The Cosmic Perspective

Building on a long tradition of effective pedagogy and comprehensive coverage, The Cosmic Perspective, Seventh Edition provides a thoroughly engaging and up-to-date introduction to astronomy for non-science majors. The text provides a wealth of features that enhance student skill-building, including new group work exercises that engage students in active learning, helping them retain concepts longer and build communication skills for the future. The Seventh Edition has also been fully updated to include the latest astronomical observations, results from recent space missions, and new theoretical developments that inform our understanding of the early universe. This text is also available in two volumes, which can be purchased separately: * The Cosmic Perspective: The Solar System, Seventh Edition (includes Chapters 1-13, 24) * The Cosmic Perspective: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology, Seventh Edition (includes Chapters 1-6, S2-S4, 14-24)I. DEVELOPING PERSPECTIVE 1. Our Place in the Universe 2. Discovering the Universe for Yourself 3. The Science of Astronomy S1. Celestial Timekeeping and Navigation II. KEY CONCEPTS FOR ASTRONOMY 4. Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity 5. Light and Matter: Reading Messages from the Cosmos 6. Telescopes: Portals of Discovery III. LEARNING FROM OTHER WORLDS 7. Our Planetary System 8. Formation of the Solar System 9. Planetary Geology: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds 10. Planetary Atmospheres: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds 11. Jovian Planet Systems 12. Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts 13. Other Planetary Systems: The New Science of Distant Worlds IV. A DEEPER LOOK AT NATURE S2. Space and Time S3. Spacetime and Gravity S4. Building Blocks of the Universe V. STARS 14. Our Star 15. Surveying the Stars 16. Star Birth 17. Star Stuff 18. The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard VI. GALAXIES AND BEYOND 19. Our Galaxy 20. Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology 21. Galaxy Evolution 22. Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe 23. The Beginning of Time