The Solar System (7th Ed)
By Michael A. Seeds, Dana E. Backman
Brooks/Cole | 2010 | ISBN-10: 1-4390-5036-8 | xvii + 458 pages | PDF 3| 0.8 mb
Amazon Link : http://www.amazon.com/Solar-System-Dana-Backman/dp/1439050368
With this revised edition of THE SOLAR SYSTEM, author Mike Seeds' goal is to help you use astronomy to understand science -- and use science to understand what we are. Fascinating and engaging, this text will help you answer two fundamental questions: What are we? How do we know? Crafting a story about astronomy, Seeds shows you how to ask questions to gradually puzzle out the beautiful secrets of the physical world and our place in it. This edition addresses the newest developments and latest discoveries in the exciting study of astronomy, including new data on Jupiter's ring system; new observations of the shapes of stars; new evidence of dark energy, quasars, and galaxy collisions; and a look inside supernova explosions.
About the Author
Mike Seeds is Professor, Emeritus of Astronomy at Franklin and Marshall College, where he has taught since 1970. His research interests have focused on peculiar variable stars and the automation of astronomical telescopes. He extended his research by serving as the principal astronomer in charge of the Phoenix 10, the first fully robotic telescope, located in southern Arizona. In 1989, he received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. In addition to teaching, writing, and doing research, Mike has published educational systems for use in computer-smart classrooms. His interest in the history of astronomy led him to offer the upper-level courses Archaeoastronomy and Changing Concepts of the Universe, which is a history of cosmology from ancient times to Newton. He also has published educational software for preliterate toddlers. Mike was Senior Consultant in the creation of the 26-episode telecourse UNIVERSE: THE INFINITE FRONTIER. He is the author of several introductory astronomy textbooks, including HORIZONS: EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE, 10e (2008) and PERSPECTIVES OF ASTRONOMY (2008).
CONTENTS
Part 1 Exploring the Sky
CHAPTER 1 HERE AND NOW 1
CHAPTER 2 THE SKY 11
CHAPTER 3 CYCLES OF THE MOON 31
CHAPTER 4 THE ORIGIN OF MODERN ASTRONOMY 49
CHAPTER 5 GRAVITY 75
CHAPTER 6 LIGHT AND TELESCOPES 98
Part 2 The Stars
CHAPTER 7 ATOMS AND STARLIGHT 122
CHAPTER 8 THE SUN 142
PERSPECTIVE; ORIGINS 167
Part 4 The Solar System
CHAPTER 19 THE ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 396
CHAPTER 20 EARTH: THE STANDARD OF COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY 424
CHAPTER 21 THE MOON AND MERCURY: COMPARING AIRLESS WORLDS 442
CHAPTER 22 COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY OF VENUS AND MARS 464
CHAPTER 23 COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY OF JUPITER AND SATURN 493
CHAPTER 24 URANUS, NEPTUNE, AND THE DWARF PLANETS 525
CHAPTER 25 METEORITES, ASTEROIDS, AND COMETS 551
Part 5 Life
CHAPTER 26 ASTROBIOLOGY: LIFE ON OTHER WORLDS 581