The NASA Kepler MissionThe NASA Kepler and K2 missions
have made fundamental, paradigm-changing advances in essentially every area of
astrophysics and planetary science. While known for their breakthrough
discoveries in exoplanets – especially small rocky worlds orbiting in the
habitable zone of their host suns – these missions have also continued to make
numerous scientific advances in solar system science, stellar astrophysics and
extragalactic astronomy. This book is devoted to the Kepler and K2 missions and
covers the tremendous new discoveries made in the areas of spacecraft
engineering, asteroseismology, binary and variable stars, stellar astrophysics,
white dwarfs, asteroids and comets, active galaxies, supernovae, black holes,
and of course exoplanets of all types. It is suitable for the interested
layperson, pupils of science and space missions, and advanced science students
and researchers wishing for an introduction and highly focused memoir of the
NASA Kepler mission and its amazing accomplishments.Key Features
Provides an introduction to advanced science presentations on all major mission topicsWritten by the scientists who made the discoveriesIncludes engineering and spacecraft discussions Describes the effects of the mission on science and the world, integrating many of the major discoveries and their graphics, movies, and materialsIncludes side boxes of interest, for example exoplanet naming conventions and perspectives from noted scientists
The text is nicely written in a somewhat personal style, easily accessible yet precise and fully referenced to scientific publications. The individual contributions are short and nicely integrated into the main text by use of text boxes, which increases the readability. It is overall very accessible, also owing to the fact that no mathematics or formal scientific training is necessarily required to understand most of the material presented.
It can be recommended to anyone with a general interest in the engineering and science of space telescopes, or more specifically with the study of exoplanets by space-based photometry. It provides an interesting and informative read about the Kepler mission for interested laypersons to experts.Manuel Vogel 2021 Contemporary Physics Taylor & Francis Group
The book is full of fascinating results from a fascinating Discovery Mission.
Virginia Trimble 2021 The Observatory
ISBN: 9780750322942, 0750322942
