsmith tells spans the globe from satellites orbiting high above the Earth as they detect bursts of gamma rays and X rays, to "Neutrino" experts capturing a few of these elusive subatomic particles in water-filled chambers deep underground, to the creation of supernova "models" in supercomputers. Taking us to the scene of this spectacular astronomical event and to the various locations of its aftermath, Goldsmith recalls our historical fascination with supernovae; explains how stars form and then live through nuclear fusion; reveals a star's different kinds of electromagnetic radiation; and demonstrates how exploding stars transform primordial material into complex elements essential to life on Earth. Readers of Supernova will gain a heightened awareness of the universe and our role in it.

Supernova: The Violent Death of a Star

Goldsmith, Donald

Science & Math

Oxford University Press

The authors present the most important facts about astronomy from a uniquely engaging viewpoint: how can we find other advanced civilizations? To address the question, Goldsmith and Owen provide a fascinating description of the history and structure of the universe, and then consider current ideas about the origin and cosmic distribution of life. Their book is an up-to-the-minute account of our understanding of the universe, of the likelihood of life throughout the cosmos, and of the ways in which advanced civilizations can make contact. World-renowned authority on extraterrestrial life Donald Goldsmith gives the reader a solid introduction to the subject, and the revision includes new information from all areas of current astronomical research. No science background is required, and the mathematics level is high- school algebra.

Search for Life in the Universe (2nd Edition)

Owen, Tobias

Astronomy & Space Science

Addison-Wesley

Recounts how the supernova was discovered and discusses the information it is providing scientists about the life cycle of stars

Supernova! the Exploding Star of 1987

St Martins Pr

Examines this century's most important astronomical discoveries, profiles the people who made them, and explores advances expected in the future

The Astronomers

The Astronomers/Companion Book to the Pbs Television Series

An exploration of new theories about the formation and evolution of the universe traces the big bang, through the first three billion years on Earth, to today's search for life on other planets, in a volume that covers such topics as dark energy, life on Mars, and current mysteries about space and time. 50,000 first printing.

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution

Tyson, Neil DeGrasse

W.W. Norton & Co., Inc.

"An accessible and extremely well-written exploration of the deep waters of cosmology, astrophysics, and exobiology." ―Kirkus Reviews
Our true origins are not just human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and the current cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, Origins explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a galaxy birth to Spirit Rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct a galvanizing tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance. 32 pages of color illustrations.

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

DEGRASSE TYSON, NEIL

W.W.Norton

“Who can ask for better cosmic tour guides to the universe than Drs. Tyson and Goldsmith?” ―Michio Kaku, author of Hyperspace and Parallel Worlds Our true origins are not just human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and the current cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, ?Origins? explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a galaxy birth to Spirit Rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct a galvanizing tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance. 32 pages of color illustrations

W.W.Norton&Company

Our true origins are not only human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, Origins illuminates the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. This revised and updated edition features such startling discoveries as the now more than 5,000 detected exoplanets that promise to reveal exciting possibilities for life in the cosmos, and data from a new generation of ground-based and spaceborne observatories that have fundamentally changed what we know about the expanding universe?and maybe even the laws of physics themselves. From the first image of a galaxy's birth to tantalizing evidence of water not only on Mars but also on the asteroid Ceres, as well as on moons of Jupiter and Saturn, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct an exhilarating tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance.

Proposes a controversial new theory explaining the extinction of the dinosaurs that involves the possible existence of a "death star" that causes comet showers every twenty-six million years

Nemesis: The Death Star and Other Theories of Mass Extinction

BERKLEY

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Goldsmith, Donald. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Goldsmith, Donald

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Goldsmith, Donald. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Supernova: The Violent Death of a Star

Search for Life in the Universe (2nd Edition)

Supernova! the Exploding Star of 1987

The Astronomers

The Astronomers/Companion Book to the Pbs Television Series

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

Nemesis: The Death Star and Other Theories of Mass Extinction