Unveiling the Universe

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

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2. The Visible Night Sky

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 1-12

3. The Dawn of Astronomy

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 13-18

4. The Formulation of Laws

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 19-31

5. Instruments

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 33-46

6. Fundamental Measurements

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 47-56

7. Surveying the Planets

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 57-70

8. New Planets, Comets and Meteors

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 71-95

9. Exploring the Solar System

   • J. E. van Zyl

   Pages 97-136

10. The Sun

    • J. E. van Zyl

    Pages 137-155

11. Stars and Double Stars

    • J. E. van Zyl

    Pages 157-193

12. Variable Stars

    • J. E. van Zyl

    Pages 195-219

13. The Milky Way Galaxy

    • J. E. van Zyl

    Pages 221-236

14. Beyond the Milky Way

    • J. E. van Zyl

    Pages 237-257

15. From the Big Bang to the Present

    • J. E. van Zyl

    Pages 259-271

16. Back Matter

    Pages 273-324

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Many books on general astronomy have been published in recent years, but this one is exceptional in several respects. It not only provides the complete newcomer to astronomy with a broad picture, covering all aspects - historical, observational, space research methods, cosmology - but it also presents enough more advanced material to enable the really interested student to take matters further. Astronomy is essentially a mathematical science, but there are many people who are anxious to take more than a passing interest and yet are not equipped to deal with mathematical formulae. In this book, therefore, the mathematical sections are deliberately separated out, so that they can be passed over without destroying the general picture. The result is that the book will be equally useful to beginners, to more advanced readers, and to those who really want to go deeply into the subject - for instance at university level. The whole text is written with admirable clarity, and there are excellent illustrations, together with extensive appendices which give lists of objects of various types together with more detailed mathematical explanations. All in all, the book may be said to bridge the gap between purely popular works and more advanced treatises; as such it deserves a very wide circulation, and it will undoubtedly run to many future editions.

• astronomy
• cosmology
• galaxies
• instruments
• milky way
• planet
• solar system
• stars
• sun
• universe

• Northcliff, Republic of South Africa

  J. E. Zyl

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