Out of the Blue: A 24-Hour Skywatcher's GuideWhy is the sky blue and why are sunsets red? When can I see a rainbow? Why is the moon sometimes visible in daylight? In Out of the Blue skywatcher John Naylor offers practical advice about where and when you can expect to see natural phenomena, what you will see and how to improve your chances of seeing it. Naylor takes in both the night and the day sky, and deals only with what can be seen with the naked eye. Drawing on science, history, literature and mythology, and assuming only basic scientific knowledge, Out of the Blue is for everyone who enjoys being outdoors and who feel curious or puzzled about things optical and astronomical. John Naylor was born in England, but spent his childhood in Peru. A graduate of London University with a degree in philosophy, he teaches physics at a secondary school in London. |
Contents
Daylight | 5 |
Shadows | 29 |
Mirages | 51 |
Sunset and sunrise | 71 |
Rainbows | 88 |
Coronae and glories | 127 |
Atmospheric halos | 136 |
The night sky | 157 |
Eclipses | 219 |
Planets | 240 |
Stars | 258 |
Comets and meteors | 282 |
Technical and practical advice for skygazing | 300 |
Glossary | 306 |
Sources and notes | 319 |
| 345 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
airlight amount angle appears approximately astronomers atmosphere band become binoculars blue body brighter brightness cast cause celestial chapter clear close cloud colour comet complete corona course dark depends diameter direction directly disc distance drops Earth eastern eclipse edge effect explanation fact faint Figure formed full Moon ground half halo heiligenschein Hence horizon hour illuminated increases known least less light look lunar magnitude means meteor mirage Moon's motion moves naked eye nature night sky notice object observer occur optical orbit particles particular passes period phase phenomena Photo photograph planet polarised position possible primary rain rainbow rays reaches reflected refraction relative rises scattered seen shadow shows side sight slightly Solar System sometimes stars Sun's sunlight sunset superior surface takes telescope things twilight University usually visible wavelengths
Bibliographic information
| Title | Out of the Blue: A 24-Hour Skywatcher's Guide |
| Author | John Naylor |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press, 2002 |
| ISBN | 0521809258, 9780521809252 |
| Length | 360 pages |
| Subjects | › › Nature / Sky Observation Science / Earth Sciences / Meteorology & Climatology Science / General Science / Space Science / Astronomy |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |