Much of what is known about the universe came from the study of celestial shadows. This book looks in detail at the way eclipses and other celestial shadows have given us amazing insights into the nature of the objects in our solar system and how they are even helping us discover and analyze planets that orbit stars other than our Sun. A variety of eclipses, transits, and occultations of the mooons of Jupiter and Saturn, Pluto and its satellite Charon, asteroids and stars have helped astronomers to work out their dimensions, structures, and shapes - even the existence of atmospheres and structures of exoplanets. Long before Columbus set out to reach the Far East by sailing West, the curved shadow of the Earth on the Moon during a lunar eclipse revealed that we inhabit a round world, a globe. More recently, comparisons of the sunlit and Earthlit parts of the Moon have been used to determine changes in the Earth's brightness as a way of monitoring possible effects in cloud coverage which may be related to global warming. Shadows were used by the Greek mathematician Eratosthenes to work out the first estimate of the circumference of the Earth, by Galileo to measure the heights of the lunar mountains and by eighteenth century astronomers to determine the scale of the Solar System itself. Some of the rarest and most wonderful shadows of all are those cast onto Earth by the lovely "Evening Star" Venus as it goes between the Earth and the Sun. These majestic transits of Venus occur at most two in a century; after the 2012 transit, there is not a chance to observe this phenomenon until 2117, while the more common sweep of a total solar eclipse creates one of the most dramatic and awe-inspiring events of nature. Though it may have once been a source of consternation or dread, solar eclipses now lead thousands of amateur astronomers and "eclipse-chasers" to travel the globe in order to experience the dramatic view under "totality." These phenomena are among the most spectacular available to observers and are given their full due in Westfall and Sheehan's comprehensive study.

A reckoning is coming for Devi Lawson... Settling into her new role as the first celestial with demon magic, Devi faces an unwelcome surprise when the shadow arch-demon abruptly returns to the nether realms. The forces of hell are moving, and they don't want a human running around with their power. The problem is, it's getting a bit much for Devi, too. When dead warlocks start showing up with the celestials' mark on their bodies, tensions between the celestials and demons reach a tipping point. Devi's relationship with the arch-demon's son, Nikolas, is just fuel on the fire. The arch-demons are gearing up for an epic showdown. And this time, humanity might not survive it… Keywords: free fantasy, free paranormal books, free supernatural books, free supernatural thrillers, demon urban fantasy, urban fantasy, British fantasy, supernatural mystery, female protagonist urban fantasy, dark urban fantasy, angels and demons, paranormal thriller, supernatural suspense, complete fantasy series, vampires, urban fantasy series, strong heroine, paranormal fantasy, free urban fantasy novel, divine, demon hunter, monsters, urban fantasy with demons

After his wife Tsuki is abducted by an onmyoji sorcerer, Konosuke tries to get on with his life. Struck by a curse that affects his memory, he can’t remember who Tsuki was. Then he meets Aki, a young medium whose powers may help Konosuke recover his memory, and help him look for Tsuki. Konosuke’s persistence draws the ire of the dark servants of the Bureau of Onmyo, who have orders to eliminate him... -- VIZ Media

After fighting off a bizarre attack by a troupe of manzai comedians, Konosuke and Aki realize the forces of the Tsuchimikado clan are after them. The Tsuchimikado oversee all of the onmyoji and the gifted throughout Japan, and Konosuke realizes finding Tsuki means confronting the powerful clan. But doing so means going to Kyo, the capital. As Konosuke and Aki decide to put Edo behind them, another strange assassin comes calling, and life or death will depend on Konosuke controlling his power to warp metal, or losing himself to it... -- VIZ Media

It is said that a samurai’s spirit rests in their sword—and Konosuke can’t even pick one up thanks to a cruel curse that repels anything made of metal that gets near him. Destitute and hopeless, he decides to end it all. But when a beautiful and mysterious woman saves his life and his soul, it is the beginning of Ryudo’s journey into a strange world of magic that exists a step away from his own. -- VIZ Media

The hum of the starship's engines echoed through the vastness of space as Captain Elysia Nova stood on the observation deck, her eyes fixed on the kaleidoscope of distant galaxies. Beyond the transparent alloy windows, a tapestry of twinkling lights unfolded, painting the cosmic canvas with luminescent hues. This was the Ozymandias, the pinnacle of human engineering, navigating the cosmic ocean.

The Foundations of Celestial Reckoning gives the reader direct access to the foundational documents of the tradition of calculation created by astronomers of the early Chinese empire between the late second century BCE and the third century CE. The paradigm they established was to shape East Asian thought and practice in the field of mathematical astronomy for centuries to come. It was in many ways radically different from better known traditions of astronomy in other parts of the ancient world. This book includes full English translations of the first three systems of mathematical astronomy adopted for use by imperial astronomical officials, together with introductory material explaining the origin and nature of each system, and a general introduction to the work as a whole. The translations, which are accompanied by the original Chinese text, give a consistent rendering of all technical terms, and include detailed explanatory notes. The text in which the second of the three systems is found also includes a unique collection of documents compiled around 178 CE by two experts in the field, one of whom was the author of the third system translated in this book. Using material transcribed from government archives of the two preceding centuries, these scholars carefully document and review controversies and large-scale official debates on astronomical matters up to their own time. Nothing equivalent in detail and clarity has survived from any other ancient culture. The availability of the totality of this material in English opens new perspectives to all historians of pre-modern astronomy.