Astronomy, (4^th Ed.)

A brief, introductory astronomy text designed for students with little or no scientific background, A Beginner's Guide incorporates an exceptionally clear writing style, an emphasis on critical thinking and visualization, and a leading-edge technology programme. The authors present a broad view of astronomy without complex mathematics, yet the text discusses important concepts without simplification.

The Obvious View. Earth's Orbital Motion. The Measurement of Distance. The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science. The Orbit of the Moon. Planetary Motion. The Birth of Modern Astronomy. The Laws of Planetary Motion. Newton's Laws. Light and Matter: The Inner Workings of the Cosmos. Information from the Skies. Waves in What? The Electromagnetic Spectrum. Thermal Radiation. Spectroscopy. The Formation of Spectral Lines. The Doppler Effect. Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy. Optical Telescopes. Telescope Size. High-Resolution Astronomy. Radio Astronomy. Other Astronomies. The Solar System: Interplanetary Matter and the Birth of the Planets. An Inventory of the Solar System. Solar System Debris. The Formation of the Solar System. Planets Beyond the Solar System. Earth and Its Moon: Our Cosmic Backyard. Earth and the Moon in Bulk. The Tides. Atmospheres. Interiors. Surface Activity on Earth. The Surface of the Moon. Magnetospheres. History of the Earth-Moon System. The Terrestrial Planets: A Study in Contrasts. Orbital and Physical Properties. Rotation Rates. Atmospheres. The Surface of Mercury. The Surface of Venus. The Surface of Mars. Internal Structure and Geological History. Atmospheric Evolution on Earth, Venus, and Mars. The Moons of Mars. The Jovian Planets: Giants of the Solar System. Observations of Jupiter and Saturn. The Discoveries of Uranus and Neptune. Bulk Properties of the Jovian Planets. Jupiter's Atmosphere. The Atmospheres of the Outer Jovian Worlds. Jovian Interiors. Moons, Ring, and Pluto: Small Worlds among Giants. The Galilean Moons of Jupiter. The Large Moons of Saturn and Neptune. The Medium-Sized Jovian Moons. Planetary Rings. Pluto and Its Moon. Is Pluto a Planet? The Sun: Our Parent Star. The Sun in Bulk. The Solar Interior. The Solar Atmosphere. The Active Sun. The Heart of the Sun. Measuring the Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence. The Solar Neighborhood. Luminosity and Apparent Brightness. Stellar Temperatures. Stellar Sizes. The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram. Extending the Cosmic Distance Scale. Stellar Masses. The Interstellar Medium: Birthplace of Stars. Interstellar Matter. Interstellar Clouds. The Formation of Stars Like the Sun. Stars of Other Masses. Star Clusters. Stellar Evolution: The Lives and Deaths of Stars. Leaving the Main Sequence. Evolution of a Sun-Like Star. The Death of a Low-Mass Star. Evolution of High-Mass Stars. Supernova Explosions. Observing Stellar Evolution in Star Clusters. Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter. Neutron Stars. Pulsars. Neutron-Star Binaries. Gamma-Ray Bursts. Black Holes. Gravity and Curved Space. Space Travel Near Black Holes. Observational Evidence for Black Holes. The Milky Way Galaxy: A Grand Design. Our Parent Galaxy. Measuring the Milky Way. Galactic Structure. The Formation of the Milky Way. Galactic Spiral Arms. The Mass of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Galactic Center. Normal and Active Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe. Hubble's Galaxy Classification. Clusters of Galaxies. Active Galactic Nuclei. The Central Engine of an Active Galaxy. Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei. Hubble's Law and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos. Cosmic Expansion. Dark Matter in the Universe. Large-Scale Structure. Galaxy Formation and Evolution. Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe. The Universe of the Largest Scales. The Expanding Universe. The Fate of the Cosmos. The Geometry of Space. The Early Universe. The Formation of Nuclei and Atoms. Cosmic Inflation. The Formation of Large-Scale Structure in the Universe. Life in the Universe: Are We Alone? Cosmic Evolution. Life in the Solar System. Intelligent Life in the Galaxy. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.