ENGLISH

The Sun: A User's Manual

By Claudio Vita-Finzi (auth.)

Book information

Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Year
2008
ISBN
1402068808, 9781402068805, 9781402068812
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4020-6881-2
Open Library ID
OL23711937M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
4 MB (3943084 bytes)
Edition
1
Pages
160\163
Library
avaxhome.ws
Time added
2010-05-31 15:29:46
AstronomyObservations and Techniques; Astrophysics and Astr

Description

The Sun is an account of the many ways in which our nearest star affects our planet, how its influence has changed over the last few centuries and millennia, and the extent to which we can predict its future impact. The Sun's rays foster the formation of Vitamin D by our bodies, but it can also promote skin cancer, cataracts, and mutations in our DNA. Besides providing the warmth and light essential to most animal and plant life, solar energy contributes substantially to global warming. Although the charged particles of the solar wind shield us from harmful cosmic rays, solar storms may damage artificial satellites and cripple communication systems and computer networks. The Sun is the ideal renewable energy source, but its exploitation is still bedevilled by the problems of storage and distribution. Our nearest star, in short, is a complex machine which needs to be treated with caution, and this book will equip every reader with the knowledge that is required to understand the benefits and dangers it can bring.

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