The Sun (eBook)

A User's Manual

Claudio Vita-Finzi (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2008
XII, 156 Seiten
Springer Netherland (Verlag)
9781402068812 (ISBN)

Infos

This is an account of the many ways in which the Sun affects our planet, how its influence has changed over the last few centuries and millennia, and the extent to which we can predict its future impact. The book is the first to integrate astronomical, geological, climatic and social aspects of the Sun. It includes a topical treatment of solar contribution to global warming, and demonstrates how wild and variable is the so-called Solar Constant. Our nearest star is a complex machine which needs to be treated with caution, and this book will equip every reader with the knowledge that is required to understand the benefits and dangers it can bring.

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bit about hydrogen and helium but my excuse is that they make up the bulk of the visible matter in the Universe. Similarly wavelengths, which, like frequency, can be used to describe the behaviour of different kinds of solar energy from X-rays to radio waves. You do not have to be a geek to appreciate such matters, witness a useful mnemonic for the relationship between wavelength and frequency to be found in one of the tales of diplomatic life by Lawrence Durrell: "e; If there is anything worse than a soprano, "e; said Antrobus judicially, as we walked down the Mall towards his club, "e; it is a mezzo-soprano. One shriek lower in the scale, perhaps, b ut with higher candle-po wer . "e; Just bear in mind that he got it the wrong way round. There are many paradoxes in my account. The Sun drives the weather and keeps the Earth's temperature at tolerable levels, it is the basis of photosynthesis and thus the life of plants and the creatures they sustain, and its magnetic field shelters us from dangerous cosmic rays; yet at the same time the ultraviolet (UV) part of the solar spectrum may damage DNA and human tissue, solar flares can destroy spacecraft, power systems and computers, and there is every indication that the Sun precipitated a mini Ice Age less than two centuries ago. Sunshine allows us to generate vitamin D but too much of it can lead to skin cancer and cataracts. Etcetera etcetera.

Inhalt

Preface 5
Contents 8
Looking at the Sun 10
Inside the Sun 34
The Changeable Sun 52
Sun and Climate 69
Sun and Life 87
Sun and Health 99
Space Weather 115
Solar Energy 128
Endnotes 142
References 149
Index 157

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 15.12.2008
• Zusatzinfo: VIII, 160 p. 30 illus., 20 illus. in color.
• Verlagsort: Dordrecht
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Ökologie / Naturschutz
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geophysik
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Meteorologie / Klimatologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: climate change • global warming • Planet • renewable energy • Satellite • Solar • solar wind • Space Missions • Storm • Sun • UV • Weather
• ISBN-13: 9781402068812 / 9781402068812