Unraveling the Mysteries of the Night Sky. Factfilled and imagerich guide to the principles of astronomy its history a host of fun facts and helpful tips for the backyard or budding astronomers We look to the heavens and wonder in awe. Shooting stars constellations planets galaxies and the unknown. What is out there Who is out there How did the stars and planets come to be What does it all mean The last few years have brought an explosion of information leading to serious consideration of questions once deemed crazy. Do other universes exist Are there planets that could harbor life From a neutron star to a black hole from the Higgs Boson particle to cosmic strings from the speed of light to gamma radiation plus a universe of ideas and concepts in between The Handy Astronomy Answer Book takes you on a journey through the history science and the latest findings in astronomy. This book tells the story of astronomyof the cosmos and its contents and of humanitys efforts throughout history to unlock its secrets and solve its mysteries. Youll learn the answers to more than 1000 questions on astronomy and space including ... What is astrobiology What is the Dresden Codex and what does it say about Mayan astronomy What happened between Galileo and the Catholic Church What is the longest time that a human has been in space What is a gammaray burst How do I use a star chart to find stars and constellations How do space and time relate to one another What were considered to be NASAs four great observatories in space How do astronomers map the night sky How many constellations are there How has the discovery of exoplanets affected the search for extraterrestrial life Could a moon found in a stars habitable zone support life as we know it How will the universe end From the basic physics and history of astronomy to using star charts telescopes and other helpful hints for the home astronomer and from space mission programs to the greatest adventure of allthe search for life be