Table of Contents

Introducing Astronomy. Astronomy and the Universe. Knowing the Heavens. Eclipses and Ancient Astronomy. Gravitation and the Motions of Plants. The Nature of Light and Matter. Optics and Telescopes. Planets and Moons. Our Solar System. Our Living Earth. Our Barren Moon. Sun-Scorched Mercury Cloud-Covered Venus. The Martian Invasion. Jupiter: Lord of the Planets. The Galilean Satellites of Jupiter The Spectacular Saturnian System The Outer Worlds. Interplanetary Vagabonds. Stars and Stellar Evolution. Our Star. The Nature of Stars. The Birth of Stars. Stellar Maturity and Old Age. The Deaths of Stars. Neutron Stars. Black Holes. Galaxies and Cosmology. Our Galaxy. Galaxies. Quasars, Blazers, and Active Galaxies. Cosmology: The Creation and Fate of the Universe. Exploring the Early Universe. Afterword. The Search for Extraterrestrial Life.