A Beginner's Guide to the Universe

by Andrew Conway , Rosie Coleman

• ISBN13: 9780521806930
• ISBN10: 0521806933
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-02-03
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

A Beginners Guide to the Universe is a fascinating introduction to astronomy and the wonders of the night sky. It begins by looking at the universe as a whole, describing what we can see in the night sky. The solar system is then explored in detail, taking each planet in turn, from the hot world of Mercury near the Sun, to the distant, frozen world of Pluto. Moons, asteroids, meteoroids and comets are described, and objects outside our solar system are explained. Readers will learn what stars are, and how they cluster together to form galaxies that allow us to map out the furthest reaches of our Universe. At the end of the book, Professor John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, answers astronomy questions posed by schoolchildren. Written in an accessible language, this guide will appeal to both children and adults wishing to learn about astronomy for the first time.

Table of Contents

1. Our view of the universe

2. The Solar System

3. Stars and galaxies

4. Questions and answers.