Astronomy: A Beginner's Guide to the Universe, 8th edition

Eric Chaisson
, Steve McMillan

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For one-semester Introduction to Astronomy courses.

With the Eighth Edition of Astronomy: A Beginner’s Guide, trusted authors Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan bring a renewed freshness and analysis to recent changes in our understanding of the cosmos. As with the other two textbooks in their Astronomy suite (one for two-semester courses and the other, a brief visual book), the authors continue to emphasize three major themes: the process of science, the size and scale of the universe, and the evolution of the cosmos. This new edition ignites student interest with new discoveries from the latest space missions and a new focus on student-oriented engagement.

Also available as a Pearson eText or packaged with Mastering Astronomy

Pearson eText is a simple-to-use, mobile-optimized, personalized reading experience that can be adopted on its own as the main course material. It lets students highlight, take notes, and review key vocabulary all in one place, even when offline. Seamlessly integrated videos and other rich media engage students and give them access to the help they need, when they need it. Educators can easily share their own notes with students so they see the connection between their eText and what they learn in class – motivating them to keep reading, and keep learning. Learn more about Pearson eText.

Mastering Astronomy is the leading online homework, tutorial, and assessment system, designed to improve learning outcomes by engaging students with powerful content. Instructors ensure students arrive ready to learn by assigning educationally effective content before class, and encourage critical thinking and retention with in-class resources such as Learning Catalytics^™. Students can further master concepts after class through homework assignments that provide interactivity, hints, and answer-specific feedback. The Mastering gradebook records scores for all automatically graded assignments in one place, while diagnostic tools give instructors access to rich data to assess student understanding and misconceptions.

Mastering brings learning full circle by continuously adapting to each student’s style and pace of learning, making learning more personal than ever—before, during, and after class.

Students, if interested in purchasing this title with MasteringAstronomy, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

ISBN-13: 9780135234426

Subject: Astronomy

Category:

Brief Contents

FOUNDATIONS
1. Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy
2. The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science
3. Light and Matter: The Inner Workings of the Cosmos
4. Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy
OUR PLANETARY SYSTEM
1. The Solar System: Interplanetary Matter and the Birth of the Planets
2. Earth and Its Moon: Our Cosmic Backyard
3. The Terrestrial Planets: A Study in Contrasts
4. The Jovian Planets: Giants of the Solar System
5. Moons, Rings, and Plutoids: Small Worlds Among Giants
THE STARS
1. The Sun: Our Parent Star
2. Measuring the Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence
3. The Interstellar Medium: Star Formation in the Milky Way
4. Stellar Evolution: The Lives and Deaths of Stars
5. Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter
GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE
1. The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space
2. Normal and Active Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe
3. Hubble’s Law and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos
4. Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe
5. Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?