Sign-In
Cart
The Sun's Heartbeat: And Other Stories from the Life of the Star That Powers Our Planet
Paperback
Astronomy & SpaceEnvironmental Studies
ISBN13: 9780316090995
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Published: Jul 17 2012
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.60
Height: 0.90 Width: 5.40 Depth: 8.20
Language: English
The beating heart of the sun is the very pulse of life on earth. And from the ancients who plotted its path at Stonehenge to the modern scientists who unraveled the nuclear fusion reaction that turns mass into energy, humankind has sought to solve its mysteries. In this lively biography of the sun, Bob Berman ranges from its stellar birth to its spectacular future death with a focus on the wondrous and enthralling, and on the heartbreaking sacrifice, laughable errors, egotistical battles, and brilliant inspirations of the people who have tried to understand its power.
What, exactly, are the ghostly streaks of light astronauts see -- but can't photograph -- when they're in space? And why is it impossible for two people to see the exact same rainbow? Why are scientists beginning to think that the sun is safer than sunscreen? And how does the fluctuation of sunspots -- and its heartbeat -- affect everything from satellite communications to wheat production across the globe?
Peppered with mind-blowing facts and memorable anecdotes about spectral curiosities -- the recently-discovered second sun that lurks beneath the solar surface, the eerie majesty of a total solar eclipse -- THE SUN'S HEARTBEAT offers a robust and entertaining narrative of how the Sun has shaped humanity and our understanding of the universe around us.
Also in
Astronomy & Space
Machine Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Spiritual Freedom and the Re-Animation of Matter
Lafitte, Luke
Paperback
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun [With CDROM]
Goodstein, David L.
Paperback
The Self-Actualizing Cosmos: The Akasha Revolution in Science and Human Consciousness
Laszlo, Ervin
Paperback
Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Hardcover
Earthrise: Inside Artemis II, the Groundbreaking Human Mission Into Deep Space
Larsen, John
Hansen, Jeremy
Hardcover
Astronomy 101, 2nd Edition: From Gravitational Waves and Merging Black Holes to New Exoplanets and Asteroid Samples, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Fa
Petersen, Carolyn Collins
Hardcover
Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
James Webb's Ancient Cosmos: A Journey to the Beginning of Time
Wild, Sarah
Phd Aderin, Maggie
Hardcover
Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume I: Assessing Planetary Condition
George, Demetra
Paperback
The Shortest History of Our Universe: The Unlikely Journey from the Big Bang to Us
Baker, David
Paperback
A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness: A Cosmic Book on the Mechanics of Creation
Bentov, Itzhak
Paperback
Open Space: From Earth to Eternity--The Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos
Ariosto, David
Hardcover
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew
Ward, Jonathan H.
Leinbach, Michael D.
Paperback
Ojibwe Sky Star Map - Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to Ojibwe Star Knowledge
Lee, Annette Sharon
Wilson, William Peter
Gawboy, Carl
Paperback
Chasing the Northern Lights: Everything You Need to Know to See Nature's Greatest Light Show
Dk Travel
Hardcover
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Zach
Weinersmith, Kelly
Paperback
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
The Six: The Extraordinary Story of the Grit and Daring of America's First Women Astronauts
Grush, Loren
Paperback
Classical Mythology of the Constellations: Timeless Tales of the Starry Night Sky
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Boyle, Rebecca
Paperback
The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel
Bagby, Meredith
Paperback
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-Of-The-Century America
Baron, David
Hardcover
Dakota/Lakota Star Map Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to D(L)akota Star Knowledge
O'Rourke, Charlene
Lee, Annette Sharon
Rock, Jim
Paperback
Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission
Collins, Eileen M., USAF (Retired)
Ward, Jonathan H.
Hardcover
Life After Life: The Bestselling Original Investigation That Revealed Near-Death Experiences
Moody, Raymond
Paperback
Night Sky Guide 2027: North America's Skies Month by Month from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mortillaro, Nicole
Paperback
A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Gott, J. Richard
Strauss, Michael A.
Paperback
The Ultraview Effect: What We Can Learn from Astronauts about Awe, Humility, and Exploring the Unknown
Weibel, Deana L.
Hardcover
Night Sky Guide 2026: North America's Skies Month by Month from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mortillaro, Nicole
Paperback
The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-Of-The-Century America
Baron, David
Paperback
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos
Rasmussen, Seven
Hardcover
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System
deGroot, Dagomar
Hardcover
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Hardcover
A Jesuit's Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science
Consolmagno, Guy J., Sj
Paperback
National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas: The Ultimate Guide to the Night Sky
Wei-Haas, Maya
National Geographic
Trefil, James
Hardcover
Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future
Launius, Roger D.
Hardcover
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Greene, Brian
Paperback
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour
Strauss, Michael A.
Gott, J. Richard
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Unseen Universe: Space as You've Never Seen It Before from the James Webb Space Telescope
Harper, Caroline
Hardcover
Do Your Ears Pop in Space? and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Mullane, R. Mike
Paperback
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Paperback
Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmissions Through Myth
Von Dechend, Hertha
de Santillana, Giorgio
Paperback
Webb's Universe: The Space Telescope Images That Reveal Our Cosmic History
Aderin-Pocock, Maggie
Hardcover
Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos
Novitsky, Travis
Lee, Annette S.
Paperback
Making Space for Women: Stories from Trailblazing Women of Nasa's Johnson Space Center
Ross-Nazzal, Jennifer M.
Hardcover
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
Where the Moon Stands Still: Revealing the Cosmic Genius of Ohio's Indigenous Earthworks
Graham, James W.
Paperback
The Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science
Schneider, Michael S.
Paperback
The Grand Cosmic Story: An Illustrated Timeline 13.8 Billion Years and Beyond
Siegel, Ethan
Garlick, Mark A.
Lomberg, Jon
Hardcover
Cosmic Queries: Startalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
Kurson, Robert
Paperback
Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe
Greene, Brian
Paperback
Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me about Our Home Planet--And Our Mission to Protect It
Stott, Nicole
Hardcover
The Natural Navigator, Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Reentry: Spacex, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
Berger, Eric
Hardcover
Constellations: The Story of Space Told Through the 88 Known Star Patterns in the Night Sky
Schilling, Govert
Hardcover
Get to Know the Moon: Moon Phases, Features, and a Day-By-Day Guide to the Lunar Cycle
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
Higher, Faster, Longer: My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Spaceflight
Funk, Wally
Hall, Loretta
Paperback
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Zach
Weinersmith, Kelly
Hardcover
A Cloud a Day: (Cloud Appreciation Society Book, Uplifting Positive Gift, Cloud Art Book, Daydreamers Book)
Pretor-Pinney, Gavin
Hardcover
The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality
Panek, Richard
Paperback
Painting the Cosmos: How Art and Science Intersect to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe
Imara, Nia
Paperback
The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life
Willis, Jon
Hardcover