Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
How to Succeed: in Your Astronomy Course
Foreword: The Meaning of The Cosmic Perspective
Key to Wavelength Icons on Figures
PART I: Developing Perspective
1 Our Place in the Universe
Learning Goals
1.1 Our Modern View of the Universe
1.2 The Scale of the Universe
1.3 Spaceship Earth
Exercises and Problems
Basic Astronomical Objects, Units, and Motions
Cosmic context: Figure 1.2. Our Cosmic Origins
Cosmic calculations 1.1: How Far Is a Light-Year?
Common misconceptions: The Meaning of a Light-Year
Special topic: How Many Planets Are There in Our Solar System?
Common misconceptions: Confusing Very Different Things
2 Discovering the Universe for Yourself
Learning Goals
2.1 Patterns in the Night Sky
2.2 The Reason for Seasons
2.3 The Moon, Our Constant Companion
2.4 The Ancient Mystery of the Planets
Exercises and Problems
Common misconceptions: The Moon Illusion
Cosmic calculations 2.1: Angular Size, Physical Size, and Distance
Common misconceptions: Stars in the Daytime
Common misconceptions: What Makes the North Star Special?
Common misconceptions: The Cause of Seasons
Special topic: How Long Is a Day?
Cosmic context: Figure 2.13. The Seasons
Common misconceptions: High Noon
Common misconceptions: Sun Signs
Common misconceptions: Moon in the Daytime
Common misconceptions: The โDark Sideโ of the Moon
Common misconceptions: Shadows and the Moon
3 The Science of Astronomy
Learning Goals
3.1 The Ancient Roots of Science
3.2 Ancient Greek Science
3.3 The Copernican Revolution
3.4 The Nature of Science
Exercises and Problems
Common misconceptions: Columbus and a Flat Earth
Cosmic calculations 3.1 Eratosthenes Measures Earth
Cosmic calculations 3.2 Keplerโs Third Law
Cosmic context: Figure 3.22. The Copernican Revolution
Common misconceptions: Eggs on the Equinox
Special topic: Astrology
Cosmic context: Part I at a Glance. Our Expanding Perspective
PART II: Key Concepts for Astronomy
4 Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity
Learning Goals
4.1 Describing Motion: Examples from Daily Life
4.2 Newtonโs Laws of Motion
4.3 Conservation Laws in Astronomy
4.4 The Force of Gravity
Exercises and Problems
Common misconceptions: No Gravity in Space?
Common misconceptions: What Makes a Rocket Launch?
Cosmic calculations 4.1 Newtonโs Version of Keplerโs Third Law
Common misconceptions: The Origin of Tides
Special topic: Why Does the Moon Always Show the Same Face to Earth?
5 Light: The Cosmic Messenger
Learning Goals
5.1 Basic Properties of Light and Matter
5.2 Learning from Light
5.3 Collecting Light with Telescopes
Exercises and Problems
Common misconceptions: Is Radiation Dangerous?
Common misconceptions: Can You Hear Radio or See an X Ray?
Common misconceptions: The Illusion of Solidity
Cosmic calculations 5.1 Laws of Thermal Radiation
Cosmic calculations 5.2 The Doppler Shift
Cosmic context: Figure 5.16. Interpreting a Spectrum
Common misconceptions: Magnification and Telescopes
Special topic: Would You Like Your Own Telescope?
Common misconceptions: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
Common misconceptions: Closer to the Stars?
Cosmic context: Part II at a Glance. The Universality of Physics
PART III: Learning from Other Worlds
6 Formation of Planetary Systems: Our Solar System and Beyond
Learning Goals
6.1 A Brief Tour of the Solar System
6.2 Clues to the Formation of Our Solar System
6.3 The Birth of the Solar System
6.4 The Formation of Planets
6.5 Other Planetary Systems
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic context: Figure 6.1. The Solar System
Common misconceptions: Solar Gravity and the Density of Planets
Cosmic calculations 6.1 Radiometric Dating
Cosmic context: Figure 6.31. Detecting Extrasolar Planets
7 Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds
Learning Goals
7.1 Earth as a Planet
7.2 The Moon and Mercury: Geologically Dead
7.3 Mars: A Victim of Planetary Freeze-Drying
7.4 Venus: A Hothouse World
7.5 Earth as a Living Planet
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic calculations 7.1 The Surface AreaโtoโVolume Ratio
Common misconceptions: Earth Is Not Full of Molten Lava
Special topic: How Do We Know Whatโs Inside Earth?
Common misconceptions: Why Is the Sky Blue?
Common misconceptions: The Greenhouse Effect Is Bad
Cosmic context: Figure 7.46. Global Warming
8 Jovian Planet Systems
Learning Goals
8.1 A Different Kind of Planet
8.2 A Wealth of Worlds: Satellites of Ice and Rock
8.3 Jovian Planet Rings
Exercises and Problems
9 Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts
Learning Goals
9.1 Asteroids and Meteorites
9.2 Comets
9.3 Pluto: Lone Dog No More
9.4 Cosmic Collisions: Small Bodies versus the Planets
Exercises and Problems
Common misconceptions: Dodge Those Asteroids!
Cosmic context: Part III at a Glance. Learning from Other Worlds
PART IV: Stars
10 Our Star
Learning Goals
10.1 A Closer Look at the Sun
10.2 Nuclear Fusion in the Sun
10.3 The SunโEarth Connection
Exercises and Problems
Common misconceptions: The Sun Is Not on Fire
Cosmic calculations 10.1 The Ideal Gas Law
11 Surveying the Stars
Learning Goals
11.1 Properties of Stars
11.2 Patterns Among Stars
11.3 Star Clusters
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic calculations 11.1 The Inverse Square Law for Light
Common misconceptions: Photos of Stars
Cosmic calculations 11.2 Radius of a Star
Cosmic context: Figure 11.10. Reading an H-R Diagram
12 Star Stuff
Learning Goals
12.1 Star Birth
12.2 Life as a Low-Mass Star
12.3 Life as a High-Mass Star
12.4 Summary of Stellar Lives
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic calculations 12.1 Conditions for Star Birth
Special topic: How Long Is 5 Billion Years?
Cosmic context: Figure 12.22. Summary of Stellar Lives
13 The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard
Learning Goals
13.1 White Dwarfs
13.2 Neutron Stars
13.3 Black Holes: Gravityโs Ultimate Victory
13.4 The Origin of Gamma-Ray Bursts
Exercises and Problems
Special topic: Relativity and the Cosmic Speed Limit
Special topic: General Relativity and Curvature of Spacetime
Cosmic calculations 13.1 The Schwarzschild Radius
Common misconceptions: Black Holes Donโt Suck
Cosmic context: Part IV at a Glance. Balancing Pressure and Gravity
PART V: Galaxies and Beyond
14 Our Galaxy
Learning Goals
14.1 The Milky Way Revealed
14.2 Galactic Recycling
14.3 The History of the Milky Way
14.4 The Mysterious Galactic Center
Exercises and Problems
Special topic: How Did We Learn the Structure of the Milky Way?
Special topic: How Do We Determine Stellar Orbits?
Cosmic calculations 14.1 The Orbital Velocity Law
Common misconceptions: The Sound of Space
Common misconceptions: What Is a Nebula?
15 Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology
Learning Goals
15.1 Islands of Stars
15.2 Distances of Galaxies
15.3 Galaxy Evolution
15.4 Quasars and Other Active Galactic Nuclei
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic calculations 15.1 Standard Candles
Cosmic calculations 15.2 Hubbleโs Law
Common misconceptions: What Is the Universe Expanding Into?
Common misconceptions: Beyond the Horizon
16 Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe
Learning Goals
16.1 Unseen Influences in the Cosmos
16.2 Evidence for Dark Matter
16.3 Structure Formation
16.4 The Universeโs Fate
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic calculations 16.1 Mass-to-Light Ratio
Special topic: Pioneers of Science
Special topic: What Did Einstein Consider His Greatest Blunder?
Cosmic context: Figure 16.17. Dark Matter and Dark Energy
17 The Beginning of Time
Learning Goals
17.1 The Big Bang
17.2 Evidence for the Big Bang
17.3 The Big Bang and Inflation
17.4 Observing the Big Bang for Yourself
Exercises and Problems
Cosmic context: Figure 17.5. The Early Universe
Cosmic calculations 17.1 Temperature of Background Radiation
Special topic: The Steady State Universe
Special topic: How Will the Universe End?
Cosmic context: Part V at a Glance. Galaxy Evolution
PART VI: Life on Earth and Beyond
18 Life in the Universe
Learning Goals
18.1 Life on Earth
18.2 Life in the Solar System
18.3 Life Around Other Stars
18.4 The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
18.5 Interstellar Travel and Its Implications to Civilization
Exercises and Problems
Special topic: What Is Life?
Special topic: Are Aliens Already Here?
Cosmic context: Part VI at a Glance. A Universe of Life?
Appendixes
A: Useful Numbers
B: Useful Formulas
C: A Few Mathematical Skills
D: The Periodic Table of the Elements
E: Planetary Data
F: Stellar Data
G: Galaxy Data
H: The 88 Constellations
I: Star Charts
J: Solutions to Visual Skills Checks
Glossary
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Z
Credits
Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z