Discovering the Universe w/Starry Night CD-ROM

by Kaufmann, William J.; Comins, Neil F.

• ISBN13: 9780716769606
• ISBN10: 0716769603
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Display
• Copyright: 2005-02-18
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman

Summary

Discovering the Universe is the best-selling brief text for descriptive one-term astronomy courses (especially those with no mathematics prerequisites). Carried along by the book's vibrant main theme, "the process of scientific discovery," readers will encounter spectacular sights, landmark experiments, and recent discoveries, while learning to avoid the pitfalls created by common misconceptions about astronomy.

 

Now enhanced with a powerful technology and image projection package, this is the most exciting and effective edition yet. The accompanying CD-ROM features a special student version of the award-winning virtual planetarium software, Starry Night Enthusiast and the new innovative Deep Space Explorer.

Table of Contents

Understanding Astronomy
1. Discovering the Night Sky
2. Gravitation and the Waltz Of The Planets
3. Light and Telescopes
4. Visible Light And Other Electromagnetic Radiation

Understanding the Solar System
5. Formation of The Solar System and Other Planetary Systems
6. Earth and Moon
7. The Other Terrestrial Planets
8. The Outer Planets
9. Vagabonds of the Solar System
10. The Sun: Our Extraordinary, Ordinary Star

Understanding the Stars
11. The Challenge of Characterizing Stars
12. The Lives of Stars From Birth Through Middle Age
13. The Deaths of Stars
14. Black Holes
Understanding The Universe
15. The Milky Way Galaxy
16. Galaxies
17. Quasars, Active Galaxies, And Gamma-Ray Bursters
18. Cosmology
19. The Search For Extraterrestrial Life