Astronomy Today
Home > Mathematics and Science Textbooks > Astronomy, space and time > Astronomy Today
Astronomy Today

Astronomy Today


     0     
5
4
3
2
1



Available


X
About the Book

For one- or two-semester introductory courses in astronomy. Chaisson/McMillan is a trusted text that offers the most complete and innovative learning package available for introductory astronomy.  The goal of the Fifth Edition is to focus on the process of discovery and to better convey how science is done.  Particular attention was given to clearly and concisely presenting scientific terms to the non-science student.  Volume 1 includes Chapters 1-16, plus chapter 28. Volume 2 includes Chapters 1-5 plus 16-28.

Table of Contents:
Volume 1: 1-16, 28 Volume 2: 1-5, 16-28 Part 1: Astronomy and the Universe  Chapter 1. Charting The Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy  Our Place in Space  Scientific Theory and the Scientific Method  The "Obvious" View  Earth's Orbital Motion  Astronomical Timekeeping  The Motion of the Moon  The Measurement of Distance    Chapter 2. The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science  Ancient Astronomy  The Geocentric Universe  The Heliocentric Model of the Solar System  The Birth of Modern Astronomy  The Laws of Planetary Motion  The Dimensions of the Solar System  Newton's Laws    Chapter 3. Radiation: Information from the Cosmos  Information from the Skies  Waves in What?  The Electromagnetic Spectrum  Thermal Radiation  The Doppler Effect    Chapter 4. Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms  Spectral Lines  The Formation of Spectral Lines  Molecules  Spectral-Line Analysis    Chapter 5. Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy  Telescope Design  Images and Detectors  Telescope Size  High-Resolution Astronomy  Radio Astronomy  Interferometry  Space-Based Astronomy  Full-Spectrum Coverage    Part 2: Our Planetary System  Chapter 6. The Solar System: An Introduction to Comparative Planetology  An Inventory of the Solar System  Planetary Properties  The Overall Layout of the Solar System  Terrestrial and Jovian Planets  Interplanetary Debris  Spacecraft Exploration of the Solar System  How Did the Solar System Form?    Chapter 7. Earth: Our Home in Space  Overall Structure of Planet Earth  Earth's Atmosphere  Earth's Interior  Surface Activity  Earth's Magnetosphere  The Tides    Chapter 8. The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds  Orbital Properties  Physical Properties  Surface Features on the Moon and Mercury  Rotation Rates  Lunar Cratering and Surface Composition  The Surface of Mercury  Interiors  The Origin of the Moon  Evolutionary History of the Moon and Mercury    Chapter 9. Venus: Earth's Sister Planet  Orbital Properties  Physical Properties  Long-Distance Observations of Venus  The Surface of Venus  The Atmosphere of Venus  Venus's Magnetic Field and Internal Structure    Chapter 10. Mars: A Near Miss for Life?  Orbital Properties  Physical Properties  Long-Distance Observations of Mars  The Surface of Mars  The Martian Atmosphere  Martian Internal Structure  The Moons of Mars    Chapter 11. Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System  Orbital and Physical Properties  The Atmosphere of Jupiter  Internal Structure  Jupiter's Magnetosphere  The Moons of Jupiter  Jupiter's Ring    Chapter 12. Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons  Orbital and Physical Properties  Saturn's Atmosphere  Saturn's Interior and Magnetosphere  Saturn's Spectacular Ring System  The Moons of Saturn    Chapter 13. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System  The Discovery of Uranus  The Discovery of Neptune  Physical Properties of Uranus and Neptune  The Atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune  Magnetospheres and Internal Structure  The Moon Systems of Uranus and Neptune  The Rings of the Outermost Jovian Planets  The Discovery of Pluto  Physical Properties of Pluto  The Origin of Pluto    Chapter 14. Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin  Asteroids  Comets  Meteoroids    Chapter 15. The Formation of Planetary Systems: The Solar System and Beyond  Modeling Planet Formation  Planets in the Solar System  Interplanetary Debris  The Role of Catastrophes  Planets Beyond the Solar System  Is Our Solar System Unusual?    Part 3: Stars And Stellar Evolution  Chapter 16. The Sun: Our Parent Star  Physical Properties of the Sun  The Heart of the Sun  The Solar Interior  The Solar Atmosphere  The Active Sun  Observations of Solar Neutrinos    Chapter 17. Red Giants and White Dwarfs: A Field Guide to the Stars  The Solar Neighborhood  Luminosity and Apparent Brightness  Stellar Temperatures  Stellar Sizes  The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram  Extending the Cosmic Distance Scale  Stellar Masses  Mass and Other Stellar Properties    Chapter 18. The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars  Interstellar Matter  Emission Nebulae  Dark Dust Clouds  21-Centimeter Radiation  Interstellar Molecules    Chapter 19. Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth  Star-Forming Regions  The Formation of Stars Like the Sun  Stars of Other Masses  Observations of Cloud Fragments and Protostars  Shock Waves and Star Formation  Star Clusters    Chapter 20. Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star  Leaving the Main Sequence  Evolution of a Sun-like Star  The Death of a Low-Mass Star  Evolution of Stars More Massive than the Sun  Observing Stellar Evolution in Star Clusters  The Evolution of Binary-Star Systems    Chapter 21. Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements  Life after Death for White Dwarfs  The End of a High-Mass Star  Supernova Explosions  The Formation of the Elements  The Cycle of Stellar Evolution    Chapter 22. Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter  Neutron Stars  Pulsars  Neutron-Star Binaries  Gamma-Ray Bursts  Black Holes  The Theory of Relativity  Space Travel Near Black Holes  Observational Evidence for Black Holes    Part 4: Galaxies And Cosmology  Chapter 23. The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space  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    Chapter 24. Normaland Active Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe  Hubble's Galaxy Classification  The Distribution of Galaxies in Space  Hubble's Law  Active Galactic Nuclei  The Central Engine of an Active Galaxy    Chapter 25. Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos  Dark Matter in the Universe  Galaxy Collisions  Galaxy Formation and Evolution  Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei  The Universe on Large Scales    Chapter 26. Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe  The Universe on the Largest Scales  The Expanding Universe  The Fate of the Cosmos  The Geometry of Space  Will the Universe Expand Forever?  Dark Energy and Cosmology  The Cosmic Microwave Background    Chapter 27. The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time  Back to the Big Bang  The Evolution of the Universe  The Formation of Nuclei and Atoms  The Inflationary Universe  The Formation of Structure in the Universe    Chapter 28. Life In The Universe: Are We Alone?  Cosmic Evolution  Life in the Solar System  Intelligent Life in the Galaxy  The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

About the Author :
Eric Chaisson. Eric holds a doctorate in astrophysics from Harvard University, where he spent ten years on the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. For five years, Eric was a Senior Scientist and Director of Educational Programs at the Space Telescope Science Institute and Adjunct Professor of Physics at Johns Hopkins University. He then joined Tufts University, where he is now Professor of Physics, Professor of Education, and Director of the Wright Center for Innovative Science Education. He has written nine books on astronomy, which have received such literary awards as the Phi Beta Kappa Prize, two American Institute of Physics Awards, and Harvard's Smith-Weld Prize for Literary Merit. He has published more than 100 scientific papers in professional journals, and has also received Harvard's Bok Prize for original contributions to astrophysics. Steve McMillan. Steve holds a bachelor's and master's degree in Mathematics from Cambridge University and a doctorate in Astronomy from Harvard University. He held post-doctoral positions at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, where he continued his research in theoretical astrophysics, star clusters, and numerical modeling. Steve is currently Distinguished Professor of Physics at Drexel University and a frequent visiting researcher at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study and the University of Tokyo. He has published more than 50 scientific papers in professional journals.

Review :
*The"Process of Science" is integrated into the text narrative. In particular the focus on scientific discovery and scientific method, or "how we know what we know", is now a much more integral part of the text (e.g. p. 6-8, 121-22, 160-65, 596-97, 611-12).*Part-opening essays emphasize the human endeavor aspect of science. Each part opener introduces a discovery and provides a historical context to the chapters that follow (e.g. p. 1, 140, 402, 600). "What role does your textbook play in your course?"*Student perspective--For this revision, the text's development editor read the text from a student perspective, helping the authors identify places they could clarify or simplify an explanation, better define a term, and discuss the process used in making a discovery. The result is a text that is truly accessible and useful resource for all students. *Expanded Glossary--200+ terms added, including definitions of words students may not know, but are not necessarily "scientific" terms (e.g. "flyby" now defined within chapter 6 Mariner 10 discussion on p. 152). "How can you involve your students in class and make large lectures more interactive?"*Lecture Tutorials -- Developed by Jeffrey Adams, Edward Prather, Timothy Slater and the Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) team, class-tested lecture tutorials challenge students with thought-provoking questions that spark classroom discussion. Designed for large classes (300+) and scaleable for smaller sections. *Classroom Response Systems enhances the interactivity of a lecture course by asking students questions and providing instant feedback on key concepts from the chapter. "Do you have an observation component in your course?"*Starry Night Pro 4.0.5 provides everything the amateur astronomer or hobbyist needs to explore the heavens. Content Changes: *Thoroughly updated Chapter 5-- Reflects recent discoveries and innovations, such as Telescope Design in Section 5.1 *Introduction to solar system formation added to Chapter 6--Sets the stage for the planetary chapters (p. 144-45). *Reorganized Chapter 22--Expands the historical development of Special and General Relativity. *More contemporary coverage in Chapters 24 and 25--Reorganizes material to emphasize the connection between normal and active galaxies, and expands the discussion of black holes in galactic nuclei. *Updates include new discoveries and data, including: *New material in Chapter 7 on the Ozone Hole and Global Warming. *Expanded coverage in Chapters 6 and 10 of the most recent missions to Mars. *Updates in Chapter 10 on Martian oppositions, gullies, oceans, and ice. *Final update on the Galileo/GEM mission in Chapter 11. *Updated discussion of solar system formation in Chapter 15; expanded coverage of competing theories, planet migration, planetesimal ejection, plutinos, and the angular momentum problem. *Latest results in Chapter 23 on Sgr A* and the Galaxy's central black hole. This chapter also includes a new discussion of the Shapley-Curtis debate giving historical context to the "Measuring the Milky Way" section. *Extensive revision of Chapters 26 and 27 to include the most recent observations of cosmic acceleration and discussion of "dark energy" *Revised discussions of the cosmological constant and the age of the universe; results from the CBI and WMAP experiments suggesting a flat universe. *Updated coverage of Europa, Mars, interstellar organic molecules, extra solar planets, and SETI in Chapter 28.


Best Sellers


Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9780131445963
  • Publisher: Pearson Education (US)
  • Publisher Imprint: Pearson
  • Language: English
  • Spine Width: 31 mm
  • Width: 284 mm
  • ISBN-10: 0131445960
  • Publisher Date: 06 Oct 2004
  • Binding: Hardback
  • No of Pages: 848
  • Weight: 2056 gr


Similar Products

Add Photo
Add Photo

Customer Reviews

REVIEWS      0     
Click Here To Be The First to Review this Product
Astronomy Today
Pearson Education (US) -
Astronomy Today
Writing guidlines
We want to publish your review, so please:
  • keep your review on the product. Review's that defame author's character will be rejected.
  • Keep your review focused on the product.
  • Avoid writing about customer service. contact us instead if you have issue requiring immediate attention.
  • Refrain from mentioning competitors or the specific price you paid for the product.
  • Do not include any personally identifiable information, such as full names.

Astronomy Today

Required fields are marked with *

Review Title*
Review
    Add Photo Add up to 6 photos
    Would you recommend this product to a friend?
    Tag this Book Read more
    Does your review contain spoilers?
    What type of reader best describes you?
    I agree to the terms & conditions
    You may receive emails regarding this submission. Any emails will include the ability to opt-out of future communications.

    CUSTOMER RATINGS AND REVIEWS AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TERMS OF USE

    These Terms of Use govern your conduct associated with the Customer Ratings and Reviews and/or Questions and Answers service offered by Bookswagon (the "CRR Service").


    By submitting any content to Bookswagon, you guarantee that:
    • You are the sole author and owner of the intellectual property rights in the content;
    • All "moral rights" that you may have in such content have been voluntarily waived by you;
    • All content that you post is accurate;
    • You are at least 13 years old;
    • Use of the content you supply does not violate these Terms of Use and will not cause injury to any person or entity.
    You further agree that you may not submit any content:
    • That is known by you to be false, inaccurate or misleading;
    • That infringes any third party's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy;
    • That violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising);
    • That is, or may reasonably be considered to be, defamatory, libelous, hateful, racially or religiously biased or offensive, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership or corporation;
    • For which you were compensated or granted any consideration by any unapproved third party;
    • That includes any information that references other websites, addresses, email addresses, contact information or phone numbers;
    • That contains any computer viruses, worms or other potentially damaging computer programs or files.
    You agree to indemnify and hold Bookswagon (and its officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, joint ventures, employees and third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.), harmless from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of a breach of your representations and warranties set forth above, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.


    For any content that you submit, you grant Bookswagon a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable right and license to use, copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and/or sell, transfer, and/or distribute such content and/or incorporate such content into any form, medium or technology throughout the world without compensation to you. Additionally,  Bookswagon may transfer or share any personal information that you submit with its third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc. in accordance with  Privacy Policy


    All content that you submit may be used at Bookswagon's sole discretion. Bookswagon reserves the right to change, condense, withhold publication, remove or delete any content on Bookswagon's website that Bookswagon deems, in its sole discretion, to violate the content guidelines or any other provision of these Terms of Use.  Bookswagon does not guarantee that you will have any recourse through Bookswagon to edit or delete any content you have submitted. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days. However, Bookswagon reserves the right to remove or to refuse to post any submission to the extent authorized by law. You acknowledge that you, not Bookswagon, are responsible for the contents of your submission. None of the content that you submit shall be subject to any obligation of confidence on the part of Bookswagon, its agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners or third party service providers (including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.)and their respective directors, officers and employees.

    Accept

    New Arrivals


    Inspired by your browsing history


    Your review has been submitted!

    You've already reviewed this product!