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An Atlas of the Moon's Far Side
328
Book reviews
BARABASHOV, MIHHAILOV and LIPSKII: Atlas of the Other Side of the Moon, Translated TER-OGANIAN. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1961. 141 pp., 50s.
by L.
BARABASHOV, MIEHAILOV and LIPSKII: An Atlas of the Moon’s Far Side, The Lunik III Reconnaissance. Translated by R. B. ROD&IAN. Interscience, Xew York, 1961. 143 pp., 50s. THE first now well-known photograph of the other side of the Moon was published in October 1959, immediately following the launching of Lunik III into its orbit. A year later the three editors of the present books published in Moscow, under the auspices of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, a detailed account of the whole experiment. This included a series of the individual photographs which were used to provide a final composite map of the other side of the Moon, a list of the various new formations which had been discovered there, and a description of some of the methods of observation and reduction which had been employed in that remarkable venture. This original Russian account has now been translated twice into English and published in two different versions. The first translation, by Mr. TER-OGANI-4N, is due to somebody who It is correspondingly poor; at times even is obviously quite unfamiliar with the subject matter. farcical. the great RICHARD which is
To English readers it will be of little more use than the Russian original. In view of interest attached to the experiment, it is fortunate that a second translation by Mr. B. ROD&IAN is now available which comes to us from t,he Harvard Observatory ant1 satisfactory in every way. H. A. BRtiirK
A. I. BERMAN: The Physical 1961. 350 pp., 74s.
Principles
of Astronautics.
John Wiley,
London
& New
York,
THIS is a text-book, of University standard, dealing with the fundamentals of dynamical astronomy and space flight. The author, who is obviously a born teacher, assumes his readers to have a general knowledge of physics and the infinitesimal calculus, and so is able to introduce them, by easy stages, to the essentials of astronomy, celestial mechanics and space flight. Where vector notations are introduced they are explained. Also, each chapter contains a number of test problems for the use of students. In this day and age, interest will obviously be centred on the third section of the book, dealing with the dynamics of space flight. Here the four chapters deal, respectively, with orbital theory, transfer orbits and space navigation, orbital perturbations and propulsion dynamics. Emphasis throughout is on basic theory, even the technical details of modern rocket-propulsion methods being relegated to an appendix. The volume includes a concise glossary of astronaut.ical terms and a most valuable bibliography of works on space research, dating from 1914 to the present time. E. V. APPLETON K. E. EDGEWORTH: 193 pp., 25s.
The Earth,
The Planets
and The Stars.
Chapman
& Hall,
London,
1961.
THIS attractive little book has been written by an engineer who for many years has taken an active interest in questions of stellar evolution and particularly in the problem of the origin of the solar system. He is well known for several interesting papers which he wrote some ten years ago on the question of the building up of planets out of small solid particles; other ideas of his, such as his filamentary theory for star formation, have not been equally successful. In the thirteen chapters of this book the author has put together in simple, yet precise language-some mathematics is given in an Appendix-many of the views which are now held concerning the complex problem of the origin and evolution of the various constituents of the universe, starting with the Earth and going on to stars and galaxies. Parts of the book are necessarily controversial, some of them are hardly acceptable, but the whole is written in such a pleasant and stimulating manner that it can well be recommended. H. A. BR~~CK
Book reviews
BARABASHOV, MIHHAILOV and LIPSKII: Atlas of the Other Side of the Moon, Translated TER-OGANIAN. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1961. 141 pp., 50s.
by L.
BARABASHOV, MIEHAILOV and LIPSKII: An Atlas of the Moon’s Far Side, The Lunik III Reconnaissance. Translated by R. B. ROD&IAN. Interscience, Xew York, 1961. 143 pp., 50s. THE first now well-known photograph of the other side of the Moon was published in October 1959, immediately following the launching of Lunik III into its orbit. A year later the three editors of the present books published in Moscow, under the auspices of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, a detailed account of the whole experiment. This included a series of the individual photographs which were used to provide a final composite map of the other side of the Moon, a list of the various new formations which had been discovered there, and a description of some of the methods of observation and reduction which had been employed in that remarkable venture. This original Russian account has now been translated twice into English and published in two different versions. The first translation, by Mr. TER-OGANI-4N, is due to somebody who It is correspondingly poor; at times even is obviously quite unfamiliar with the subject matter. farcical. the great RICHARD which is
To English readers it will be of little more use than the Russian original. In view of interest attached to the experiment, it is fortunate that a second translation by Mr. B. ROD&IAN is now available which comes to us from t,he Harvard Observatory ant1 satisfactory in every way. H. A. BRtiirK
A. I. BERMAN: The Physical 1961. 350 pp., 74s.
Principles
of Astronautics.
John Wiley,
London
& New
York,
THIS is a text-book, of University standard, dealing with the fundamentals of dynamical astronomy and space flight. The author, who is obviously a born teacher, assumes his readers to have a general knowledge of physics and the infinitesimal calculus, and so is able to introduce them, by easy stages, to the essentials of astronomy, celestial mechanics and space flight. Where vector notations are introduced they are explained. Also, each chapter contains a number of test problems for the use of students. In this day and age, interest will obviously be centred on the third section of the book, dealing with the dynamics of space flight. Here the four chapters deal, respectively, with orbital theory, transfer orbits and space navigation, orbital perturbations and propulsion dynamics. Emphasis throughout is on basic theory, even the technical details of modern rocket-propulsion methods being relegated to an appendix. The volume includes a concise glossary of astronaut.ical terms and a most valuable bibliography of works on space research, dating from 1914 to the present time. E. V. APPLETON K. E. EDGEWORTH: 193 pp., 25s.
The Earth,
The Planets
and The Stars.
Chapman
& Hall,
London,
1961.
THIS attractive little book has been written by an engineer who for many years has taken an active interest in questions of stellar evolution and particularly in the problem of the origin of the solar system. He is well known for several interesting papers which he wrote some ten years ago on the question of the building up of planets out of small solid particles; other ideas of his, such as his filamentary theory for star formation, have not been equally successful. In the thirteen chapters of this book the author has put together in simple, yet precise language-some mathematics is given in an Appendix-many of the views which are now held concerning the complex problem of the origin and evolution of the various constituents of the universe, starting with the Earth and going on to stars and galaxies. Parts of the book are necessarily controversial, some of them are hardly acceptable, but the whole is written in such a pleasant and stimulating manner that it can well be recommended. H. A. BR~~CK