Press release
Catch a few rays this summer
Cambridge (2 August 2001)
Scientists already excited by NASA's plan to catch a piece of the
Sun (Guardian, Monday 16 July 2001) can now catch up on the current
sum of human knowledge about our star with the publication of The
Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun.
While NASA will spend around £120 million on the Genesis spacecraft
to be launched at the end of July, earthbound solar students can
get their hands on The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun
for a mere £30.
The encyclopedia, published on 2 August, is the work of a single
author, Kenneth R. Lang, Professor of Astronomy at Tufts University,
Massachusetts. It is also the only single volume encyclopedia of
solar knowledge yet published.
Professor Lang has provided in nine thematic chapters a fundamental
and up-to-date reference source of information about the Sun. It
summarises human scientific knowledge gleaned from terrestrial observation
and data collected from the numerous spacecraft already sent out
to study the Sun. These include SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory, which was launched in 1995 and hangs in space at the
same gravitational fulcrum between Sun and Earth that Genesis will
occupy.
Holiday reading for astronomers
As the work of a single author, the encyclopedia has a coherence
and consistency that enables it to be read from beginning to end,
as well as dipped into for reference. The history of our understanding
of the Sun is only included at relevant points, and the book also
excludes the Sun's place in human art and culture. The ideal holiday
book for the astronomer soaking up some UV on the beach this summer,
perhaps!
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun opens with
a summary of the fundamental physical properties of the Sun, its
radiation, gravitational force, and what it tells us about how the
solar system was formed. The Sun's atmosphere is explained, revealing
that its outer reaches actually envelop the Earth.
The Sun is of course, simply one of billions of stars, and Professor
Lang looks at it in relation to other stars, our galaxy, and the
rest of the universe. This includes an explanation of how stars
are born, evolve and then die - the ultimate fate of our own Sun.
What makes the Sun shine?
Any parent who has ever been asked this question by an inquisitive
toddler will thank Professor Lang for his third chapter that answers
this very question. Whether the toddler will appreciate that the
Sun is a huge mass of incandescent plasma, mostly hydrogen, and
that its gradual gravitational contraction produces enormous heat
is another matter. Suffice to say that the energy that the Sun outputs
in one second would take the United States of America one million
years to consume.
The discoveries of three recent spacecraft - SOHO, Ulysses and
Yohkoh - form the basis of the central part of the encyclopedia.
These three craft have, according to Professor Lang, contributed
more knowledge in a decade than perhaps the entire previous century's
study from Earth. Their discoveries include fascinating detail of
the sounds that exist within the sun, plus greater understanding
of the solar atmosphere, solar flares and winds, and sunspots.
The encyclopedia concludes with a look at the Sun's influence on
our own Earth, through its magnetism, heat and radiation. Solar
activity is shown to have influenced global temperatures throughout
history, whilst current global warming can be seen to be a distinct
and unique phenomenon. The final chapter looks at how the Sun is
observed, both from Earth and space. A full glossary, a short reading
list and a useful directory of internet resources round off the
book.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun is liberally
illustrated with many stunning photographs of solar phenomena such
as flares, views of the corona, and auroras as seen near the Earth's
poles. Whilst there is much technical and mathematical explanation,
most of this is extracted into 'focus' panels, keeping the main
text easily readable for students or amateur astronomers. There
is also enough depth to ensure that The Cambridge Encyclopedia
of the Sun will be an indispensable reference for professionals
and more advanced academic astronomers and physicists.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun is published
by Cambridge University Press on 2 August 2001.
0 521 78093 4 Hardback
(276 x 219 mm, 272pp, 79 line diagrams, 8 half-tones, 84 colour
plates, 41 tables)
For further information about the encyclopedia or the author, please
visit www.cambridge.org/sun or contact Melanie James, Marketing
Controller at Cambridge University Press, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge,
CB2 2RU
E-mail: mjames@cambridge.org
Tel: +44(0) 1223 325781
Fax: +44(0) 1223 315052
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