Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

If only because of its grand scale, cosmology can bring out the worst in science writers. But The Magic Furnace is as unputdownable as any thriller as it unifies the very big and the very small in a single coherent vision of creation.

In a cosmos dominated by hydrogen and helium all the other elements make up a mere two per cent of the universe's mass. It was not always so. There was a time when those other elements did not even exist. The stuff which we're made from was not fully formed by the Big Bang. So where did it--where did we--come from?

Chown dovetails two histories: the story of how we came to know how stars are born, grow old and die, and the story of how we investigated the atom and came to appreciate how different elements are related. This is no contrived juxtaposition. The elements from which we are made were assembled by stars and distributed by supernovae. We are--literally--stardust.

All scientific histories are simplifications after the event but Chown, in something of the spirit of Local Heroes's Adam Hart-Davis, brings a biographer's eye to those--from Greek philosopher Democritus onwards--who brought us to our present understanding.

By Chown's account, the universe seems uncannily friendly to the formation of organics and ultimately, life. Chown's take on this "anthropomorphic" (and quasi-religious) version of the world is a model of balanced and responsible speculation and provides the fitting conclusion to this fascinating account. --Simon Ings

Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

Mind-blowing Narrative, 20 Apr 2008
The first section of THE MAGIC FURNACE describes the history of the discovery of the atomic world. It is satisfying sweeping narrative, taking in events such as the first breath-taking time atoms were 'seen' using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM).

'It was as if lightning flickered from the finger of a god to the ground. If he lifted his finger too high, the lightning died away until he had no sense of the surface; if he moved too close, the lightning grew to a painful intensity. By keeping the lightning crackling at a tolerable level, he was able to follow the ups and downs of the terrain with his finger.'

This up and down movement is converted into a visual image by computer to give 'the most remarkable images in the history of science'.

After that the atom is split to reveal protons and neutrons and, most importantly, 'the extraordinary energy inside'.

This leads on to the second section, which deals with what makes the sun the sun and the stars shine. Here all sorts of subjects I thought I knew are connected. It is rather like deciding to walk between stations on the underground instead of riding in the dark in between: this is how Trafalgar square leads to the theatres of Soho, and this is how forcing the sun's light through a prism led to the science of spectroscopy. Everything is described simply and clearly. Because he obviously has an excellent understanding of the topic Chown can eliminate the complicated scientific vocabulary and replace it with the vernacular - suns 'vomit' out gases, for instance. This means that even hugely complicated phenomena such a 'tunnelling' by an alpha particle from a nucleus becomes easily understandable.

The section that ends the book gathers together all the evidence of how the elements are made: it has a complicated history involving the sun, the stars, red giants, supernovae, and the big bang. It makes thrilling reading. Each process is responsible for part of the periodic table and at the end of it I marvelled that we are here at all. I suppose it is possible to either take the view that everything was designed so that life was able to evolve or it is just because of a series of improbable coincidences and low probabilities that things turned out the way they did - and that there is now a carbon-based life-form staring out from a world composed mainly of iron orbiting around a hydrogen sun. There is an intriguing hint that we could be at the end of things, and the reason that we appear to be alone in the universe is that other intelligent life has come and gone.

It makes a fascinating read for anyone who has ever looked out into a clear starry night, however uneasily, and wondered.


The stardust connection., 20 Feb 2008
Read this book for any number of reasons. Read it if you want to know more about atoms. Read it to find out how stars work. Read about the creation of elements: a story that that has spanned billions of years. Whatever the reason, once you start you will finish because it is such a good read.

There are three linked narratives. The first, Atoms, starts with the earliest recorded notions (ca 470BC) and touches on all the strokes of genius and lucky chance by which these initially vague entities were found to exist in a profusion of varieties and became the foundations of modern science. The second, Stars, begins at about the same time - with the sun as a ball of hot iron - then makes much slower progress than the atom story, becoming patently a fiction and stalling around the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty years later the two themes merge and the action picks up in an exciting way.

Whether you have a scientific background, or your take on atoms is as sketchy as those of Democritus, you are almost bound to be continually fascinated. All the basic physics is introduced here in an effortless way. I found myself reading about discoveries and famous names remembered from school science days, but seeing them now in a fresh light: as a fast-moving history of achievements by some amazing people.

A third story develops in the background: it starts with the Big Bang and takes in the origin of atoms, then of quasars and galaxies, then stars and more atoms, then supernovae and yet more atoms . . . and ends with us. In a conventional textbook it would be recounted in plodding systematic detail, but this is by no means a conventional textbook. You end up knowing all about this other story. It's just that you get there by a much more compelling route.

If I have a criticism it is that the author's insertion of analogy and simile is not always helpful and can be wearing when overdone. No matter, this is one of the best books I have read for some time.

well worth it, 09 Sep 2007
particle physics is a difficult subject. somehow, chown manages to explain the development of its theories, from ancient times to the present, answering anticipated questions along the way, in a manner that is both entertaining, informative and easily understandable.

i think you will enjoy this book as much as i did.

Reads like a detective novel, 24 Jun 2007
I completed a physics degree at Leeds University 22yrs ago. They taught us astrophysics. I could do the equations, but couldn't see a big picture. This book gives the picture of how our atoms were made, why we know how they were made, inspite of the billions of years and light years we are from the atomic furnaces. It starts with Democritus, and ends with supernovae. In between, Marcus Chown takes the reader through all the significant scientific discoveries. He gets down into the personal details of the researchers, what they were up against, what they had at their disposal. He makes clear the bizarre connection between particle-physics and astrophysics. Each sub-chapter is headed by a snappy title, a bit like the scene-descriptions in silent movies. For me, two of the crucial facts he got across are: the significance of Iron-56; and Fred Hoyle's bold but crucial claim of the existence of a yet undiscovered excited state of ionised Carbon-12. Read this and you will know why scientist really do know much of what is going on inside of stars.

A must for those of us find physics impossible!!, 07 Jan 2007
I am a science teacher. My specialist subjects are Chemistry and Biology and I find physics very difficult to grasp. This obviously poses a problem when I have to answer challenging questions from students.
However, this book has given me an insight into all those theories that seemed so weird, especially those relating to atoms. I thoroughly recommend this book for non-physics specialists. It is an easy and fun read. I actually enjoy physics now and frequently quote sections to my class!

Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

Mind-blowing Narrative, 20 Apr 2008
The first section of THE MAGIC FURNACE describes the history of the discovery of the atomic world. It is satisfying sweeping narrative, taking in events such as the first breath-taking time atoms were 'seen' using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM).

'It was as if lightning flickered from the finger of a god to the ground. If he lifted his finger too high, the lightning died away until he had no sense of the surface; if he moved too close, the lightning grew to a painful intensity. By keeping the lightning crackling at a tolerable level, he was able to follow the ups and downs of the terrain with his finger.'

This up and down movement is converted into a visual image by computer to give 'the most remarkable images in the history of science'.

After that the atom is split to reveal protons and neutrons and, most importantly, 'the extraordinary energy inside'.

This leads on to the second section, which deals with what makes the sun the sun and the stars shine. Here all sorts of subjects I thought I knew are connected. It is rather like deciding to walk between stations on the underground instead of riding in the dark in between: this is how Trafalgar square leads to the theatres of Soho, and this is how forcing the sun's light through a prism led to the science of spectroscopy. Everything is described simply and clearly. Because he obviously has an excellent understanding of the topic Chown can eliminate the complicated scientific vocabulary and replace it with the vernacular - suns 'vomit' out gases, for instance. This means that even hugely complicated phenomena such a 'tunnelling' by an alpha particle from a nucleus becomes easily understandable.

The section that ends the book gathers together all the evidence of how the elements are made: it has a complicated history involving the sun, the stars, red giants, supernovae, and the big bang. It makes thrilling reading. Each process is responsible for part of the periodic table and at the end of it I marvelled that we are here at all. I suppose it is possible to either take the view that everything was designed so that life was able to evolve or it is just because of a series of improbable coincidences and low probabilities that things turned out the way they did - and that there is now a carbon-based life-form staring out from a world composed mainly of iron orbiting around a hydrogen sun. There is an intriguing hint that we could be at the end of things, and the reason that we appear to be alone in the universe is that other intelligent life has come and gone.

It makes a fascinating read for anyone who has ever looked out into a clear starry night, however uneasily, and wondered.


The stardust connection., 20 Feb 2008
Read this book for any number of reasons. Read it if you want to know more about atoms. Read it to find out how stars work. Read about the creation of elements: a story that that has spanned billions of years. Whatever the reason, once you start you will finish because it is such a good read.

There are three linked narratives. The first, Atoms, starts with the earliest recorded notions (ca 470BC) and touches on all the strokes of genius and lucky chance by which these initially vague entities were found to exist in a profusion of varieties and became the foundations of modern science. The second, Stars, begins at about the same time - with the sun as a ball of hot iron - then makes much slower progress than the atom story, becoming patently a fiction and stalling around the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty years later the two themes merge and the action picks up in an exciting way.

Whether you have a scientific background, or your take on atoms is as sketchy as those of Democritus, you are almost bound to be continually fascinated. All the basic physics is introduced here in an effortless way. I found myself reading about discoveries and famous names remembered from school science days, but seeing them now in a fresh light: as a fast-moving history of achievements by some amazing people.

A third story develops in the background: it starts with the Big Bang and takes in the origin of atoms, then of quasars and galaxies, then stars and more atoms, then supernovae and yet more atoms . . . and ends with us. In a conventional textbook it would be recounted in plodding systematic detail, but this is by no means a conventional textbook. You end up knowing all about this other story. It's just that you get there by a much more compelling route.

If I have a criticism it is that the author's insertion of analogy and simile is not always helpful and can be wearing when overdone. No matter, this is one of the best books I have read for some time.

well worth it, 09 Sep 2007
particle physics is a difficult subject. somehow, chown manages to explain the development of its theories, from ancient times to the present, answering anticipated questions along the way, in a manner that is both entertaining, informative and easily understandable.

i think you will enjoy this book as much as i did.

Reads like a detective novel, 24 Jun 2007
I completed a physics degree at Leeds University 22yrs ago. They taught us astrophysics. I could do the equations, but couldn't see a big picture. This book gives the picture of how our atoms were made, why we know how they were made, inspite of the billions of years and light years we are from the atomic furnaces. It starts with Democritus, and ends with supernovae. In between, Marcus Chown takes the reader through all the significant scientific discoveries. He gets down into the personal details of the researchers, what they were up against, what they had at their disposal. He makes clear the bizarre connection between particle-physics and astrophysics. Each sub-chapter is headed by a snappy title, a bit like the scene-descriptions in silent movies. For me, two of the crucial facts he got across are: the significance of Iron-56; and Fred Hoyle's bold but crucial claim of the existence of a yet undiscovered excited state of ionised Carbon-12. Read this and you will know why scientist really do know much of what is going on inside of stars.

A must for those of us find physics impossible!!, 07 Jan 2007
I am a science teacher. My specialist subjects are Chemistry and Biology and I find physics very difficult to grasp. This obviously poses a problem when I have to answer challenging questions from students.
However, this book has given me an insight into all those theories that seemed so weird, especially those relating to atoms. I thoroughly recommend this book for non-physics specialists. It is an easy and fun read. I actually enjoy physics now and frequently quote sections to my class!

The most productive half-hour in my garden, ever!, 15 Jan 2007
For years I've gazed up at the stars and wondered how I could start to find out about the constellations; if only I'd known about this book I'd have had my answer.

It's brilliant, half an hour in the back garden and I'd found the Big Dipper, Polaris, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and several others. Similarly, for ten years I'd seen a series of three stars in the sky and wondered what they were, now I know; the belt of Orion!

Simple steps, clear diagrams, measuring techniques, everything that you need to start is here. If you want to get to know the night sky, you could do no better than start here.

buy it, 03 Feb 2005
If your like I was - unable to make out pictures shown in constellations and require a giant to help you join the dots up in the sky to actually see images - then get this book. It easily points out the shapes and shows you how to find your way around the sky at night. The legends are great and is always useful to impress ppl with.

Does what it says on the tin, 10 Feb 2003
Either take a look and then go out for a walk, go out for a walk come home and look up what you were looking at, or stick your nose right out the window and look, this book is a fine read, and shows you how to hop from star to star, and it also tells you a little about the legends and myths of the stars.

Well worth the money and ideal as a "dippy in" book too.

Get hold of the book and take a walk this night itself!, 27 Jun 2001
I chanced upon this book when looking for a present for my son's eighth birhtday in April. Since then we can hardly take our eyes off the night-skies. I have looked at many such books but this is the best of them all for an introduction, especially for children. The illustrations are superbly done and the difficult task of orienting oneself properly with respect to the skies and the map is indicated by simply putting a silhouette drawing at the bottom of the page; I find this a very innovative technique. The text accompanying the illustrations is precise and easy to follow for children. The legends are given in just the right amount, thankfully leaving out some of the violent ones and this makes it a wholesome introduction of the night sky for children. The choice of colour schemes is simple and beautiful. The great quality of the book is that once you open the pages the book recedes into the background and you will see only the brilliant star lit sky.

Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

Mind-blowing Narrative, 20 Apr 2008
The first section of THE MAGIC FURNACE describes the history of the discovery of the atomic world. It is satisfying sweeping narrative, taking in events such as the first breath-taking time atoms were 'seen' using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM).

'It was as if lightning flickered from the finger of a god to the ground. If he lifted his finger too high, the lightning died away until he had no sense of the surface; if he moved too close, the lightning grew to a painful intensity. By keeping the lightning crackling at a tolerable level, he was able to follow the ups and downs of the terrain with his finger.'

This up and down movement is converted into a visual image by computer to give 'the most remarkable images in the history of science'.

After that the atom is split to reveal protons and neutrons and, most importantly, 'the extraordinary energy inside'.

This leads on to the second section, which deals with what makes the sun the sun and the stars shine. Here all sorts of subjects I thought I knew are connected. It is rather like deciding to walk between stations on the underground instead of riding in the dark in between: this is how Trafalgar square leads to the theatres of Soho, and this is how forcing the sun's light through a prism led to the science of spectroscopy. Everything is described simply and clearly. Because he obviously has an excellent understanding of the topic Chown can eliminate the complicated scientific vocabulary and replace it with the vernacular - suns 'vomit' out gases, for instance. This means that even hugely complicated phenomena such a 'tunnelling' by an alpha particle from a nucleus becomes easily understandable.

The section that ends the book gathers together all the evidence of how the elements are made: it has a complicated history involving the sun, the stars, red giants, supernovae, and the big bang. It makes thrilling reading. Each process is responsible for part of the periodic table and at the end of it I marvelled that we are here at all. I suppose it is possible to either take the view that everything was designed so that life was able to evolve or it is just because of a series of improbable coincidences and low probabilities that things turned out the way they did - and that there is now a carbon-based life-form staring out from a world composed mainly of iron orbiting around a hydrogen sun. There is an intriguing hint that we could be at the end of things, and the reason that we appear to be alone in the universe is that other intelligent life has come and gone.

It makes a fascinating read for anyone who has ever looked out into a clear starry night, however uneasily, and wondered.


The stardust connection., 20 Feb 2008
Read this book for any number of reasons. Read it if you want to know more about atoms. Read it to find out how stars work. Read about the creation of elements: a story that that has spanned billions of years. Whatever the reason, once you start you will finish because it is such a good read.

There are three linked narratives. The first, Atoms, starts with the earliest recorded notions (ca 470BC) and touches on all the strokes of genius and lucky chance by which these initially vague entities were found to exist in a profusion of varieties and became the foundations of modern science. The second, Stars, begins at about the same time - with the sun as a ball of hot iron - then makes much slower progress than the atom story, becoming patently a fiction and stalling around the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty years later the two themes merge and the action picks up in an exciting way.

Whether you have a scientific background, or your take on atoms is as sketchy as those of Democritus, you are almost bound to be continually fascinated. All the basic physics is introduced here in an effortless way. I found myself reading about discoveries and famous names remembered from school science days, but seeing them now in a fresh light: as a fast-moving history of achievements by some amazing people.

A third story develops in the background: it starts with the Big Bang and takes in the origin of atoms, then of quasars and galaxies, then stars and more atoms, then supernovae and yet more atoms . . . and ends with us. In a conventional textbook it would be recounted in plodding systematic detail, but this is by no means a conventional textbook. You end up knowing all about this other story. It's just that you get there by a much more compelling route.

If I have a criticism it is that the author's insertion of analogy and simile is not always helpful and can be wearing when overdone. No matter, this is one of the best books I have read for some time.

well worth it, 09 Sep 2007
particle physics is a difficult subject. somehow, chown manages to explain the development of its theories, from ancient times to the present, answering anticipated questions along the way, in a manner that is both entertaining, informative and easily understandable.

i think you will enjoy this book as much as i did.

Reads like a detective novel, 24 Jun 2007
I completed a physics degree at Leeds University 22yrs ago. They taught us astrophysics. I could do the equations, but couldn't see a big picture. This book gives the picture of how our atoms were made, why we know how they were made, inspite of the billions of years and light years we are from the atomic furnaces. It starts with Democritus, and ends with supernovae. In between, Marcus Chown takes the reader through all the significant scientific discoveries. He gets down into the personal details of the researchers, what they were up against, what they had at their disposal. He makes clear the bizarre connection between particle-physics and astrophysics. Each sub-chapter is headed by a snappy title, a bit like the scene-descriptions in silent movies. For me, two of the crucial facts he got across are: the significance of Iron-56; and Fred Hoyle's bold but crucial claim of the existence of a yet undiscovered excited state of ionised Carbon-12. Read this and you will know why scientist really do know much of what is going on inside of stars.

A must for those of us find physics impossible!!, 07 Jan 2007
I am a science teacher. My specialist subjects are Chemistry and Biology and I find physics very difficult to grasp. This obviously poses a problem when I have to answer challenging questions from students.
However, this book has given me an insight into all those theories that seemed so weird, especially those relating to atoms. I thoroughly recommend this book for non-physics specialists. It is an easy and fun read. I actually enjoy physics now and frequently quote sections to my class!

The most productive half-hour in my garden, ever!, 15 Jan 2007
For years I've gazed up at the stars and wondered how I could start to find out about the constellations; if only I'd known about this book I'd have had my answer.

It's brilliant, half an hour in the back garden and I'd found the Big Dipper, Polaris, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and several others. Similarly, for ten years I'd seen a series of three stars in the sky and wondered what they were, now I know; the belt of Orion!

Simple steps, clear diagrams, measuring techniques, everything that you need to start is here. If you want to get to know the night sky, you could do no better than start here.

buy it, 03 Feb 2005
If your like I was - unable to make out pictures shown in constellations and require a giant to help you join the dots up in the sky to actually see images - then get this book. It easily points out the shapes and shows you how to find your way around the sky at night. The legends are great and is always useful to impress ppl with.

Does what it says on the tin, 10 Feb 2003
Either take a look and then go out for a walk, go out for a walk come home and look up what you were looking at, or stick your nose right out the window and look, this book is a fine read, and shows you how to hop from star to star, and it also tells you a little about the legends and myths of the stars.

Well worth the money and ideal as a "dippy in" book too.

Get hold of the book and take a walk this night itself!, 27 Jun 2001
I chanced upon this book when looking for a present for my son's eighth birhtday in April. Since then we can hardly take our eyes off the night-skies. I have looked at many such books but this is the best of them all for an introduction, especially for children. The illustrations are superbly done and the difficult task of orienting oneself properly with respect to the skies and the map is indicated by simply putting a silhouette drawing at the bottom of the page; I find this a very innovative technique. The text accompanying the illustrations is precise and easy to follow for children. The legends are given in just the right amount, thankfully leaving out some of the violent ones and this makes it a wholesome introduction of the night sky for children. The choice of colour schemes is simple and beautiful. The great quality of the book is that once you open the pages the book recedes into the background and you will see only the brilliant star lit sky.

So Simple, Even I Can Find What I'm Looking For!, 13 May 2004
I am one of those people who has trouble finding specific constellations, and is never quite sure whether I'm looking at Jupiter or Venus. I carry around little scraps of paper from the newspaper so I can figure out which planets are visible . . . but have a hard time reading the scraps in the dark.

With this book, I can see when and where each planet will appear through 2012. I can also get all the help I need to know what constellations are up there now, and which ones will be present when.

As a result, I can finally introduce the starry heavens in an appropriate way to younger people. I already know a lot about astronomy, but the night sky was beyond me. No longer! Whew!

Although my four children did not get much help with the heavens from me, the grandchildren will receive great benefits from this resource.

Even if you are good at identifying objects in the night sky, this book will be a valuable, convenient reference for you.

Enjoy the lore that our ancestors appreciated by seeing new aspects of the night-time sky!

A Robust Guide For Stargazers, 16 Sep 2003
This is a classic Dorling Kindersley handbook:solid,glossy and very durable. You can thumb this to your hearts content and it will still keep its shape. A double-page spread is given to each planet with lots of facts and figures presented in a clear and colourful format. All 88 constellations are described in detail with the major items of interest to be found in each one. Sky-guides are provided for every month of the year as well.

There are some useful photographs of the constellations and the various astronomical objects they contain but I found some of these difficult to make out. Perhaps things are clearer in the field.

A well designed book that really does pack a lot in and the array of facts alone will please the astral trainspotters no end. The celestial hemispheres on the inside of the front and back covers are a nice finishing touch to an aesthetically pleasing as well as informative guide.

Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

Mind-blowing Narrative, 20 Apr 2008
The first section of THE MAGIC FURNACE describes the history of the discovery of the atomic world. It is satisfying sweeping narrative, taking in events such as the first breath-taking time atoms were 'seen' using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM).

'It was as if lightning flickered from the finger of a god to the ground. If he lifted his finger too high, the lightning died away until he had no sense of the surface; if he moved too close, the lightning grew to a painful intensity. By keeping the lightning crackling at a tolerable level, he was able to follow the ups and downs of the terrain with his finger.'

This up and down movement is converted into a visual image by computer to give 'the most remarkable images in the history of science'.

After that the atom is split to reveal protons and neutrons and, most importantly, 'the extraordinary energy inside'.

This leads on to the second section, which deals with what makes the sun the sun and the stars shine. Here all sorts of subjects I thought I knew are connected. It is rather like deciding to walk between stations on the underground instead of riding in the dark in between: this is how Trafalgar square leads to the theatres of Soho, and this is how forcing the sun's light through a prism led to the science of spectroscopy. Everything is described simply and clearly. Because he obviously has an excellent understanding of the topic Chown can eliminate the complicated scientific vocabulary and replace it with the vernacular - suns 'vomit' out gases, for instance. This means that even hugely complicated phenomena such a 'tunnelling' by an alpha particle from a nucleus becomes easily understandable.

The section that ends the book gathers together all the evidence of how the elements are made: it has a complicated history involving the sun, the stars, red giants, supernovae, and the big bang. It makes thrilling reading. Each process is responsible for part of the periodic table and at the end of it I marvelled that we are here at all. I suppose it is possible to either take the view that everything was designed so that life was able to evolve or it is just because of a series of improbable coincidences and low probabilities that things turned out the way they did - and that there is now a carbon-based life-form staring out from a world composed mainly of iron orbiting around a hydrogen sun. There is an intriguing hint that we could be at the end of things, and the reason that we appear to be alone in the universe is that other intelligent life has come and gone.

It makes a fascinating read for anyone who has ever looked out into a clear starry night, however uneasily, and wondered.


The stardust connection., 20 Feb 2008
Read this book for any number of reasons. Read it if you want to know more about atoms. Read it to find out how stars work. Read about the creation of elements: a story that that has spanned billions of years. Whatever the reason, once you start you will finish because it is such a good read.

There are three linked narratives. The first, Atoms, starts with the earliest recorded notions (ca 470BC) and touches on all the strokes of genius and lucky chance by which these initially vague entities were found to exist in a profusion of varieties and became the foundations of modern science. The second, Stars, begins at about the same time - with the sun as a ball of hot iron - then makes much slower progress than the atom story, becoming patently a fiction and stalling around the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty years later the two themes merge and the action picks up in an exciting way.

Whether you have a scientific background, or your take on atoms is as sketchy as those of Democritus, you are almost bound to be continually fascinated. All the basic physics is introduced here in an effortless way. I found myself reading about discoveries and famous names remembered from school science days, but seeing them now in a fresh light: as a fast-moving history of achievements by some amazing people.

A third story develops in the background: it starts with the Big Bang and takes in the origin of atoms, then of quasars and galaxies, then stars and more atoms, then supernovae and yet more atoms . . . and ends with us. In a conventional textbook it would be recounted in plodding systematic detail, but this is by no means a conventional textbook. You end up knowing all about this other story. It's just that you get there by a much more compelling route.

If I have a criticism it is that the author's insertion of analogy and simile is not always helpful and can be wearing when overdone. No matter, this is one of the best books I have read for some time.

well worth it, 09 Sep 2007
particle physics is a difficult subject. somehow, chown manages to explain the development of its theories, from ancient times to the present, answering anticipated questions along the way, in a manner that is both entertaining, informative and easily understandable.

i think you will enjoy this book as much as i did.

Reads like a detective novel, 24 Jun 2007
I completed a physics degree at Leeds University 22yrs ago. They taught us astrophysics. I could do the equations, but couldn't see a big picture. This book gives the picture of how our atoms were made, why we know how they were made, inspite of the billions of years and light years we are from the atomic furnaces. It starts with Democritus, and ends with supernovae. In between, Marcus Chown takes the reader through all the significant scientific discoveries. He gets down into the personal details of the researchers, what they were up against, what they had at their disposal. He makes clear the bizarre connection between particle-physics and astrophysics. Each sub-chapter is headed by a snappy title, a bit like the scene-descriptions in silent movies. For me, two of the crucial facts he got across are: the significance of Iron-56; and Fred Hoyle's bold but crucial claim of the existence of a yet undiscovered excited state of ionised Carbon-12. Read this and you will know why scientist really do know much of what is going on inside of stars.

A must for those of us find physics impossible!!, 07 Jan 2007
I am a science teacher. My specialist subjects are Chemistry and Biology and I find physics very difficult to grasp. This obviously poses a problem when I have to answer challenging questions from students.
However, this book has given me an insight into all those theories that seemed so weird, especially those relating to atoms. I thoroughly recommend this book for non-physics specialists. It is an easy and fun read. I actually enjoy physics now and frequently quote sections to my class!

The most productive half-hour in my garden, ever!, 15 Jan 2007
For years I've gazed up at the stars and wondered how I could start to find out about the constellations; if only I'd known about this book I'd have had my answer.

It's brilliant, half an hour in the back garden and I'd found the Big Dipper, Polaris, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and several others. Similarly, for ten years I'd seen a series of three stars in the sky and wondered what they were, now I know; the belt of Orion!

Simple steps, clear diagrams, measuring techniques, everything that you need to start is here. If you want to get to know the night sky, you could do no better than start here.

buy it, 03 Feb 2005
If your like I was - unable to make out pictures shown in constellations and require a giant to help you join the dots up in the sky to actually see images - then get this book. It easily points out the shapes and shows you how to find your way around the sky at night. The legends are great and is always useful to impress ppl with.

Does what it says on the tin, 10 Feb 2003
Either take a look and then go out for a walk, go out for a walk come home and look up what you were looking at, or stick your nose right out the window and look, this book is a fine read, and shows you how to hop from star to star, and it also tells you a little about the legends and myths of the stars.

Well worth the money and ideal as a "dippy in" book too.

Get hold of the book and take a walk this night itself!, 27 Jun 2001
I chanced upon this book when looking for a present for my son's eighth birhtday in April. Since then we can hardly take our eyes off the night-skies. I have looked at many such books but this is the best of them all for an introduction, especially for children. The illustrations are superbly done and the difficult task of orienting oneself properly with respect to the skies and the map is indicated by simply putting a silhouette drawing at the bottom of the page; I find this a very innovative technique. The text accompanying the illustrations is precise and easy to follow for children. The legends are given in just the right amount, thankfully leaving out some of the violent ones and this makes it a wholesome introduction of the night sky for children. The choice of colour schemes is simple and beautiful. The great quality of the book is that once you open the pages the book recedes into the background and you will see only the brilliant star lit sky.

So Simple, Even I Can Find What I'm Looking For!, 13 May 2004
I am one of those people who has trouble finding specific constellations, and is never quite sure whether I'm looking at Jupiter or Venus. I carry around little scraps of paper from the newspaper so I can figure out which planets are visible . . . but have a hard time reading the scraps in the dark.

With this book, I can see when and where each planet will appear through 2012. I can also get all the help I need to know what constellations are up there now, and which ones will be present when.

As a result, I can finally introduce the starry heavens in an appropriate way to younger people. I already know a lot about astronomy, but the night sky was beyond me. No longer! Whew!

Although my four children did not get much help with the heavens from me, the grandchildren will receive great benefits from this resource.

Even if you are good at identifying objects in the night sky, this book will be a valuable, convenient reference for you.

Enjoy the lore that our ancestors appreciated by seeing new aspects of the night-time sky!

A Robust Guide For Stargazers, 16 Sep 2003
This is a classic Dorling Kindersley handbook:solid,glossy and very durable. You can thumb this to your hearts content and it will still keep its shape. A double-page spread is given to each planet with lots of facts and figures presented in a clear and colourful format. All 88 constellations are described in detail with the major items of interest to be found in each one. Sky-guides are provided for every month of the year as well.

There are some useful photographs of the constellations and the various astronomical objects they contain but I found some of these difficult to make out. Perhaps things are clearer in the field.

A well designed book that really does pack a lot in and the array of facts alone will please the astral trainspotters no end. The celestial hemispheres on the inside of the front and back covers are a nice finishing touch to an aesthetically pleasing as well as informative guide.

An excellent introduction to cosmology, 07 Aug 2005
Laymen's guides to physics usually resort to metaphors that are seriously misleading. The alternative is a highly mathematical approach that is inaccessible to most readers. Coles manages to simplify without misleading. Actually, some basic knowledge of physics is assumed, at least if you want a full understanding of what is being said, but it is never beyond high school level and most of the book does not require even that.

Covering relativity, quantum theory, particle physics and much else, this is a perfect introduction to a vast and profound topic. My only complaint: cosmology is a fast-changing subject. A new edition is needed very soon.

Not that bad., 01 Nov 2003
I found this book a good read: the book displays interesting and well known ideas and diagrams. Though I think you could get a better read: for example, I loved, Before the Beginning our universe and others, which doesn't make you fall to sleep every page.
But I must admit, I read it and I liked it. So I think you would too.

A balanced view of cosmology, 03 Mar 2003
This is a truly excellent introduction to cosmology for specialist and non-specialist alike. It is non-mathematical and so may be read by anyone, but the overall cover is so good, in my opinion, that it would prove an ideal first read for both undergraduates and postgraduates. All the main topics are covered; the big problems facing us are all highlighted, but what makes this book stand out is the total lack of arrogance displayed by the author. When dealing with something which is not established fact, he gives his opinion but makes it absolutely clear that it is just that - his opinion! This is in marked contrast to the attitude displayed in most texts and is certainly contrary to the policy adopted by some popular scientific journals, which seem to establish a sort of 'perceived conventional wisdom' and refuse to publish anything which disagrees with that so-called wisdom. This book will certainly not lead the interested amateur astray, but will present both facts and theories and leave the reader to make up his own mind over matters which are still open to question.
I would urge anyone with an interest in cosmology to buy this book and read it . However, be warned; physically it is a little book but, to gain the maximum from reading it, it is definitely not a quick read! Read it, digest it and enjoy! It really is worth the effort!

A good and non-mathematical introduction., 15 Jan 2002
This book lives up to its title as a very short introduction. It covers the history of cosmological ideas including the great astronomical discoveries and theoretical triumphs of the 20th century. It also brings up the questions that are baffling todays cosmologists, the Hubble Constant, Omega, quantum-gravity, dark matter etc.

The introduction is non-mathematical and can be appreciated by non-scientists. There are relevant diagrams and photographs. Ideas are expressed clearly and logically. The book is an ideal starter for anyone interested in this exciting subject.

Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

Mind-blowing Narrative, 20 Apr 2008
The first section of THE MAGIC FURNACE describes the history of the discovery of the atomic world. It is satisfying sweeping narrative, taking in events such as the first breath-taking time atoms were 'seen' using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM).

'It was as if lightning flickered from the finger of a god to the ground. If he lifted his finger too high, the lightning died away until he had no sense of the surface; if he moved too close, the lightning grew to a painful intensity. By keeping the lightning crackling at a tolerable level, he was able to follow the ups and downs of the terrain with his finger.'

This up and down movement is converted into a visual image by computer to give 'the most remarkable images in the history of science'.

After that the atom is split to reveal protons and neutrons and, most importantly, 'the extraordinary energy inside'.

This leads on to the second section, which deals with what makes the sun the sun and the stars shine. Here all sorts of subjects I thought I knew are connected. It is rather like deciding to walk between stations on the underground instead of riding in the dark in between: this is how Trafalgar square leads to the theatres of Soho, and this is how forcing the sun's light through a prism led to the science of spectroscopy. Everything is described simply and clearly. Because he obviously has an excellent understanding of the topic Chown can eliminate the complicated scientific vocabulary and replace it with the vernacular - suns 'vomit' out gases, for instance. This means that even hugely complicated phenomena such a 'tunnelling' by an alpha particle from a nucleus becomes easily understandable.

The section that ends the book gathers together all the evidence of how the elements are made: it has a complicated history involving the sun, the stars, red giants, supernovae, and the big bang. It makes thrilling reading. Each process is responsible for part of the periodic table and at the end of it I marvelled that we are here at all. I suppose it is possible to either take the view that everything was designed so that life was able to evolve or it is just because of a series of improbable coincidences and low probabilities that things turned out the way they did - and that there is now a carbon-based life-form staring out from a world composed mainly of iron orbiting around a hydrogen sun. There is an intriguing hint that we could be at the end of things, and the reason that we appear to be alone in the universe is that other intelligent life has come and gone.

It makes a fascinating read for anyone who has ever looked out into a clear starry night, however uneasily, and wondered.


The stardust connection., 20 Feb 2008
Read this book for any number of reasons. Read it if you want to know more about atoms. Read it to find out how stars work. Read about the creation of elements: a story that that has spanned billions of years. Whatever the reason, once you start you will finish because it is such a good read.

There are three linked narratives. The first, Atoms, starts with the earliest recorded notions (ca 470BC) and touches on all the strokes of genius and lucky chance by which these initially vague entities were found to exist in a profusion of varieties and became the foundations of modern science. The second, Stars, begins at about the same time - with the sun as a ball of hot iron - then makes much slower progress than the atom story, becoming patently a fiction and stalling around the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty years later the two themes merge and the action picks up in an exciting way.

Whether you have a scientific background, or your take on atoms is as sketchy as those of Democritus, you are almost bound to be continually fascinated. All the basic physics is introduced here in an effortless way. I found myself reading about discoveries and famous names remembered from school science days, but seeing them now in a fresh light: as a fast-moving history of achievements by some amazing people.

A third story develops in the background: it starts with the Big Bang and takes in the origin of atoms, then of quasars and galaxies, then stars and more atoms, then supernovae and yet more atoms . . . and ends with us. In a conventional textbook it would be recounted in plodding systematic detail, but this is by no means a conventional textbook. You end up knowing all about this other story. It's just that you get there by a much more compelling route.

If I have a criticism it is that the author's insertion of analogy and simile is not always helpful and can be wearing when overdone. No matter, this is one of the best books I have read for some time.

well worth it, 09 Sep 2007
particle physics is a difficult subject. somehow, chown manages to explain the development of its theories, from ancient times to the present, answering anticipated questions along the way, in a manner that is both entertaining, informative and easily understandable.

i think you will enjoy this book as much as i did.

Reads like a detective novel, 24 Jun 2007
I completed a physics degree at Leeds University 22yrs ago. They taught us astrophysics. I could do the equations, but couldn't see a big picture. This book gives the picture of how our atoms were made, why we know how they were made, inspite of the billions of years and light years we are from the atomic furnaces. It starts with Democritus, and ends with supernovae. In between, Marcus Chown takes the reader through all the significant scientific discoveries. He gets down into the personal details of the researchers, what they were up against, what they had at their disposal. He makes clear the bizarre connection between particle-physics and astrophysics. Each sub-chapter is headed by a snappy title, a bit like the scene-descriptions in silent movies. For me, two of the crucial facts he got across are: the significance of Iron-56; and Fred Hoyle's bold but crucial claim of the existence of a yet undiscovered excited state of ionised Carbon-12. Read this and you will know why scientist really do know much of what is going on inside of stars.

A must for those of us find physics impossible!!, 07 Jan 2007
I am a science teacher. My specialist subjects are Chemistry and Biology and I find physics very difficult to grasp. This obviously poses a problem when I have to answer challenging questions from students.
However, this book has given me an insight into all those theories that seemed so weird, especially those relating to atoms. I thoroughly recommend this book for non-physics specialists. It is an easy and fun read. I actually enjoy physics now and frequently quote sections to my class!

The most productive half-hour in my garden, ever!, 15 Jan 2007
For years I've gazed up at the stars and wondered how I could start to find out about the constellations; if only I'd known about this book I'd have had my answer.

It's brilliant, half an hour in the back garden and I'd found the Big Dipper, Polaris, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and several others. Similarly, for ten years I'd seen a series of three stars in the sky and wondered what they were, now I know; the belt of Orion!

Simple steps, clear diagrams, measuring techniques, everything that you need to start is here. If you want to get to know the night sky, you could do no better than start here.

buy it, 03 Feb 2005
If your like I was - unable to make out pictures shown in constellations and require a giant to help you join the dots up in the sky to actually see images - then get this book. It easily points out the shapes and shows you how to find your way around the sky at night. The legends are great and is always useful to impress ppl with.

Does what it says on the tin, 10 Feb 2003
Either take a look and then go out for a walk, go out for a walk come home and look up what you were looking at, or stick your nose right out the window and look, this book is a fine read, and shows you how to hop from star to star, and it also tells you a little about the legends and myths of the stars.

Well worth the money and ideal as a "dippy in" book too.

Get hold of the book and take a walk this night itself!, 27 Jun 2001
I chanced upon this book when looking for a present for my son's eighth birhtday in April. Since then we can hardly take our eyes off the night-skies. I have looked at many such books but this is the best of them all for an introduction, especially for children. The illustrations are superbly done and the difficult task of orienting oneself properly with respect to the skies and the map is indicated by simply putting a silhouette drawing at the bottom of the page; I find this a very innovative technique. The text accompanying the illustrations is precise and easy to follow for children. The legends are given in just the right amount, thankfully leaving out some of the violent ones and this makes it a wholesome introduction of the night sky for children. The choice of colour schemes is simple and beautiful. The great quality of the book is that once you open the pages the book recedes into the background and you will see only the brilliant star lit sky.

So Simple, Even I Can Find What I'm Looking For!, 13 May 2004
I am one of those people who has trouble finding specific constellations, and is never quite sure whether I'm looking at Jupiter or Venus. I carry around little scraps of paper from the newspaper so I can figure out which planets are visible . . . but have a hard time reading the scraps in the dark.

With this book, I can see when and where each planet will appear through 2012. I can also get all the help I need to know what constellations are up there now, and which ones will be present when.

As a result, I can finally introduce the starry heavens in an appropriate way to younger people. I already know a lot about astronomy, but the night sky was beyond me. No longer! Whew!

Although my four children did not get much help with the heavens from me, the grandchildren will receive great benefits from this resource.

Even if you are good at identifying objects in the night sky, this book will be a valuable, convenient reference for you.

Enjoy the lore that our ancestors appreciated by seeing new aspects of the night-time sky!

A Robust Guide For Stargazers, 16 Sep 2003
This is a classic Dorling Kindersley handbook:solid,glossy and very durable. You can thumb this to your hearts content and it will still keep its shape. A double-page spread is given to each planet with lots of facts and figures presented in a clear and colourful format. All 88 constellations are described in detail with the major items of interest to be found in each one. Sky-guides are provided for every month of the year as well.

There are some useful photographs of the constellations and the various astronomical objects they contain but I found some of these difficult to make out. Perhaps things are clearer in the field.

A well designed book that really does pack a lot in and the array of facts alone will please the astral trainspotters no end. The celestial hemispheres on the inside of the front and back covers are a nice finishing touch to an aesthetically pleasing as well as informative guide.

An excellent introduction to cosmology, 07 Aug 2005
Laymen's guides to physics usually resort to metaphors that are seriously misleading. The alternative is a highly mathematical approach that is inaccessible to most readers. Coles manages to simplify without misleading. Actually, some basic knowledge of physics is assumed, at least if you want a full understanding of what is being said, but it is never beyond high school level and most of the book does not require even that.

Covering relativity, quantum theory, particle physics and much else, this is a perfect introduction to a vast and profound topic. My only complaint: cosmology is a fast-changing subject. A new edition is needed very soon.

Not that bad., 01 Nov 2003
I found this book a good read: the book displays interesting and well known ideas and diagrams. Though I think you could get a better read: for example, I loved, Before the Beginning our universe and others, which doesn't make you fall to sleep every page.
But I must admit, I read it and I liked it. So I think you would too.

A balanced view of cosmology, 03 Mar 2003
This is a truly excellent introduction to cosmology for specialist and non-specialist alike. It is non-mathematical and so may be read by anyone, but the overall cover is so good, in my opinion, that it would prove an ideal first read for both undergraduates and postgraduates. All the main topics are covered; the big problems facing us are all highlighted, but what makes this book stand out is the total lack of arrogance displayed by the author. When dealing with something which is not established fact, he gives his opinion but makes it absolutely clear that it is just that - his opinion! This is in marked contrast to the attitude displayed in most texts and is certainly contrary to the policy adopted by some popular scientific journals, which seem to establish a sort of 'perceived conventional wisdom' and refuse to publish anything which disagrees with that so-called wisdom. This book will certainly not lead the interested amateur astray, but will present both facts and theories and leave the reader to make up his own mind over matters which are still open to question.
I would urge anyone with an interest in cosmology to buy this book and read it . However, be warned; physically it is a little book but, to gain the maximum from reading it, it is definitely not a quick read! Read it, digest it and enjoy! It really is worth the effort!

A good and non-mathematical introduction., 15 Jan 2002
This book lives up to its title as a very short introduction. It covers the history of cosmological ideas including the great astronomical discoveries and theoretical triumphs of the 20th century. It also brings up the questions that are baffling todays cosmologists, the Hubble Constant, Omega, quantum-gravity, dark matter etc.

The introduction is non-mathematical and can be appreciated by non-scientists. There are relevant diagrams and photographs. Ideas are expressed clearly and logically. The book is an ideal starter for anyone interested in this exciting subject.

Excellent analysis of climate change and its causes, 31 Oct 2008
Henrik Svensmark, director of the Centre of Sun-Climate Research at the Danish National Space Centre, and Nigel Calder, the well-known science writer, have produced a challenging book on climate change.

When stars die, they do so in supernova explosions that emit cosmic rays, which create ions, which form clouds. Low clouds - less than 3000 metres above the surface - keep the planet cool. The less active the sun is, the more cosmic rays get through to the earth, and so the more clouds there are to cool the earth.

The Danish National Space Centre's SKY experiment showed how cosmic rays set free electrons which then catalysed the clubbing together of sulphuric acid molecules, the most important source of condensation nuclei. These cosmic rays have varied since the world began; their influx depends largely on where the earth is in the galaxy in our orbit around the centre of the Milky Way. When the earth is in dark regions with few stars where the rays are scarce, the climate is warm. When the earth is in bright regions where the rays are intense, the climate is cool.

The medieval warm period of 1000-1300 was followed by the cool periods of 1300-60 and 1450-1540, and a worse one, the little ice age of 1645-1715, then another cool period in 1790-1820. The peak of the little ice age was 1700, which coincided with the Maunder Minimum, when the sun's magnetic activity was very low, reducing its ability to shield the earth from cosmic rays.

In the last century, the sun's magnetic field doubled in strength, reducing the cosmic rays and so the clouds, thus heating up the earth by 0.70C from 1900 to 2005, 70% of the 20th century's warming. The authors predict that global warming in this century is likely to be at the low end of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's forecast of a 1.80C-40C rise by 2100.

Indeed, temperatures have not risen since 2001, even though global CO2 emissions have been rising faster than ever. Also, the Antarctic's area of sea ice grew by 8% between 1978 and 2005.




The open minded will thoroughly enjoy this..., 02 Aug 2008
NOTE: There are two editions of this book, buy the later oneThe Chilling Stars: A New Theory of Climate published in February 2008, it has been updated with a large new chapter at the back which brings you upto date, and is important.

Svensmark's theory finally offers a highly attractive alternative to the traditional GHG forcing model. It's neat, tight, not at all messy, rather elegant infact. `The Chilling Stars' takes you behind the dry published research paper's in far more detail, and allows you to engage with the excitement and wonder as a new scientific theory takes shape.

I've been following the AGW debate for some time, firstly as a supporter of AGW and then slowly moving towards a more sceptical stance. This year (2008) I've spent a lot of time reading the various research papers to get behind the media hype of both sides. What stands out is the relatively messy theory behind the idea of AGW, it's certainly not proven, it's just the best theory science had to date to explain the forcing seen. The GCR/Climate link just kept popping up in my research, as did Svensmark's name. Despite the rubbishing of his work, his hypothesis on paper looks sound to me. It's clearly upset a lot of people, more so because of the politically sensitive subject that Co2 has become.

We will know if Svensmark is really on the right track when the CLOUD project at CERN start's producing data in 2010. Although the cercumstantial evidence is continuing to pile up in his favour.


The Climate Is Changing!, 08 Jul 2008
Ever thought that maybe, just maybe the climate might not stay exactly as it is today? Ever thought that because you were told about ice ages at school that climate change happens? Ever thought that scientific pronouncements should be evidence based? If the answer to the latter is 'no' then you are probably an environmentalist, so this book will not interest you. If you want to know something and want it proven then you are ahead of our (current) Royal Society, as they would doubtless want to burn this book. The sun and water vapour are the main agents in our climate. Certainly not Man. And that is a fact; carbon emissions are not and never have (natural or human -which now counts as unnatural) been a main agent of change in our climate. Despite Al Gore believing he is possessed of an infallable dogma, the inconvenient fact is that recent cooling and increased emissions breaks his unassailable link. This book gives a possible explanation of what is happening to our planet's weather. It suggests, it doesn't shout. It looks for proof. How refreshing is that?

Refreshingly scientific, 03 Jun 2008
Written by the master of popular science writing Nigel Calder, this book offers a very accessible introduction to cosmoclimatology and will not leave one stone unturned in the search for scientifically consistent theories and explanations.

Based on the research done by Danish scientist Henrik Svensmark, this book is worth a read - don't be misled by reviewers who attack the messenger without having read the message.

Questionable!, 03 Feb 2008
Henrik Svensmark and Nigel Calder (ex. New Scientist editor) attempt to dispel years of work of climatologists by 'proving' a correlation between cosmic rays and global warming, effectively claiming the effects of Carbon Dioxide and Methane are negligible.

Although an interesting read which made me think a lot about climate change from a proposed 'new light', Chilling Stars, on further research from organisations such as the IPCC and RealClimate, turned out to be a disappointing hoax playing on the media frenzy of denying anthropogenically driven climate change and global warming. This book is wholly irresponsible, viewed by the world's leading climatologists as misleading the public by false information from a non-peer-reviewed publication.

Perfect for Amateur Astronomers, 22 Jun 2008
The Planisphere is the perfect tool for any amateur astronomer.
It comes with full instructions on its use, so you can have a quick look at it and be out inspecting the night sky in only a few minutes.

It also explains how to find the major planets (Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn), sunrise and sunset as well as the positions of the constellations, season by season. Luckily, many of these instructions can be found on the back of the Planisphere itself (along with a Key to map symbols) so that you can always flip it over if you get stuck.

The Planisphere itself is sturdy, flexible and laminated so it won't be affected by wet surfaces - which is useful if you find yourself outside and there's a change in the weather. This makes it superior to any cardboard version.

I recieved my first Planisphere at the age of ten, and I still buy updated versions every few years, simply because they are useful for locating the major planets (it covers their positions, month by month for ten years). Those who have just started stargazing will find the Planisphere a useful tool.


Great tool for the occassional astronomer, 29 Dec 2007
Every now and then in the winter when Orion is visible in the skies I dig this out and use it to work out what else I can find in the night (or early morning) sky.

It is very easy to use and can also be explained to kids. I have used it in the West of Ireland and Southern England to remind myself of the night sky I was so fascinated by as a teenager.

Straightforward, useful and accurate, 03 Dec 2006
I got the Planisphere a while back and found it to be a fabulous astronomical companion. The larger format makes it easy to see outside in the dark and it's plastic construction means it won't be affected by night dew. On the back is a handy planet finder which is accurate and I quickly found Saturn in the area it computed.
I prefer the Planisphere to the laptop version as it doesn't run out of batteries, crash or damage easily. I wouldn't be without it.

Mind-blowing Narrative, 20 Apr 2008
The first section of THE MAGIC FURNACE describes the history of the discovery of the atomic world. It is satisfying sweeping narrative, taking in events such as the first breath-taking time atoms were 'seen' using Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM).

'It was as if lightning flickered from the finger of a god to the ground. If he lifted his finger too high, the lightning died away until he had no sense of the surface; if he moved too close, the lightning grew to a painful intensity. By keeping the lightning crackling at a tolerable level, he was able to follow the ups and downs of the terrain with his finger.'

This up and down movement is converted into a visual image by computer to give 'the most remarkable images in the history of science'.

After that the atom is split to reveal protons and neutrons and, most importantly, 'the extraordinary energy inside'.

This leads on to the second section, which deals with what makes the sun the sun and the stars shine. Here all sorts of subjects I thought I knew are connected. It is rather like deciding to walk between stations on the underground instead of riding in the dark in between: this is how Trafalgar square leads to the theatres of Soho, and this is how forcing the sun's light through a prism led to the science of spectroscopy. Everything is described simply and clearly. Because he obviously has an excellent understanding of the topic Chown can eliminate the complicated scientific vocabulary and replace it with the vernacular - suns 'vomit' out gases, for instance. This means that even hugely complicated phenomena such a 'tunnelling' by an alpha particle from a nucleus becomes easily understandable.

The section that ends the book gathers together all the evidence of how the elements are made: it has a complicated history involving the sun, the stars, red giants, supernovae, and the big bang. It makes thrilling reading. Each process is responsible for part of the periodic table and at the end of it I marvelled that we are here at all. I suppose it is possible to either take the view that everything was designed so that life was able to evolve or it is just because of a series of improbable coincidences and low probabilities that things turned out the way they did - and that there is now a carbon-based life-form staring out from a world composed mainly of iron orbiting around a hydrogen sun. There is an intriguing hint that we could be at the end of things, and the reason that we appear to be alone in the universe is that other intelligent life has come and gone.

It makes a fascinating read for anyone who has ever looked out into a clear starry night, however uneasily, and wondered.


The stardust connection., 20 Feb 2008
Read this book for any number of reasons. Read it if you want to know more about atoms. Read it to find out how stars work. Read about the creation of elements: a story that that has spanned billions of years. Whatever the reason, once you start you will finish because it is such a good read.

There are three linked narratives. The first, Atoms, starts with the earliest recorded notions (ca 470BC) and touches on all the strokes of genius and lucky chance by which these initially vague entities were found to exist in a profusion of varieties and became the foundations of modern science. The second, Stars, begins at about the same time - with the sun as a ball of hot iron - then makes much slower progress than the atom story, becoming patently a fiction and stalling around the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty years later the two themes merge and the action picks up in an exciting way.

Whether you have a scientific background, or your take on atoms is as sketchy as those of Democritus, you are almost bound to be continually fascinated. All the basic physics is introduced here in an effortless way. I found myself reading about discoveries and famous names remembered from school science days, but seeing them now in a fresh light: as a fast-moving history of achievements by some amazing people.

A third story develops in the background: it starts with the Big Bang and takes in the origin of atoms, then of quasars and galaxies, then stars and more atoms, then supernovae and yet more atoms . . . and ends with us. In a conventional textbook it would be recounted in plodding systematic detail, but this is by no means a conventional textbook. You end up knowing all about this other story. It's just that you get there by a much more compelling route.

If I have a criticism it is that the author's insertion of analogy and simile is not always helpful and can be wearing when overdone. No matter, this is one of the best books I have read for some time.

well worth it, 09 Sep 2007
particle physics is a difficult subject. somehow, chown manages to explain the development of its theories, from ancient times to the present, answering anticipated questions along the way, in a manner that is both entertaining, informative and easily understandable.

i think you will enjoy this book as much as i did.

Reads like a detective novel, 24 Jun 2007
I completed a physics degree at Leeds University 22yrs ago. They taught us astrophysics. I could do the equations, but couldn't see a big picture. This book gives the picture of how our atoms were made, why we know how they were made, inspite of the billions of years and light years we are from the atomic furnaces. It starts with Democritus, and ends with supernovae. In between, Marcus Chown takes the reader through all the significant scientific discoveries. He gets down into the personal details of the researchers, what they were up against, what they had at their disposal. He makes clear the bizarre connection between particle-physics and astrophysics. Each sub-chapter is headed by a snappy title, a bit like the scene-descriptions in silent movies. For me, two of the crucial facts he got across are: the significance of Iron-56; and Fred Hoyle's bold but crucial claim of the existence of a yet undiscovered excited state of ionised Carbon-12. Read this and you will know why scientist really do know much of what is going on inside of stars.

A must for those of us find physics impossible!!, 07 Jan 2007
I am a science teacher. My specialist subjects are Chemistry and Biology and I find physics very difficult to grasp. This obviously poses a problem when I have to answer challenging questions from students.
However, this book has given me an insight into all those theories that seemed so weird, especially those relating to atoms. I thoroughly recommend this book for non-physics specialists. It is an easy and fun read. I actually enjoy physics now and frequently quote sections to my class!

The most productive half-hour in my garden, ever!, 15 Jan 2007
For years I've gazed up at the stars and wondered how I could start to find out about the constellations; if only I'd known about this book I'd have had my answer.

It's brilliant, half an hour in the back garden and I'd found the Big Dipper, Polaris, the Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and several others. Similarly, for ten years I'd seen a series of three stars in the sky and wondered what they were, now I know; the belt of Orion!

Simple steps, clear diagrams, measuring techniques, everything that you need to start is here. If you want to get to know the night sky, you could do no better than start here.

buy it, 03 Feb 2005
If your like I was - unable to make out pictures shown in constellations and require a giant to help you join the dots up in the sky to actually see images - then get this book. It easily points out the shapes and shows you how to find your way around the sky at night. The legends are great and is always useful to impress ppl with.

Does what it says on the tin, 10 Feb 2003
Either take a look and then go out for a walk, go out for a walk come home and look up what you were looking at, or stick your nose right out the window and look, this book is a fine read, and shows you how to hop from star to star, and it also tells you a little about the legends and myths of the stars.

Well worth the money and ideal as a "dippy in" book too.

Get hold of the book and take a walk this night itself!, 27 Jun 2001
I chanced upon this book when looking for a present for my son's eighth birhtday in April. Since then we can hardly take our eyes off the night-skies. I have looked at many such books but this is the best of them all for an introduction, especially for children. The illustrations are superbly done and the difficult task of orienting oneself properly with respect to the skies and the map is indicated by simply putting a silhouette drawing at the bottom of the page; I find this a very innovative technique. The text accompanying the illustrations is precise and easy to follow for children. The legends are given in just the right amount, thankfully leaving out some of the violent ones and this makes it a wholesome introduction of the night sky for children. The choice of colour schemes is simple and beautiful. The great quality of the book is that once you open the pages the book recedes into the background and you will see only the brilliant star lit sky.

So Simple, Even I Can Find What I'm Looking For!, 13 May 2004
I am one of those people who has trouble finding specific constellations, and is never quite sure whether I'm looking at Jupiter or Venus. I carry around little scraps of paper from the newspaper so I can figure out which planets are visible . . . but have a hard time reading the scraps in the dark.

With this book, I can see when and where each planet will appear through 2012. I can also get all the help I need to know what constellations are up there now, and which ones will be present when.

As a result, I can finally introduce the starry heavens in an appropriate way to younger people. I already know a lot about astronomy, but the night sky was beyond me. No longer! Whew!

Although my four children did not get much help with the heavens from me, the grandchildren will receive great benefits from this resource.

Even if you are good at identifying objects in the night sky, this book will be a valuable, convenient reference for you.

Enjoy the lore that our ancestors appreciated by seeing new aspects of the night-time sky!

A Robust Guide For Stargazers, 16 Sep 2003
This is a classic Dorling Kindersley handbook:solid,glossy and very durable. You can thumb this to your hearts content and it will still keep its shape. A double-page spread is given to each planet with lots of facts and figures presented in a clear and colourful format. All 88 constellations are described in detail with the major items of interest to be found in each one. Sky-guides are provided for every month of the year as well.

There are some useful photographs of the constellations and the various astronomical objects they contain but I found some of these difficult to make out. Perhaps things are clearer in the field.

A well designed book that really does pack a lot in and the array of facts alone will please the astral trainspotters no end. The celestial hemispheres on the inside of the front and back covers are a nice finishing touch to an aesthetically pleasing as well as informative guide.

An excellent introduction to cosmology, 07 Aug 2005
Laymen's guides to physics usually resort to metaphors that are seriously misleading. The alternative is a highly mathematical approach that is inaccessible to most readers. Coles manages to simplify without misleading. Actually, some basic knowledge of physics is assumed, at least if you want a full understanding of what is being said, but it is never beyond high school level and most of the book does not require even that.

Covering relativity, quantum theory, particle physics and much else, this is a perfect introduction to a vast and profound topic. My only complaint: cosmology is a fast-changing subject. A new edition is needed very soon.

Not that bad., 01 Nov 2003
I found this book a good read: the book displays interesting and well known ideas and diagrams. Though I think you could get a better read: for example, I loved, Before the Beginning our universe and others, which doesn't make you fall to sleep every page.
But I must admit, I read it and I liked it. So I think you would too.

A balanced view of cosmology, 03 Mar 2003
This is a truly excellent introduction to cosmology for specialist and non-specialist alike. It is non-mathematical and so may be read by anyone, but the overall cover is so good, in my opinion, that it would prove an ideal first read for both undergraduates and postgraduates. All the main topics are covered; the big problems facing us are all highlighted, but what makes this book stand out is the total lack of arrogance displayed by the author. When dealing with something which is not established fact, he gives his opinion but makes it absolutely clear that it is just that - his opinion! This is in marked contrast to the attitude displayed in most texts and is certainly contrary to the policy adopted by some popular scientific journals, which seem to establish a sort of 'perceived conventional wisdom' and refuse to publish anything which disagrees with that so-called wisdom. This book will certainly not lead the interested amateur astray, but will present both facts and theories and leave the reader to make up his own mind over matters which are still open to question.
I would urge anyone with an interest in cosmology to buy this book and read it . However, be warned; physically it is a little book but, to gain the maximum from reading it, it is definitely not a quick read! Read it, digest it and enjoy! It really is worth the effort!

A good and non-mathematical introduction., 15 Jan 2002
This book lives up to its title as a very short introduction. It covers the history of cosmological ideas including the great astronomical discoveries and theoretical triumphs of the 20th century. It also brings up the questions that are baffling todays cosmologists, the Hubble Constant, Omega, quantum-gravity, dark matter etc.

The introduction is non-mathematical and can be appreciated by non-scientists. There are relevant diagrams and photographs. Ideas are expressed clearly and logically. The book is an ideal starter for anyone interested in this exciting subject.

Excellent analysis of climate change and its causes, 31 Oct 2008
Henrik Svensmark, director of the Centre of Sun-Climate Research at the Danish National Space Centre, and Nigel Calder, the well-known science writer, have produced a challenging book on climate change.

When stars die, they do so in supernova explosions that emit cosmic rays, which create ions, which form clouds. Low clouds - less than 3000 metres above the surface - keep the planet cool. The less active the sun is, the more cosmic rays get through to the earth, and so the more clouds there are to cool the earth.

The Danish National Space Centre's SKY experiment showed how cosmic rays set free electrons which then catalysed the clubbing together of sulphuric acid molecules, the most important source of condensation nuclei. These cosmic rays have varied since the world began; their influx depends largely on where the earth is in the galaxy in our orbit around the centre of the Milky Way. When the earth is in dark regions with few stars where the rays are scarce, the climate is warm. When the earth is in bright regions where the rays are intense, the climate is cool.

The medieval warm period of 1000-1300 was followed by the cool periods of 1300-60 and 1450-1540, and a worse one, the little ice age of 1645-1715, then another cool period in 1790-1820. The peak of the little ice age was 1700, which coincided with the Maunder Minimum, when the sun's magnetic activity was very low, reducing its ability to shield the earth from cosmic rays.

In the last century, the sun's magnetic field doubled in strength, reducing the cosmic rays and so the clouds, thus heating up the earth by 0.70C from 1900 to 2005, 70% of the 20th century's warming. The authors predict that global warming in this century is likely to be at the low end of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's forecast of a 1.80C-40C rise by 2100.

Indeed, temperatures have not risen since 2001, even though global CO2 emissions have been rising faster than ever. Also, the Antarctic's area of sea ice grew by 8% between 1978 and 2005.




The open minded will thoroughly enjoy this..., 02 Aug 2008
NOTE: There are two editions of this book, buy the later oneThe Chilling Stars: A New Theory of Climate published in February 2008, it has been updated with a large new chapter at the back which brings you upto date, and is important.

Svensmark's theory finally offers a highly attractive alternative to the traditional GHG forcing model. It's neat, tight, not at all mess