Learn about telescopes and observatories: the different types and how they work.

A charming novel about sisterhood, self-identity, and friendship from the author of Flutter Indie Lee Chickory knows she's not as cool as her older sister Bebe. Bebe has more friends, for one. And no one tells Bebe she's a fish freak, for two. So when Indie accidentally brings her pet lobster to school, makes a scene, loses him in the ocean and embarrasses Bebe worse than usual, she makes a wish on a star to become a better Chickory. She tries to do this by joining the stage crew of the community's theater production, The Sound of Music. (Bebe has a starring role.) But Bebe is worried that Indie will embarrass her again, so she gives her a makeover and tells her who she should be friends with. That means Owen is out. But he's fun and smart, so Indie keeps her friendship with him a secret. At night, Indie and Owen rebuild a tree house into a ship in the sky to catch Indie's pet lobster. But during the day, Indie has to hide her friendship with Owen. When things come to a head, Indie realizes that being true to yourself is more important than being cool. But what's even more surprising is that Bebe realizes it, too. Praise for TRACING STARS * “This improbable plot and spunky protagonist are appealing bait for a heartfelt, memorable story.”--Kirkus Reviews, starred review * “This timeless story perfectly captures the growth that summer affords kids when, after endless days and nights, they emerge truer versions of themselves.”--Booklist, starred review “Moulton’s sensitivity to her characters’ emotions extends this quiet tale’s mood and setting. (8–11 years)”--The Horn Book

Published between 1893 and 1899, this two-volume work illustrates the research of a pioneer of modern astronomy.

First published in 1999, this is an expanded and updated edition of the best-selling, standard handbook on astrophotography for amateurs.

Expand your horizons and take in the awesome sights of the Universe. Using stunning space photography and easy-to-understand infographics, The Stars takes you to scores of galaxy clusters fantastically far away. Since the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, there are now hundreds of billions of stars, 200 billion alone in our home galaxy - the Milky Way. The Stars details 88 constellations to be found in the night sky, including Ursa Major, which contains the seven stars that make up the Plough, as well as Hercules, Lyra, Orion, and far away Andromeda. It explains how they came into being, where they are situated, and their key features. Feast your eyes on glowing galaxies, and rare sights such as dust clouds in the Carina and Ring Nebulae, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The Stars also provides an endless parade of mind-blowing facts such as when Betelgeuse explodes, it will release more energy in an instant that the Sun produces in its entire lifetime!

Blizzards, tornados, volcanic eruptions, and desert sandstorms? Forget about seeking shelter - these are the prime times to grab your gear and get one-of-a-kind photographs of the most exotic and extraordinary subjects on earth. Miles away from your typical landscape and nature shots, these powerful images are a stunning survey of natural wonders, a vibrant addition to any portfolio, and a testament to the adventurous spirit of the extreme photographer. Get out of your comfort zone and embrace the elements!

Urban exploration photography--sometimes called "urbex"--is a unique photographic genre that requires specific skills in order to produce compelling photographs. In Urban Exploration Photography: A Guide to Creating and Editing Images of Abandoned Places, photographer Todd Sipes walks students through everything they need to know about composing, shooting, and processing photos of abandoned, man-made structures. Sipes begins with a focused discussion on preparation for this unique genre of photography, including what to bring, both photography-related and other (such as clothes and accessories). Then he dives into the chapters on shooting, where he covers the role that composition plays in urban exploration photography; the three major shooting styles or uban exploration photography; general guidelines for camera settings and gear; why you should bracket your shots; and how to approach shooting in the dark (including light painting, using flashes and gels, and using an intervalometer). He also covers what kind of subject matter to shoot, including organic and synthetic elements present in the urban exploration environment (such as overgrowth, graffiti, paint, and machinery), as well as qualities of light to look for when shooting abandoned structures. In the second part of the book, Sipes tackles post-processing, including discussions of the various "styles" in urban exploration photography, as well as the actual post-processing techniques that take place in Lightroom and Photoshop, as well as third-party plug-ins. He also dedicates a section to "Things to Avoid" in post-processing, such as "HDR fever," "over-saturation," "halos," and "chromatic aberrations."

Within the field of game design, game balance can best be described as a black art. It is the process by which game designers make a game simultaneously fair for players while providing them just the right amount of difficulty to be both exciting and challenging without making the game entirely predictable. This involves a combination of mathematics, psychology, and occasionally other fields such as economics and game theory. Game Balance offers readers a dynamic look into game design and player theory. Throughout the book, relevant topics on the use of spreadsheet programs will be included in each chapter. This book therefore doubles as a useful reference on Microsoft Excel, Google Spreadsheets, and other spreadsheet programs and their uses for game designers. FEATURES The first and only book to explore game balance as a topic in depth Topics range from intermediate to advanced, while written in an accessible style that demystifies even the most challenging mathematical concepts to the point where a novice student of game design can understand and apply them Contains powerful spreadsheet techniques which have been tested with all major spreadsheet programs and battle-tested with real-world game design tasks Provides short-form exercises at the end of each chapter to allow for practice of the techniques discussed therein along with three long-term projects divided into parts throughout the book that involve their creation Written by award-winning designers with decades of experience in the field Ian Schreiber has been in the industry since 2000, first as a programmer and then as a game designer. He has worked on eight published game titles, training/simulation games for three Fortune 500 companies, and has advised countless student projects. He is the co-founder of Global Game Jam, the largest in-person game jam event in the world. Ian has taught game design and development courses at a variety of colleges and universities since 2006. Brenda Romero is a BAFTA award-winning game director, entrepreneur, artist, and Fulbright award recipient and is presently game director and creator of the Empire of Sin franchise. As a game director, she has worked on 50 games and contributed to many seminal titles, including the Wizardry and Jagged Alliance series and titles in the Ghost Recon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Def Jam franchises.