Oxford Astronomy

by Simon Mitton and Jacqueline Mitton

Published 1 January 2004
A new edition of the long-running bestseller, "The Young Oxford Book of Astronomy", which has been completely revised and updated for the 21st century. This new edition is updated to incorporate major new information, discoveries and technological developments, including the size and age of the Universe, telescope technology and the Mars Pathfinder probe. Beginning with the aims of astronomy, and how astronomers map and measure the universe, we set out on a tour of space, starting with the planets, and then the Sun and our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, before going on to explore the whole Universe of galaxies beyond. The narrative text is accompanied by numerous colour photos (now including Hubble Space Telescope pictures) and diagrams, while special feature boxes offer tips on practical activities such as how to use a star atlas, how to set up an astronomical telescope, and how to see a supernova remnant and the moons of Jupiter. Simon and Jacqueline Mitton are both members of the International Astronomical Union and fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society. They have worked together as a team to write several books, including "Discovering Astronomy" and "Invitation to Astronomy".
Asteroid 4017 was named 'Mitton' in recognition of the authors' contribution to the public understanding of astronomy. Simon and Jacqueline live in Cambridge.

Astronomy

by Simon Mitton and Jacqueline Mitton

Published 10 July 1978
This text uses a new, more accessible structure to describe astronomy from a modern perspective. It begins by describing the aims of astronomy, followed by chapters that explain how sizes and dimensions are determined, and how information is turned into models of the solar system, the galaxy and the universe at large. There is a unique section on the history of matter, and the last three chapters describe the solar system, the astronomy of stars, galaxies and cosmology.