Discovering the ESSENTIAL Universe
PREFACE
NEW TO THIS EDITION OF DISCOVERING THE ESSENTIAL UNIVERSE
PROVEN FEATURES SUPPORT LEARNING
MULTIMEDIA
FROM THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chapter Introduction
NAVIGATING THE NIGHT SKY
EARTHLY CYCLES
THE SEASONS
THE PHASES OF THE MOON
ECLIPSES
SCALES OF THE UNIVERSE
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
SCIENCE: KEY TO COMPREHENDING THE COSMOS
CHANGING OUR EARTH-CENTERED VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE
KEPLER’S AND NEWTON’S LAWS
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
THE NATURE OF LIGHT
OPTICS AND TELESCOPES
CAPTURING NONVISIBLE LIGHT: NONOPTICAL ASTRONOMY
BLACKBODY RADIATION
IDENTIFYING THE ELEMENTS BY ANALYZING THEIR UNIQUE SPECTRA
ATOMS AND SPECTRA
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
THE SOLAR SYSTEM CONTAINS HEAVY ELEMENTS, FORMED FROM AN EARLIER GENERATION OF STARS
THE FORMATION OF THE PLANETS
DEBRIS: REMNANTS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
CATEGORIES OF THE PRESENT-DAY SOLAR SYSTEM
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
EXOPLANETS—PLANETS OUTSIDE OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
5-1 Protoplanetary disks are a common part of the star-forming process
5-2 Astronomers have at least seven different ways of detecting planets outside our solar system
5-3 Exoplanets orbit a breathtaking variety of stars
5-4 Exoplanets with a wide range of sizes, masses, and compositions have been observed
5-5 Stars with multiple planets have been observed
5-6 Many exoplanets have extraordinary orbits, as compared to those in our solar system
5-7 Planets that are not orbiting stars have also been observed
5-8 There are billions and billions of planets
5-9 Planets with liquid water are being discovered
5-10 The search for life on exoplanets is under way
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY
EARTH: A DYNAMIC, VITAL WORLD
THE MOON AND TIDES
MERCURY
VENUS
MARS
COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY OF THE INNER PLANETS
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
JUPITER
JUPITER’S MOONS AND RINGS
SATURN
URANUS
NEPTUNE
COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY OF THE OUTER PLANETS
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
DWARF PLANETS
SMALL SOLAR SYSTEM BODIES
ASTEROIDS
COMETS
METEOROIDS, METEORS, AND METEORITES
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
THE SUN’S ATMOSPHERE
THE ACTIVE SUN
THE SUN’S INTERIOR
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
LEAVING THE SOLAR SYSTEM
MAGNITUDE SCALES
THE TEMPERATURES OF STARS
TYPES OF STARS
STELLAR MASSES
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
PROTOSTARS AND PRE–MAIN-SEQUENCE STARS
MAIN-SEQUENCE AND GIANT STARS
EVOLUTION OF LOW MASS (0.0
EARLY AND MIDDLE EVOLUTION OF INTERMEDIATE (0.
VARIABLE STARS
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
INTERMEDIAT
HIG
NEUTRON STARS AND PULSARS
THE RELATIVITY THEORIES
INSIDE A BLACK HOLE
EVIDENCE FOR BLACK HOLES
GAMMA-RAY BURSTS
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
THE MILKY WAY
MYSTERIES AT THE GALACTIC FRINGES
TYPES OF GALAXIES
CLUSTERS AND SUPERCLUSTERS
SUPERCLUSTERS IN MOTION
QUASARS
OTHER ACTIVE GALAXIES
SUPERMASSIVE ENGINES
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
COSMOLOGY
THE BIG BANG
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPACETIME, MATTER, ENERGY, AND EVERYTHING
THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE
THE FATE OF THE UNIVERSE
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
Chapter Introduction
15-1 Astrobiology connects the cosmos and the origins of life
15-2 The existence of life depends on chemical and physical properties of matter
15-3 Evidence is mounting that life might exist elsewhere in our solar system
15-4 Searches for advanced civilizations try to detect their radio signals
15-5 The Drake equation: How many civilizations are likely to exist in the Milky Way?
15-6 Humans have been sending signals into space for more than a century
SUMMARY OF KEY IDEAS
End of Chapter Questions
APPENDICES
ANSWERS TO COMPUTATIONAL QUESTIONS
INDEX
STAR CHARTS