Astronomy 101

Explore the curiosities of our galaxy with this comprehensive, digestible guide to astronomy! Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won't be able to get anywhere else. So whether you’re looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes, or just want to learn more about your favorite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answers—even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.

This book provides a wealth of astronomy knowledge designed for the non-science major. Presents thorough coverage of the big ideas in astronomy. For self-study purposes for those interested in astronomy.

Astronomy is written in clear non-technical language, with the occasional touch of humor and a wide range of clarifying illustrations. It has many analogies drawn from everyday life to help non-science majors appreciate, on their own terms, what our modern exploration of the universe is revealing. The book can be used for either aone-semester or two-semester introductory course (bear in mind, you can customize your version and include only those chapters or sections you will be teaching.) It is made available free of charge in electronic form (and low cost in printed form) to students around the world. If you have ever thrown up your hands in despair over the spiraling cost of astronomy textbooks, you owe your students a good look at this one. Coverage and Scope Astronomy was written, updated, and reviewed by a broad range of astronomers and astronomy educators in a strong community effort. It is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements of introductory astronomy courses nationwide. Chapter 1: Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour Chapter 2: Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy Chapter 3: Orbits and Gravity Chapter 4: Earth, Moon, and Sky Chapter 5: Radiation and Spectra Chapter 6: Astronomical Instruments Chapter 7: Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System Chapter 8: Earth as a Planet Chapter 9: Cratered Worlds Chapter 10: Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars Chapter 11: The Giant Planets Chapter 12: Rings, Moons, and Pluto Chapter 13: Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System Chapter 14: Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System Chapter 15: The Sun: A Garden-Variety Star Chapter 16: The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse Chapter 17: Analyzing Starlight Chapter 18: The Stars: A Celestial Census Chapter 19: Celestial Distances Chapter 20: Between the Stars: Gas and Dust in Space Chapter 21: The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets outside the Solar System Chapter 22: Stars from Adolescence to Old Age Chapter 23: The Death of Stars Chapter 24: Black Holes and Curved Spacetime Chapter 25: The Milky Way Galaxy Chapter 26: Galaxies Chapter 27: Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes Chapter 28: The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies Chapter 29: The Big Bang Chapter 30: Life in the Universe Appendix A: How to Study for Your Introductory Astronomy Course Appendix B: Astronomy Websites, Pictures, and Apps Appendix C: Scientific Notation Appendix D: Units Used in Science Appendix E: Some Useful Constants for Astronomy Appendix F: Physical and Orbital Data for the Planets Appendix G: Selected Moons of the Planets Appendix H: Upcoming Total Eclipses Appendix I: The Nearest Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and White Dwarfs Appendix J: The Brightest Twenty Stars Appendix K: The Chemical Elements Appendix L: The Constellations Appendix M: Star Charts and Sky Event Resources

If you want to learn about astronomy, then check out “HowExpert Guide to Astronomy.” Join Ryan T. Kirby, an experienced astronomer, and educator, in an exploration that will take you to the stars! In this short book, Ryan aims at teaching you everything you need to know about astronomy and stargazing from scratch! The book is divided into five sections, which are as follows: 1. Understanding the Universe: Ryan brings you up to speed on all the essential terminology and concepts vital to your ability to learn astronomy. 2. Planning your Observation: Discover everything you should do to prepare to go outside and observe the night sky! 3. Exploring the Night Sky: A section where Ryan offers detailed instructions on how to begin observing and learn the night sky while bringing in some helpful tips and tricks from his personal experiences. 4. Unique Events and Activities to Try: A section dedicated to some astonishing events astronomers should look out for and some of his favorite activities and observations, along with detailed advice on tackling them. 5. Fun Facts and Misconceptions: Ryan uniquely closes the book by briefly explaining many surprising, interesting, and unexpected facts about space! This book brings readers into the world of astronomy with ease and offers expert advice and guidelines for approaching the daunting hobby. While aimed at Northern hemisphere residents, many tips, tricks, and techniques are relevant even under entirely different skies than those he mentions throughout the book. About the Expert Ryan Thomas Kirby has served as an educator for half a decade and has received numerous academics and leadership awards during his academic career. Ryan has had experience as a teaching assistant for astronomy courses, an observatory assistant, a supplemental instructor for astronomy courses at a community college, and an educator in numerous other positions. His experience educating in the field of astronomy is rivaled by his experience researching the field. Notably, he has used T.H.E.M.I.S. data from the surface of Mars to investigate the ages of ancient lava flows and imaged densely packed star clusters to learn about their ages, along with other research contributions. Ryan continues to educate others on astronomy topics and continues to contribute to research in the field with plans to further narrow his research in a search for moons around extrasolar planets as he progresses his academic career. Ryan is an alumnus of both Bristol Community College and Wheaton College in Massachusetts. He studied astronomy and physics and has held various leadership and educational positions at both colleges during his tenure. HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.

Explore the curiosities of our galaxy with this comprehensive, digestible guide to astronomy! Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with a tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations and, instead, gives you an astronomy lesson that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and Nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won't get anywhere else. So whether you're looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes or just want to learn more about your favorite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answers-even the ones you didn't know you were looking for.

Explore the mysteries of the cosmos! Too often, astrology guides obscure the mystical wonder of the zodiac with overly tedious details about nodes, houses, angles, and aspects that even Ptolemy would reject. Astrology 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations and instead gives you a hands-on lesson that keeps you engaged as you learn how the movements of the stars and planets affect human behavior. From the four elements and twelve houses to astrological personality types and sign compatibility, this compact primer is packed with hundreds of fascinating star sign facts, informative charts and illustrations, and stories of famous astrologers and their predictions for the future. So whether you're looking to find how a Mercury retrograde affects you, or just want to learn more about a specific sun sign, Astrology 101 has all the answers--even the ones you didn't know you were looking for.