A Dictionary of Astronomy

• Edited by Ian Ridpath, prolific astronomy author and broadcaster, with the help of more than 20 expert contributors
• Contains over 4,300 entries on all aspects of astronomy
• Worldwide coverage of telescopes and observatories such as the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the European Northern Observatory
• Biographical entries on eminent astronomers such as Ptolemy, Hubble, and Halley
• Includes highlighted entries on key topics such as Big Bang theory, black holes, galaxy evolution, and SETI
• Supplementary material includes a new table of planetary data, Apollo lunar landing missions, and an A to Z of variable star types
• Contains entry-level web links that are listed and regularly updated on a companion website

New to this edition

• All entries have been revised and updated to reflect recent developments in the field of astronomy
• Approximately 50 new entries, such as Juno, Plutoid, and Interstellar Boundary Explorer
• A new appendix listing planetary data
• Entry-level web links are listed and regularly updated on a companion website, expanding the scope of the dictionary

Readership: Students and teachers of astronomy, professional and amateur astronomers, space enthusiasts.

Ian Ridpath, Full-time writer and broadcaster on astronomy and space

Ian Ridpath 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.

Review(s) from previous edition

"This is an excellent dictionary. It has all the qualities one should reasonably expect from such a reference book: accuracy, clarity, consistency and good coverage of its subject. ...The book is neatly laid out in a way that is easy to use, with a reasonable but not excessive number of cross-references...Ian Ridpath has done a remarkable job to achieve such consistency in the style, technical level and length of entries. And try as I might, I have failed to find any bloomers! This is a classic that the publisher, editor and contributors can be proud of - worthy of the Oxford name, world-famous for its dictionaries and reference books. - Dr Jacqueline Mitton, writer and Public Relations Officer of the Royal Astronomical Society, The Journal of the British Astronomical Association

"I shall be glad to have this edition on my shelf." - Robert Connon Smith. The Observatory.

"a handy guide for amateur astronomers, students of astronomy, and interested general readers. Both its format and text are clear and straightforward...recommended for its value as an exhaustive quick reference guide on astronomy. Public and academic libraries will want to add this work to their collections." - Electronic Reviews of Science and Technology References

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

"this book is rich in peculiarities for the interested observer." - The Independent

Preface
The Dictionary
Appendices
Apollo lunar landing missions
Main satellites of the planets
The constellations
The brightest stars
The nearest stars
The Messier objects
The Local Group of galaxies
An A to Z of variable star types
Table of planetary data