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Astronomy 2e

155 lessons · 866 glossary terms — Covers Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour, Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy and Orbits and Gravity, and 27 more chapters.

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Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour9 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Nature of Astronomy
  2. The Nature of Science
  3. The Laws of Nature
  4. Numbers in Astronomy
  5. Consequences of Light Travel Time
  6. A Tour of the Universe
  7. The Universe on the Large Scale
  8. The Universe of the Very Small
  9. A Conclusion and a Beginning

Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Sky Above
  2. Ancient Astronomy
  3. Astrology and Astronomy
  4. The Birth of Modern Astronomy

Orbits and Gravity6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Laws of Planetary Motion
  2. Newton's Great Synthesis
  3. Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation
  4. Orbits in the Solar System
  5. Motions of Satellites and Spacecraft
  6. Gravity with More Than Two Bodies

Earth, Moon, and Sky7 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Earth and Sky
  2. The Seasons
  3. Keeping Time
  4. The Calendar
  5. Phases and Motions of the Moon
  6. Ocean Tides and the Moon
  7. Eclipses of the Sun and Moon

Radiation and Spectra6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Behavior of Light
  2. The Electromagnetic Spectrum
  3. Spectroscopy in Astronomy
  4. The Structure of the Atom
  5. Formation of Spectral Lines
  6. The Doppler Effect

Astronomical Instruments6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Telescopes
  2. Telescopes Today
  3. Visible-Light Detectors and Instruments
  4. Radio Telescopes
  5. Observations outside Earth’s Atmosphere
  6. The Future of Large Telescopes

Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Overview of Our Planetary System
  2. Composition and Structure of Planets
  3. Dating Planetary Surfaces
  4. Origin of the Solar System

Earth as a Planet5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Global Perspective
  2. Earth’s Crust
  3. Earth’s Atmosphere
  4. Life, Chemical Evolution, and Climate Change
  5. Cosmic Influences on the Evolution of Earth

Cratered Worlds5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. General Properties of the Moon
  2. The Lunar Surface
  3. Impact Craters
  4. The Origin of the Moon
  5. Mercury

Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Nearest Planets: An Overview
  2. The Geology of Venus
  3. The Massive Atmosphere of Venus
  4. The Geology of Mars
  5. Water and Life on Mars
  6. Divergent Planetary Evolution

The Giant Planets3 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Exploring the Outer Planets
  2. The Giant Planets
  3. Atmospheres of the Giant Planets

Rings, Moons, and Pluto5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Ring and Moon Systems Introduced
  2. The Galilean Moons of Jupiter
  3. Titan and Triton
  4. Pluto and Charon
  5. Planetary Rings (and Enceladus)

Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Asteroids
  2. Asteroids and Planetary Defense
  3. The “Long-Haired” Comets
  4. The Origin and Fate of Comets and Related Objects

Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Meteors
  2. Meteorites: Stones from Heaven
  3. Formation of the Solar System
  4. Comparison with Other Planetary Systems
  5. Planetary Evolution

The Sun: A Garden-Variety Star4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Structure and Composition of the Sun
  2. The Solar Cycle
  3. Solar Activity above the Photosphere
  4. Space Weather

The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Sources of Sunshine: Thermal and Gravitational Energy
  2. Mass, Energy, and the Theory of Relativity
  3. The Solar Interior: Theory
  4. The Solar Interior: Observations

Analyzing Starlight4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Brightness of Stars
  2. Colors of Stars
  3. The Spectra of Stars (and Brown Dwarfs)
  4. Using Spectra to Measure Stellar Radius, Composition, and Motion

The Stars: A Celestial Census4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. A Stellar Census
  2. Measuring Stellar Masses
  3. Diameters of Stars
  4. The H–R Diagram

Celestial Distances4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Fundamental Units of Distance
  2. Surveying the Stars
  3. Variable Stars: One Key to Cosmic Distances
  4. The H–R Diagram and Cosmic Distances

Between the Stars: Gas and Dust in Space6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Interstellar Medium
  2. Interstellar Gas
  3. Cosmic Dust
  4. Cosmic Rays
  5. The Life Cycle of Cosmic Material
  6. Interstellar Matter around the Sun

The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets outside the Solar System6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Star Formation
  2. The H–R Diagram and the Study of Stellar Evolution
  3. Evidence That Planets Form around Other Stars
  4. Planets beyond the Solar System: Search and Discovery
  5. Exoplanets Everywhere: What We Are Learning
  6. New Perspectives on Planet Formation

Stars from Adolescence to Old Age5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Evolution from the Main Sequence to Red Giants
  2. Star Clusters
  3. Checking Out the Theory
  4. Further Evolution of Stars
  5. The Evolution of More Massive Stars

The Death of Stars6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Death of Low-Mass Stars
  2. Evolution of Massive Stars: An Explosive Finish
  3. Supernova Observations
  4. Pulsars and the Discovery of Neutron Stars
  5. The Evolution of Binary Star Systems
  6. The Mystery of the Gamma-Ray Bursts

Black Holes and Curved Spacetime7 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Introducing General Relativity
  2. Spacetime and Gravity
  3. Tests of General Relativity
  4. Time in General Relativity
  5. Black Holes
  6. Evidence for Black Holes
  7. Gravitational Wave Astronomy

The Milky Way Galaxy6 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Architecture of the Galaxy
  2. Spiral Structure
  3. The Mass of the Galaxy
  4. The Center of the Galaxy
  5. Stellar Populations in the Galaxy
  6. The Formation of the Galaxy

Galaxies5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Discovery of Galaxies
  2. Types of Galaxies
  3. Properties of Galaxies
  4. The Extragalactic Distance Scale
  5. The Expanding Universe

Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes3 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Quasars
  2. Supermassive Black Holes: What Quasars Really Are
  3. Quasars as Probes of Evolution in the Universe

The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies5 lessons

Chapter page

  1. Observations of Distant Galaxies
  2. Galaxy Mergers and Active Galactic Nuclei
  3. The Distribution of Galaxies in Space
  4. The Challenge of Dark Matter
  5. The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies and Structure in the Universe

The Big Bang7 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Age of the Universe
  2. A Model of the Universe
  3. The Beginning of the Universe
  4. The Cosmic Microwave Background
  5. What Is the Universe Really Made Of?
  6. The Inflationary Universe
  7. The Anthropic Principle

Life in the Universe4 lessons

Chapter page

  1. The Cosmic Context for Life
  2. Astrobiology
  3. Searching for Life beyond Earth
  4. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence