The Milky Way: Fifth Edition (Harvard Books on Astronomy) [Presenting the Milky Way -- The data of observation -- The sun's nearest neighbors : stellar populations -- Moving clusters and open clusters -- Pulsating stars and globular clusters -- The whirling galaxy -- The nucleus of our galaxy -- The interstellar gas -- Dark nebulae and cosmic grains -- The spiral structure of the galaxy -- Our changing galaxy]

viii, 356 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. ; ISBN 9780674575035, 0674575032 ; OCLC 6762059 ; blue cloth in chipped dustjacket ; Contents: Presenting the Milky Way -- The data of observation -- The sun's nearest neighbors : stellar populations -- Moving clusters and open clusters -- Pulsating stars and globular clusters -- The whirling galaxy -- The nucleus of our galaxy -- The interstellar gas -- Dark nebulae and cosmic grains -- The spiral structure of the galaxy -- Our changing galaxy ; A swirling spiral of 100 billion star-suns, star clusters, nebulae, and cosmic dust, the Milky Way is our home galaxy and, for astronomers, a source of endless fascination. Since 1941 The Milky Way has conveyed Bart and Priscilla Bok's own fascination with our galaxy in an authoritative yet easily understandable account. For two generations this immensely popular book has been the standard introduction to the Milky Way, but once again, scientific advances have demanded a complete revision and thorough updating. In just the last decade an entirely new model of a much more massive Milky Way has emerged, and new techniques of radio and infrared astronomy have opened up the full study of the galactic center. As in earlier editions, presentation of new research and dynamic new theoretical advances will delight amateur and professional stargazers alike.; Born in northern Holland, Bart Jan Bok received his Ph.D. from the University of Groningen. His poor performance on a Boy Scout examination covering the stellar constellations kindled a lifelong interest in astronomy. Prior to World War II, Bok emigrated to the United States, becoming a citizen in 1938. For nearly 30 years he served on the faculty at Harvard University, where he taught astronomy and directed the Harvard Observatory. From 1966 to 1974, Bok was professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona. Bok is most widely known for the discovery of Bok globules, or small patches of dust that might be the sites of star and planet formation. In his later life, Bok developed astronomical enterprises in Australia and in Arizona. Bol died in 1983. ; VG/VG.…