Explorations Introduction To Astronomy

A clearly written, basic introduction to astronomy for those not scientifically oriented, this book's terse coverage of pertinent information has been updated to include discoveries made in the past two years, such as the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact on Jupiter, a more accurate determination of the Hubble constant, and changes in the Southern Hemisphere of Neptune.

The eighth edition of Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy strives to share with students a sense of wonder about the universe and the dynamic, ever-changing science of astronomy. Written for students of various educational backgrounds, Explorations emphasizes current information, a visually exciting art package, accessible writing, and accuracy. The new edition also features the most complete technology support package offered with any astronomy text.

Arny: Explorations-An Introduction to Astronomy, 6th edition, is built on the foundation of its well known writing style, accuracy, and emphasis on current information. This new edition continues to offer the most complete technology/new media support package available. That technology/new media package includes: Interactives, Animations, and introducing Connect - online homework and course management.

The eighth edition of Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy strives to share with students a sense of wonder about the universe and the dynamic, ever-changing science of astronomy. Written for students of various educational backgrounds, Explorations emphasizes current information, a visually exciting art package, accessible writing, and accuracy. The new edition also features the most complete technology support package offered with any astronomy text.

A practical guide to viewing the universe.

"This is a truly astonishing book, invaluable for anyone with an interest in astronomy." Physics Bulletin "Just the thing for a first year university science course." Nature "This is a beautiful book in both concept and execution." Sky & Telescope

To study astronomy is to consider the most wondrous phenomena on the grandest of scales – the universe and all it contains. Beginning with our earliest explorations of the night sky, William Waller takes us on an enthralling journey through the Milky Way and far, far beyond. He combines science and history to show how our understanding of everything from black holes to the structure of the universe has evolved over time, illuminating past discoveries and offering contemporary insights into the cosmic histories of stars, planets and galaxies. Whether object of study or curiosity, the universe – and all it contains – is tantalisingly introduced here.

Astronomy, perhaps the first of the sciences, was already well developed by the time of Christ. Seventeen centuries later, after Newton showed that the movements of the planets could be explained in terms of gravitation, it became the paradigm for the mathematical sciences. In the nineteenth century the analysis of star-light allowed astrophysicists to determine both the chemical composition and the radial velocities of celestial bodies, while the development of photography enabled distant objects invisible to the human eye, to be studied and measured in comfort. Technical developments during and since the Second World War have greatly enlarged the scope of the science by permitting the study of radiation. This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid-nineteenth century. Historical records are first found in Babylon and Egypt, and after two millennia the arithmetical astronomy of the Babylonians merged with the Greek geometrical approach to culminate in the Almagest of Ptolemy. This legacy was transmitted to the Latin West via Islam, and led to Copernicus's claim that the Earth is in motion. In justifying this Kepler converted astronomy into a branch of dynamics, leading to Newton's universal law of gravity. The book concludes with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century applications of Newton's law, and the first explorations of the universe of stars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.