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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000001249063 | QB54.A54 1991 re | Reference Book | 1:BOOKREF | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
No experience could have a more profound impact on the entire human race than contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence or man's colonization of outer space.
Author Notes
Joseph A. Angelo, Jr., an adjunct professor in the College of Engineering at Florida Tech, received a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Arizona. He also served with distinction as a commissioner for the governor of Florida's Commission On Space in 1987-1988. He lives in Indialantic, FL.
Reviews 1
Booklist Review
This unique one-volume work, "written for everyone who wonders about things beyond the planet Earth," explains major space technologies and developments in our search for extraterrestrial life. Modern advances are described in articles ranging from a single paragraph to several pages. This is a revised version of the 1985 edition [RBB Ap 15 86] compiled by Angelo, a retired Air Force officer who is also the author of The Dictionary of Space Technology (Facts On File, 1982). It incorporates new information on Halley's Comet, the Challenger disaster, the Voyager flybys of Neptune and Uranus, and other recent events. The idiosyncratic entry terms (e.g., What do you say to a little green man?) that the Board objected to in the first edition have been corrected. Organized in an alphabetical format, most entries have several cross-references. Many tables of information are also included. For instance, Saturn has tables on the rings of Saturn, the physical and dynamic properties of the moons of Saturn, and physical data for the larger moons. The book's writing style is everyday English, but terms used are often very technical. A sample short entry, Arc-second, reads "1/3600th of a degree of angle. This unit is associated with very precise measurements of stellar motions and positions in the science of astrometry." See also references indicate that Arc-minute and Astrometry will provide further information. Entries like Unidentified Flying Objects and Ancient Astronauts reflect the author's skepticism about extraterrestial visitations to this planet. An insert of color photographs taken in space and black-and-white drawings and photographs add interest. Several tables and an updated selected reading list are included to help readers locate more information. The Board criticized the first edition of this book for having only an index of cross-references. This edition has an adequate index that is not limited to cross-references. The Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia is recommended for academic, public, and special libraries whose patrons have a technical interest in space exploration and the possibility of life on other planets. Libraries where the first edition found a lot of use will want to purchase this revision. (Reviewed Jan. 1, 1992)
