Free Everything Kids' Astronomy Book by Kathi Wagner

DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION Paula Munier
    EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Laura M. Daly
    EXECUTIVE EDITOR , series books Brielle K. Matson
    ASSOCIATE COPY CHIEF Sheila Zwiebel
    ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Kerry Smith
    DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Katie McDonough
    PRODUCTION EDITOR Casey Ebert
    Copyright©2008, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews and photocopies made for classroom use.
    An Everything ® Series Book.
Everything ® and everything.com ® are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.
    Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
    ISBN 10: 1-59869-544-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59869-544-1
    Printed in the United States of America.
    J   I   H   G   F   E   D   C   B   A
    This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
    â€”From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the
American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
    Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. When those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.
    Cover illustrations by Dana Regan.
Interior illlustrations by Kurt Dolber.
Puzzles by Beth L. Blair.
    This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
    See the entire Everything ® series at www.everything.com .

DEDICATION
    To Marcia, who believes.

Acknowledgments
    Thanks to Mrs. Blomstedt for taking the time to share the skies,
and for quenching our endless thirst for knowledge.

Introduction
    B last off to a new world with The Everything ® Kids’ Astronomy Book! Every chapter offers a new adventure with places never before touched by humans and others that have never been seen, yet they are all out there just waiting for you. Page by page you can discover what lies beyond the world you know so well, and maybe even who might be out there, if anyone. So grab a friend and prepare to launch your way to nearby planets or faraway galaxies.
    Will you choose to go where no one else dares to go, like the mysterious black holes and potential time warps? Or how about taking an eighty-year journey with a comet? Maybe you can solve all the unanswered questions of time and space and why light travels the way that it does. There are tons of activities to explore space and to see how it feels to float free of gravity. Your journey into space starts inside this book where you and your family and friends will find games and activities that will challenge your mind and your skills as astronomers and astronauts. Together you can cook up edible planets, create your own black holes, and possibly invent a new type of candy bar. Or maybe you will want to invent your own alien or become stars. Who knows, you may be the one to solve the mystery of dark matter or find where the universe starts or stops.
    In the pages of this book you will find information on how to build your own sky-watching kit and how to change your room into a small universe. You can also find out why people thought the sun circled the earth and how they discovered the truth. Each chapter is jam-packed with plenty of questions you can use to stump your friends while you explore the skies and rocket away to endless galaxies. For fun, you can experience the