Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe, Fourth Edition - Softcover

Chaisson, Eric; McMillan, Steve

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0131007270 ISBN 13: 9780131007277

Publisher: Prentice Hall, 2003

Synopsis

A brief, introductory astronomy book designed for readers with little or no scientific background, A Beginner's Guide uses an exceptionally clear writing style. The authors present a broad view of astronomy without complex mathematics, yet the book discusses important concepts without simplification. The book's organization follows the popular and effective “Earth-Out” progression, starting with our planet and then moving through the solar system. A study of the Sun as a model star follows, then the book covers the Milky Way Galaxy, cosmology, and the universe as a whole. Because of its easy-to-read yet comprehensive coverage of astronomy, this book can serve as excellent reference material for those readers interested in learning about our universe.

About this title

From the Publisher

Like its best-selling predecessor, Astronomy Today (1993), this text presents scientific literacy in the context of astronomy, teaching students to think critically and analytically about the physical world and the development of science. The text requires a minimum level of simple algebra and trigonometry (less than Astronomy Today) and maintains the parent text's visual emphasis through an illustrative program sure to become the market standard.

From the Back Cover

Astronomy Today 4/e (ISBN 0-13-091542-4) is the more comprehensive text by this: proven team of authors. This twenty-eight chapter text begins with the foundations of the history of science and physics as they relate to astronomy (Part One), then proceeds with an "Earth-out" organization for coverage of the solar system (Part Two), stars and stellar evolution (Part Three), and galaxies and cosmology (Part Four). New with the fourth edition, the book is now available in two paperback splits:

Astronomy Today 4/e: The Solar System (ISBN 0-13-093560-3) covers Part One on foundations (Chapters 1-$); Part Two on the solar system (Chapters 6-15); the Sun chapter (Chapter 16); and the final chapter on life in the universe (Chapter 28).

Astronomy Today 4/e: Stars and Galaxies (ISBN 0-13-093571-9) includes Part One on foundations (Chapters 1-S); Part Three on stars and stellar evolution (Chapters 16-22); and Part Four on galaxies and cosmology (Chapters 23-28).

Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe 4/e (ISBN 0-13-100727-0) is the authors' briefer text. It covers the same scope of material in the same order as Astronomy Today 4/e, but with less detail and in fewer chapters (eighteen instead of twenty-eight) and fewer pages.

Edition details

• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0131007270
• ISBN 13: 9780131007277
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 552