Product Description

Sir Patrick Moore is the undisputed expert on the stars and planets. His first "Guide to the Moon" was published more than fifty years ago, and reprinted many times; amid all the excitement of inter-planetary exploration and the rush to journey into space, Sir Patrick has never lost his fascination with our nearest heavenly body. This book explores his intimate knowledge of the Moon's surface structure, its origins, its place in the general scheme of the Universe and its close relationship with Earth. What was once remote and mysterious is now almost conquered territory, our knowledge extended immeasurably by the Apollo missions and more recently lunar probes. Yet the questions remain. Is there evidence to show there was once life on the Moon? Is there life there now? What does the Moon tell us about the beginning of life, or the end of life even, on Earth? In his new book, Sir Patrick reviews our present knowledge of the Moon in the lucid and lively manner he has made all his own.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #319678 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Bournemouth Daily Echo
"...a splendid reference, scholarly yet accessible, written in an
engagingly quirky manner."

About the Author
Sir Patrick Moore CBE FRS, Britain's best known astronomer, has over 50 years attracted and held a vast audience through his books and television appearances. He has presented every edition of The Sky at Night since it was first broadcast in April 1957, a world record for television, and to universal acclaim won a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to television at the 2001 BAFTA Awards, presented to him by the astronaut Buzz Aldrin. He is a Fellow and Past President of the Royal Astronomical Society, was awarded the CBE in 1988 and his knighthood in 2000. An enthusiastic communicator, he has done more to popularise the study of astronomy than any other writer of his or subsequent generations.

Customer Reviews

Excellent introduction to the Moon
This is a superb text for anyone starting to develop an interest in the Moon, by an author who has been an enthusiastic observer since before the Space Age. Mr. Moore has a great deal of knowledge and covers many topics such as the motion of the Moon, its origin, the nature of the craters, mountains and plains, the manned and unmanned space missions, and the possibility of constructing a lunar base. A good deal of historical background is provided, including discussions of theories which have since been overturned, humorous accounts of various hoaxes and eccentric ideas, and the excitement of the first attempts by humans to reach another world.

As a person who so obviously appreciates the beauty of the Moon, the author is keen to encourage the reader to look for themselves. To help with this the book includes a large appendix of Mr. Moore's maps of sections of the near side, with short descriptions of features visible through amateur telescopes. Being in book form these are a very convenient size for use when trying to identify a feature from a photo or another book. For the benefit of the non-scientific audience distances are given in miles and heights in feet, and are also occasionally compared to the sizes of countries, parts of Britain, or the distances between towns in England. There is also a chapter discussing the nature of short-term changes which may have been observed on the Moon, such as flashes of light, glows or localised areas of blurring. There is some debate over whether such phenomena exist or not, and advice is given for those who might wish to participate in further investigations.

Two sections of photographs are provided, one consisting largely of black and white telescopic views from Earth, which give a good idea of what one could see or photograph oneself with moderate equipment, the second mainly of close up shots taken by orbiting probes and astronauts on the surface, some in colour. These provide a representative sample of features at different scales, and some fascinating pictures of such things as jagged valleys in the lunar surface and the detail visible around large craters.

Although one or two of Mr. Moore's own photographs are included, there is no discussion of photographic techniques, which is probably just as well as this area is rapidly changing with the use of video cameras, webcams and computer processing, and any information given is likely to soon become obsolete.

Of course it is not possible to cover every subject in great detail, but overall I think the balance works well and keeps the book interesting to the general reader. For those wishing to go further with observation, understanding of how lunar features evolved, and possibly photography, I would recommend "Observing the Moon" by Gerald North.