What is a star? Why is the sun so hot? Why does the moon seem to change its shape? And why is the sky blue? These are just some of the questions answered in The Sky Above Us: Astronomy for Teenagers. Astronomy is the science of the sky, and is presumably the oldest of all the sciences. The sky is always with us; even cavemen of long ago must have looked up and tried to understand what they saw. At first they thought the Earth was flat, lying in the centre of the Universe with all the objects in the sky moving around it - and it was hard for them to realise that this was in fact wrong. Astronomy has changed dramatically in the last sixty years, and what was once regarded as 'out of this world' has now become part of our everyday lives. Satellites are circling the Earth, and rockets have been sent to explore many of the planets of our Solar System. The Sky Above Us gives a general outline of what Astronomy is all about and shows that there is much to learn, whether you are ten, fifteen, twenty, or even eighty years old! Everyone can take an interest in Astronomy, at any level, without the need of expensive telescopic equipment. It is only natural to look up at the night sky and ask 'What star is that?' You could be looking at a Red Giant Star, large enough to swallow many millions of suns, or a fiercely hot White Star, the light from which has taken centuries to reach us. You could even be looking at a planet from our own Solar System. Dip into the pages of this book to discover just what it is that makes up the fascinating sky above us.

Author Biography

Patrick Moore, without a doubt, did more to raise the profile of astronomy among the British public than any other figure in the scientific world. As the presenter of The Sky at Night on BBC television for nearly fifty years, he was honoured with an OBE in 1968 and a CBE in 1988. In 2001 he was knighted 'for services to the popularisation of science and to broadcasting'. The BBC first aired The Sky at Night in April 1957 and it is now in record books as the world's longest running television series with the same presenter. He was also the author of over sixty books on astronomy, and in 2001 he received a knighthood from the Queen, won a BAFTA for his services to television and became a member of the celebrated Royal Society. Astronomy remained his first love, and his enthusiasm for the subject showed no sign of dwindling - even in his final years. Trudie Rayner is a retired social worker living in Essex. Like many others she is fascinated by the wonders of our night sky. Buying her first telescope in 2001, Trudie soon became a freelance astronomy photographer, eventually setting up her own observatory, and from 2006 onwards she acted as a friend, photographer and apprentice to Sir Patrick Moore until his death in December 2012. During this time, Trudie had 'an amazing teacher' and she provided a number of photographs for First Book of Stars (Amberley, 2010). In 2011, Patrick approached Trudie with the idea of a follow-up book - one that she would not only contribute her photographs to but also act as a co-author. Her initial reaction was apprehensive, but Patrick explained that he wanted to show that anybody could participate in the study of astronomy and achieve wonderful things - like Trudie did and, as Patrick hoped, the future generations of teenagers and children will continue to do so for many years.