Topic |
Page # |
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Chapter 1 – Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour |
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1.1 – The Nature of Astronomy |
13 |
1.2 – The Nature of Science |
13 – 14 |
1.3 – The Laws of Nature |
15 |
1.4 – Numbers in Astronomy |
15 – 17 |
1.5 – Consequences of Light Travel Time |
17 – 18 |
1.6 – A Tour of the Universe |
18 – 23 |
1.7 – The Universe on the Large Scale |
23 – 26 |
1.8 – The Universe of the Very Small |
27 – 28 |
1.9 – A Conclusion and a Beginning |
28 – 30 |
Chapter 2 – Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy |
|
2.1 – The Sky Above |
32 – 41 |
2.2 – Ancient Astronomy |
42 – 49 |
2.3 – Astrology and Astronomy |
49 – 54 |
2.4 – The Birth of Modern Astronomy |
54 – 61 |
Chapter 3 – Orbits and Gravity |
|
3.1 – The Laws of Planetary Motion |
70 – 75 |
3.2 – Newton’s Great Synthesis |
76 – 80 |
3.3 – Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation |
81 – 85 |
3.4 – Orbits in the Solar System |
85 – 88 |
3.5 – Motions of Satellites and Spacecraft |
88 – 90 |
3.6 – Gravity with More Than Two Bodies |
91 – 95 |
Chapter 4 – Earth, Moon, and Sky |
|
4.1 – Earth and Sky |
104 – 107 |
4.2 – The Seasons |
107 – 113 |
4.3 – Keeping Time |
114 – 117 |
4.4 – The Calendar |
117 – 120 |
4.5 – Phases and Motions of the Moon |
120 – 124 |
4.6 – Ocean Tides and the Moon |
125 – 128 |
4.7 – Eclipses of the Sun and Moon |
129 – 135 |
Chapter 5 – Radiation and Spectra |
|
5.1 – The Behavior of Light |
146 – 153 |
5.2 – The Electromagnetic Spectrum |
153 – 161 |
5.3 – Spectroscopy in Astronomy |
161 – 166 |
5.4 – The Structure of the Atom |
166 – 172 |
5.5 – Formation of Spectral Lines |
172 – 176 |
5.6 – The Doppler Effect |
176 – 180 |
Chapter 6 – Astronomical Instruments |
|
6.1 – Telescopes |
190 – 196 |
6.2 – Telescopes Today |
196 – 206 |
6.3 – Visible-Light Detectors and Instruments |
206 – 209 |
6.4 – Radio Telescopes |
210 – 217 |
6.5 – Observations outside Earth’s Atmosphere |
217 – 222 |
6.6 – The Future of Large Telescopes |
222 – 224 |
Chapter 7 – Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System |
|
7.1 – Overview of Our Planetary System |
234 – 246 |
7.2 – Composition and Structure of Planets |
246 – 251 |
7.3 – Dating Planetary Surfaces |
251 – 254 |
7.4 – Origin of the Solar System |
254 – 257 |
Chapter 8 – Earth as a Planet |
|
8.1 – The Global Perspective |
266 – 270 |
8.2 – Earth’s Crust |
270 – 278 |
8.3 – Earth’s Atmosphere |
278 – 282 |
8.4 – Life, Chemical Evolution, and Climate Change |
283 – 288 |
8.5 – Cosmic Influences on the Evolution of Earth |
288 – 294 |
Chapter 9 – Cratered Worlds |
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9.1 – General Properties of the Moon |
303 – 309 |
9.2 – The Lunar Surface |
310 – 314 |
9.3 – Impact Craters |
315 – 320 |
9.4 – The Origin of the Moon |
320 – 321 |
9.5 – Mercury |
321 – 328 |
Chapter 10 – Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars |
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10.1 – The Nearest Planets: An Overview |
335 – 342 |
10.2 – The Geology of Venus |
342 – 347 |
10.3 – The Massive Atmosphere of Venus |
347 – 349 |
10.4 – The Geology of Mars |
350 – 359 |
10.5 – Water and Life on Mars |
359 – 371 |
10.6 – Divergent Planetary Evolution |
371 – 372 |
Chapter 11 – The Giant Planets |
|
11.1 – Exploring the Outer Planets |
381 – 387 |
11.2 – The Giant Planets |
387 – 393 |
11.3 – Atmospheres of the Giant Planets |
393 – 403 |
Chapter 12 – Rings, Moons, and Pluto |
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12.1 – Ring and Moon Systems Introduced |
410 – 411 |
12.2 – The Galilean Moons of Jupiter |
411 – 420 |
12.3 – Titan and Triton |
420 – 425 |
12.4 – Pluto and Charon |
425 – 432 |
12.5 – Planetary Rings |
432 – 443 |
Chapter 13 – Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System |
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13.1 – Asteroids |
452 – 463 |
13.2 – Asteroids and Planetary Defense |
463 – 466 |
13.3 – The “Long-Haired” Comets |
466 – 476 |
13.4 – The Origin and Fate of Comets and Related Objects |
476 – 484 |
Chapter 14 – Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System |
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14.1 – Meteors |
494 – 499 |
14.2 – Meteorites: Stones from Heaven |
499 – 504 |
14.3 – Formation of the Solar System |
504 – 510 |
14.4 – Comparison with Other Planetary Systems |
510 – 515 |
14.5 – Planetary Evolution |
515 – 519 |
Chapter 15 – The Sun: A Garden-Variety Star |
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15.1 – The Structure and Composition of the Sun |
528 – 539 |
15.2 – The Solar Cycle |
539 – 544 |
15.3 – Solar Activity above the Photosphere |
544 – 548 |
15.4 – Space Weather |
548 – 554 |
Chapter 16 – The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse |
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16.1 – Sources of Sunshine: Thermal and Gravitational Energy |
563 – 566 |
16.2 – Mass, Energy, and the Theory of Relativity |
566 – 576 |
16.3 – The Solar Interior: Theory |
576 – 582 |
16.4 – The Solar Interior: Observations |
582 – 587 |
Chapter 17 – Analyzing Starlight |
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17.1 – The Brightness of Stars |
595 – 599 |
17.2 – Colors of Stars |
599 – 602 |
17.3 – The Spectra of Stars (and Brown Dwarfs) |
602 – 609 |
17.4 – Using Spectra to Measure Stellar Radius, Composition, and Motion |
609 – 617 |
Chapter 18 – The Stars: A Celestial Census |
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18.1 – A Stellar Census |
625 – 629 |
18.2 – Measuring Stellar Masses |
629 – 636 |
18.3 – Diameters of Stars |
636 – 641 |
18.4 – The H–R Diagram |
641 – 650 |
Chapter 19 – Celestial Distances |
|
19.1 – Fundamental Units of Distance |
659 – 663 |
19.2 – Surveying the Stars |
663 – 672 |
19.3 – Variable Stars: One Key to Cosmic Distances |
672 – 679 |
19.4 – The H–R Diagram and Cosmic Distances |
679 – 682 |
Chapter 20 – Between the Stars: Gas and Dust in Space |
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20.1 – The Interstellar Medium |
692 – 695 |
20.2 – Interstellar Gas |
696 – 704 |
20.3 – Cosmic Dust |
704 – 711 |
20.4 – Cosmic Rays |
711 – 713 |
20.5 – The Life Cycle of Cosmic Material |
714 – 716 |
20.6 – Interstellar Matter around the Sun |
716 – 718 |
Chapter 21 – The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets outside the Solar System |
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21.1 – Star Formation |
728 – 737 |
21.2 – The H–R Diagram and the Study of Stellar Evolution |
737 – 740 |
21.3 – Evidence That Planets Form around Other Stars |
740 – 744 |
21.4 – Planets beyond the Solar System: Search and Discovery |
744 – 753 |
21.5 – Exoplanets Everywhere: What We Are Learning |
753 – 759 |
21.6 – New Perspectives on Planet Formation |
759 – 762 |
Chapter 22 – Stars from Adolescence to Old Age |
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22.1 – Evolution from the Main Sequence to Red Giants |
772 – 778 |
22.2 – Star Clusters |
778 – 782 |
22.3 – Checking Out the Theory |
782 – 789 |
22.4 – Further Evolution of Stars |
789 – 797 |
22.5 – The Evolution of More Massive Stars |
798 – 801 |
Chapter 23 – The Death of Stars |
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23.1 – The Death of Low-Mass Stars |
810 – 815 |
23.2 – Evolution of Massive Stars: An Explosive Finish |
815 – 822 |
23.3 – Supernova Observations |
822 – 829 |
23.4 – Pulsars and the Discovery of Neutron Stars |
830 – 836 |
23.5 – The Evolution of Binary Star Systems |
836 – 839 |
23.6 – The Mystery of the Gamma-Ray Bursts |
839 – 847 |
Chapter 24 – Black Holes and Curved Spacetime |
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24.1 – Introducing General Relativity |
857 – 863 |
24.2 – Spacetime and Gravity |
863 – 866 |
24.3 – Tests of General Relativity |
866 – 869 |
24.4 – Time in General Relativity |
869 – 871 |
24.5 – Black Holes |
871 – 879 |
24.6 – Evidence for Black Holes |
879 – 882 |
24.7 – Gravitational Wave Astronomy |
882 – 887 |
Chapter 25 – The Milky Way Galaxy |
|
25.1 – The Architecture of the Galaxy |
896 – 905 |
25.2 – Spiral Structure |
905 – 908 |
25.3 – The Mass of the Galaxy |
909 – 911 |
25.4 – The Center of the Galaxy |
911 – 918 |
25.5 – Stellar Populations in the Galaxy |
918 – 920 |
25.6 – The Formation of the Galaxy |
921 – 926 |
Chapter 26 – Galaxies |
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26.1 – The Discovery of Galaxies |
936 – 938 |
26.2 – Types of Galaxies |
939 – 945 |
26.3 – Properties of Galaxies |
945 – 948 |
26.4 – The Extragalactic Distance Scale |
948 – 950 |
26.5 – The Expanding Universe |
951 – 958 |
Chapter 27 – Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes |
|
27.1 – Quasars |
965 – 973 |
27.2 – Supermassive Black Holes: What Quasars Really Are |
973 – 981 |
27.3 – Quasars as Probes of Evolution in the Universe |
981 – 987 |
Chapter 28 – The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies |
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28.1 – Observations of Distant Galaxies |
996 – 1003 |
28.2 – Galaxy Mergers and Active Galactic Nuclei |
1003 – 1010 |
28.3 – The Distribution of Galaxies in Space |
1010 – 1024 |
28.4 – The Challenge of Dark Matter |
1024 – 1031 |
28.5 – The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies and Structure in the Universe |
1031 – 1037 |
Chapter 29 – The Big Bang |
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29.1 – The Age of the Universe |
1048 – 1055 |
29.2 – A Model of the Universe |
1055 – 1064 |
29.3 – The Beginning of the Universe |
1064 – 1070 |
29.4 – The Cosmic Microwave Background |
1070 – 1078 |
29.5 – What Is the Universe Really Made Of? |
1078 – 1083 |
29.6 – The Inflationary Universe |
1084 – 1088 |
29.7 – The Anthropic Principle |
1089 – 1091 |
Chapter 30 – Life in the Universe |
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30.1 – The Cosmic Context for Life |
1102 – 1104 |
30.2 – Astrobiology |
1105 – 1114 |
30.3 – Searching for Life beyond Earth |
1114 – 1122 |
30.4 – The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence |
1123 – 1133 |
Appendix |
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A – How to Study for an Introductory Astronomy Class |
1141 – 1142 |
B – Astronomy Websites, Images, and Apps |
1143 – 1148 |
C – Scientific Notation |
1149 – 1152 |
D – Units Used in Science |
1153 – 1154 |
E – Some Useful Constants for Astronomy |
1155 – 1156 |
F – Physical and Orbital Data for the Planets |
1157 – 1158 |
G – Selected Moons of the Planets |
1159 – 1162 |
H – Future Total Eclipses |
1163 – 1166 |
I – The Nearest Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and White Dwarfs |
1167 – 1170 |
J – The Brightest Twenty Stars |
1171 – 1172 |
K – The Chemical Elements |
1173 – 1178 |
L – The Constellations |
1179 – 1184 |
M – Star Chart and Sky Event Resources |
1185 – 1186 |
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