Fred Watson – författare

What happens to space and matter near a black hole? Where did the moon come from? How do we know what stars are made of? Are we alone in the universe?In Exploding Stars and Invisible Planets, Fred Watson, an award-winning astronomer, presents the most up-to-date knowledge on hot topics in astronomy and space science, providing a fascinating and entertaining account of the latest research. Watson explains how to find invisible planets around other stars, why dark matter matters, and the future of citizen space travel, all while recounting the seismic shifts in understanding that have taken place during his illustrious career.The book features illuminating discussions of microbes in space; the dividing line between day and night; exploding stars and light echoes; fast radio bursts and signals from space; meteors, meteorites, and space dust; what happened to the Martian ocean; the seas and lakes of Titan; and the birth of the universe.

This book is an authoritative work on the ecology of some of America's most iconic large mammals in a natural environment - and of the interplay between climate, landscape, and animals in the interior of the world's first and most famous national park. Central Yellowstone includes the range of one of the largest migratory populations of bison in North America as well as a unique elk herd that remains in the park year round. These populations live in a varied landscape with seasonal and often extreme patterns of climate and food abundance. The reintroduction of wolves into the park a decade ago resulted in scientific and public controversy about the effect of large predators on their prey, a debate closely examined in the book. Introductory chapters describe the geography, geology and vegetation of the ecosystem. The elk and bison are then introduced and their population ecology described both pre- and post- wolf introduction, enabling valuable insights into the demographic and behavioral consequences for their ungulate prey.Subsequent chapters describe the wildlife-human interactions and show how scientific research can inform the debate and policy issues surrounding winter recreation in Yellowstone. The book closes with a discussion of how this ecological knowledge can be used to educate the public, both about Yellowstone itself and about science, ecology and the environment in general. Yellowstone National Park exemplifies some of the currently most hotly debated and high-profile ecological, wildlife management, and environmental policy issues and this book will have broad appeal not only to academic ecologists, but also to natural resource students, managers, biologists, policy makers, administrators and the general public. * Unrivalled descriptions of ecological processes in a world famous ecosystem, based on information from 16 years of painstaking field work and collaborations among 66 scientists and technical experts and 15 graduate studies.* Detailed studies of two charismatic North American herbivore species - elk and bison * Description of the restoration of wolves into central Yellowstone and their ecological interactions with their elk and bison prey * Illustrated with numerous evocative colour photographs and stunning maps

Why do stars twinkle? What's the best way to start spotting constellations and comets? Is there life beyond Earth? What's the chance of a catastrophic collision with a killer asteroid?He's covered the big space questions for adults, now Australia's very own Astronomer-at-Large, Fred Watson, embarks on a grand tour of the Universe especially for children. From stargazing to telescopes, space travel to black holes, killer comets to aliens, Fred covers every question kids might ask about space – and then some.With incredible illustrations by Fred himself, and a mix of mind-boggling facts, Spacewarp is a fascinating book that kids will love – and parents and friends will undoubtedly learn a thing or two as well!