The Milky WayA swirling spiral of 100 billion star-suns, star clusters, nebulae, and cosmic dust, the Milky Way is our home galaxy and, for astronomers, a source of endless fascination. Since 1941 The Milky Way has conveyed Bart and Priscilla Bok's own fascination with our galaxy in an authoritative yet easily understandable account. For two generations this immensely popular book has been the standard introduction to the Milky Way, but once again, scientific advances have demanded a complete revision and thorough updating. In just the last decade an entirely new model of a much more massive Milky Way has emerged, and new techniques of radio and infrared astronomy have opened up the full study of the galactic center. As in earlier editions, presentation of new research and dynamic new theoretical advances will delight amateur and professional stargazers alike. |
Contents
PRESENTING THE MILKY | 1 |
Map of the Milky Way Telescopic Views | 32 |
THE DATA OF OBSERVATION | 47 |
THE SUNS NEAREST | 85 |
HertzsprungRussell Diagram The Suns | 106 |
42 | 115 |
Moving Clusters The System of Open | 123 |
PULSATING STARS | 133 |
Common terms and phrases
21-centimeter absolute magnitude absorption lines angstroms apparent magnitude associated astronomers average bright Carina cepheids color cosmic dust cosmic rays curve dark nebulae diagram direction distance distant stars earth effects emission nebulae faint stars galactic center galactic longitude galactic plane galactic rotation gas and dust giant globular clusters globules H II regions H-alpha Hyades infrared interstellar absorption interstellar gas interstellar space ionized kilometers per second light main sequence measure Messier 31 micron Milky Milky Way system million molecular clouds molecules moving cluster nebulosity neutral atomic hydrogen nucleus number of stars Observatory observed obtain open clusters optical orbit Orion outer parsecs particles photoelectric photograph Population present produced proper motions protostars radial velocities reddening reflector RR Lyrae variables Sagittarius second of arc shown solar masses spectral class spectral types spectrum spiral arms spiral features spiral galaxies spiral structure stellar studies supergiant supernova tion ultraviolet visual wavelength