"I would recommend the book to geo- and helio-physicists who are already somewhat familiar with the subject, as the book encapsulates our present knowledge on our closest star that creates the environment supporting our existence and driving dynamics on Earth." (Janusz Sylwester, The Observatory, Vol. 139 (1272), October, 2019)
"The book is brimming with scientific knowledge and captivates by summarizing the latest Sun research results in an understandable way. Each chapter has a detailed list of source references and points to more detailed scientific information. ... The book is a stroke of luck for passionate space researchers and sky watchers." (Joachim J. Kehr, Journal of Space Operations & Communicator, Vol. 16 (2), April 01, 2019)
Preface
1. A commonplace star
A G2V star
Sun-like stars
Observing the Sun
2.An inconstant star
The solar constant
Spectral effects
3.Solar composition
The photosphere
Abundances
Meteorites
The solar body
Solar volume
Solar diameter
Waves and vibrations
5. The solar furnace
The nuclear core
Coronal heating
6. Solar magnetism
The heliosphere
The Global Field
Magnetic structures on the solar surface
Impact on the Earth
7. Sun and weather
Galactic cosmic rays
UV
Heliohydrology
Index
Claudio Vita-Finzi was born in Sydney, Australia, and educated in Argentina and the UK (BSc, PhD, ScD were all obtained at Cambridge University). He taught Geology and Planetary Science at University College London before moving to the Natural History Museum where he has been Scientific Associate in the Department of Earth Sciences working on solar fluctuations since 2001. He was awarded the Warren Prize of the US Academy of Sciences in 1994 and was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1997 and the British Academy in 2012. His books include The Mediterranean Valleys (1969), Recent Earth History (1973), Archaeological Sites (1978), Recent Earth Movements (1986), Monitoring the Earth (2002), Planetary Geology (2005), The Sun: A User's Manual (2008), Solar History (2012), and A History of the Solar System (2016), the last three published by Springer.
From the reviews of other books by Claudio Vita-Finzi:
The Sun – A User’s Manual (2008)
….this, jargon-free, concise, beautifully illustrated and eminently readable book… D.W. Hughes, Times Literary Supplement
Solar History (2013)
....a book that is supremely informative, intensely stimulating and enjoyable to read... Ian Seymour, Astronomy Now
A History of the Solar System (2016)
...there is a huge amount of useful information in this book that would benefit anyone who needed more detail than is available in a typical popular science title. Brian Clegg, Popular Science
