Product Description

This revised edition contains 4,000 up-to-date entries written by an expert team of contributors, under the editorship of Ian Ridpath, renowned author and broadcaster. Covering the most recent space exploration missions and latest technological development, this authoritative dictionary covers everything from astrophysics to galaxies and time. World-wide coverage of observatories and telescopes, and major entries on supernova, Big Bang theory, and stellar evolution, make this an invaluable reference source for students, professionals, and the amateur astronomers. The entries are supported by numerous tables and diagrams, and the dictionary also features biographical entries on eminent astronomers. Appendices include tables of Apollo lunar landing missions and the constellations.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #757997 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
"An enormous amount of obscure data is satisfactorily explained here, which is just what you turn to a dictionary for."--Times Literary Supplement

About the Author
Ian Ridpath, an amateur astronomer, is an author and broadcaster on stars and planets for a general audience. He is the editor of, among other titles, Norton's Star Atlas, and The Monthly Sky Guide.

Customer Reviews

A must for anyone keenly interested in astronomy
Oxford's Dictionary of Astronomy, written by a large team of experts, is addressed to both astronomers, professional and amateur, and the general reader, and, what is more, its wealth of authoritative and well written entries, which covers all aspects of astronomy (from astrophysics, astrometry, astronomers, cosmology, exobiology, to planetology, space exploration, telescopes etc.), makes this reference a splendid astronomy book deserving a place in everyone's library.

The major difference of the latest edition (2007), compared to the 1997 and the 2003 editions, is that the latest edition is by and large up-to-date and noticeably heavier. New entries include terms such as apohele, dwarf planet, Eris, frame dragging, planetary migration, sky brightness etc. Many entries have remained unchanged whereas others, such as galaxy evolution and planet, have been updated or expanded. The number of figures and diagrams has not changed at all as far as I know, while an excellent table of variable star types has been added in the Appendix.

Of all astronomy dictionaries I consult, Oxford University's is the one I recommend the most. The one by Cambridge University Press (Jacqueline Mitton) needs updating and does not include biographical entries. CRC Press' Dictionary Of Geophysics, Astrophysics and Astronomy is too technical for the general reader, while Philip's Astronomy Encyclopedia (not a dictionary, but structured and used exactly like a dictionary) is much more illustrated than Oxford's but needs updating.

This edition of Oxford's astronomy dictionary is currently the best investment in terms of astronomy dictionary, because comprehensive, reliable, inexpensive, easy to read and carry, an excellent reference guide to space and stars.

excellent
Very good, almost encyclopedic you might say. It got me through a degree on the subject what more can I say? A must for anyone studying it.