Book

Rebel star : our quest to solve the great mysteries of the sun

Stuart, Colin (Science writer), author

Overview

In 1869, a solar mystery was uncovered - astronomers observed a total solar eclipse, and for the first time saw the faint glow of the solar corona, the sun's outer atmosphere. Measurements of a previously unknown wavelength that made up this solar light sparked hot debate among scientists about its chemical components, and it wasn't until 1930 that scientists discovered that this wavelength was in fact iron being burned at 3,000,000 degrees Celsius. With the sun's surface at a mere 6,000 degrees C, the real mystery was born - what was heating the sun's corona? Our sun appeared to defy the laws of physics and nature. Since then, the sun has proved difficult to study, and its mysteries largely persist. But in summer 2018 and spring 2019, NASA and then the European Space Agency (ESA) are launching two of their most ambitious space missions to date, repeatedly diving closer to the sun than any previous spacecraft in history. These essential missions promise to provide important information about the sun's corona, and the unpredictable and destructive nature of solar wind. This timely and essential guide will examine our long-held fascination with the Red Giant, from ancient beliefs, to early scientific studies, right up to our present-day understanding, taking the lay reader on an absorbing and thrilling journey to the centre of our solar system.

• Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Limited
• Subject: Sun. / Solar activity.
• ISBN: 9781789290431, 1789290430

Item info:

1 item available

1 item total in all locations

Holdings :

Call Number	Copies	Material	Location
QB521.S78 2019	1	BOOK	AUTOSTORE