A Dictionary of Astronomy (Oxford Quick Reference) - Softcover

Ridpath, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199609055 ISBN 13: 9780199609055

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2012

Synopsis

The revised second edition of this established dictionary contains over 4,300 up-to-date entries on all aspects of astronomy. Compiled with the help of thirty-four expert contributors under the editorship of renowned author Ian Ridpath, the book covers everything from space exploration and the equipment involved, to astrophysics, cosmology, and the concept of time--plus biographical entries on eminent astronomers and worldwide coverage of observatories and telescopes. The appendices include tables of Apollo lunar landing missions, the constellations, and a table of planetary data. The entries have been fully revised and updated and fifty new entries have been added. The content is enhanced by web links which are regularly updated on a companion website.

About this title

About the Author:

Ian Ridpath is editor of Norton's Star Atlas, The Monthly Sky Guide, and many other titles.

Review:

Review from previous edition: "This is an excellent dictionary. It has all the qualities one should reasonably expect from such a reference book: accuracy, clarity, consistency and good coverage of its subject. ...The book is neatly laid out in a way that is easy to use, with a reasonable but not excessive number of cross-references...Ian Ridpath has done a remarkable job to achieve such consistency in the style, technical level and length of entries. And try as I might, I have failed to find any bloomers! This is a classic that the publisher, editor and contributors can be proud of - worthy of the Oxford name, world-famous for its dictionaries and reference books." --Dr Jacqueline Mitton, writer and Public Relations Officer of the Royal Astronomical Society, The Journal of the British Astronomical Association

"I shall be glad to have this edition on my shelf." --Robert Connon Smith. The Observatory. 04/2008

"a handy guide for amateur astronomers, students of astronomy, and interested general readers. Both its format and text are clear and straightforward...recommended for its value as an exhaustive quick reference guide on astronomy. Public and academic libraries will want to add this work to their collections." --Electronic Reviews of Science and Technology References

"An enormous amount of obscure data is satisfactorily explained here, which is just what you turn to a dictionary for." --Times Literary Supplement

"this book is rich in peculiarities for the interested observer." --The Independent 21/09/2007

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0199609055
• ISBN 13: 9780199609055
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 544