Weird astronomy: Tales of unusual, bizarre and other hard-to-explain observations

When amateur astronomers or scientists study the stars and heavens, they usually know what to expect - the Moon, stars, constellations, and planets. But what happens when they look up into the sky and see something completely new, something unexplainable?

In his new book, Weird Astronomy: Tales of Unusual, Bizarre and Other Hard to Explain Observations, David A. J. Seargent chronicles the odd, unexplainable astronomical phenomena discovered throughout the years.

Seargent examines many weird astronomical discoveries, including:

• Fiery bursts spewing outward from the Moon on June 18, 1178, witnessed by a group of English monks,
  
• A bright star-like object to the left of the Sun as the Sun was setting, witnessed on August 7, 1921, by a group of people, including some astronomers,
  
• The early belief, which began in 1877, that there were canals criss-crossing Mars,
  
• The "spooky" Halloween star observed on October 31, 2006.

"For centuries, scientists and amateur astronomers have spent countless hours watching and studying the skies and stars. Inevitability, some of those watchers have encountered odd and hard to explain sights," Seargent said. "I wanted to delve into these many reports and accounts of odd astronomical phenomena, and offer possible answers or explanations of these various reports."

Weird Astronomy also includes a variety of astronomy projects that amateur astronomers can do themselves to learn more about astronomy. The projects range from very basic to a bit more challenging, but all are fun and all are very instructive about unusual sightings.

More information:
David A. J. Seargent
Weird Astronomy: Tales of Unusual, Bizarre and Other Hard to Explain Observations
2010, 304 pages. 46 illustrations, 18 in color, Softcover. $39.95, €39.95, £35.99
ISBN: 978-1-4419-6423-6

Provided by Springer