Horizons Exploring the Universe (with TheSky CD-ROM, Virtual Astronomy Labs, and InfoTrac)

by Seeds, Michael A.

• ISBN13: 9780534392680
• ISBN10: 0534392687
• Edition: 8th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-06
• Publisher: Brooks Cole

Summary

This text, which uses a stars-first organizational approach, is intended for the introductory course in astronomy for non-science majors. The level of detail in this text makes it most appropriate for a one-semester or two-quarter course, although it may also be used in a two-semester sequence. This newly revised and updated 8th edition of HORIZONS shows students their place in the universe ? not just their location, but also their role as planet dwellers in an evolving universe. Fascinating and engaging, the book illustrates how science works, and how scientists depend on evidence to test hypotheses. Students will learn to focus on the scientific method through the strong central questioning themes of "what are we?" and "how do we know?" Through a discussion of this interplay between evidence and hypothesis, Mike Seeds provides not just a series of facts, but also a conceptual framework for understanding the logic of astronomical knowledge. The book vividly conveys the author's love of astronomy, shows students how the universe can be described by a small set of physical laws, and illustrates how they can comprehend their place in the universe by understanding these laws, rather than simply memorizing facts. By crafting a story about astronomy, Seeds shows students how to ask questions of nature and therefore gradually puzzle out the beautiful secrets of the physical world.

Table of Contents

Part I: THE SKY

1. The Scale of the Cosmos

2. The Sky

3. Cycles of the Sky

4. The Origin of Modern Astronomy

5. Astronomical Tools

Part II: THE STARS

6. Starlight and Atoms

7. The Sun--Our Star

8. The Family of Stars

9. The Formation and Structure of Stars

10. The Deaths of Stars

11. Neutron Stars and Black Holes

Part III: THE UNIVERSE OF GALAXIES

12. The Milky Way Galaxy

13. Galaxies

14. Galaxies with Active Nuclei

15. Cosmology in the 21st Century

Part IV: THE SOLAR SYSTEM

16. The Origin of the Solar System

17. The Earthlike Planets

18. Worlds of the Outer Solar System

19. Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets

Part V: LIFE

20. Life on Other Worlds

Afterword

APPENDICES: A

Units and Astronomical Data

B

Observing the Sky

Glossary

Answers to Even-Numbered Problems

Index