Foundations of Astronomy by Michael A. Seeds

[Mentat]

Again, I'm not sure if this belongs here, but it fits as well as Flatland.

Spaceland is a SF story by Rudy Rucker. It deals with the life of Joe Cube (stupid name, I know), and how it's changed when he's visited by a four-dimensional woman, named Momo.

As corny as it may sound (and as weak as it's beginning is) it turned out to be a very riveting piece of science fiction. It's really cool to get a glimpse of what it's like to be a three-dimensional being, in a four-dimensional Universe.

In the story, Momo "augments" Joe Cube, so that he grows skin around his fourth-dimensional sides. It also causes him to grow an stalk, with a four-dimensional eye at the end, that reaches vout into the fourth-dimension ("vout" and "vinn" being the other two directions, besides up, down, south, north, west, and east), and looks back at the 3D world, from a four-dimensional perspective. From this perspective, nothing is hidden from Joe Cube - as everything is only three-dimensional, and thus completely open in the fourth-dimension.

If you like "Flatland" and "Sphereland", you'll love "Spaceland".

 

[CometDude]

I'm trying to teach myself about calculating orbits of Comets and Asteroids and their positions

I am thinking of ordering Orbital Mechanics by John Prussing and Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus. Does any recommend these books or some other book?

Is there any websites recommendations for someone just starting out?


Im on a small island and the local library does not have many English books, I have look at all the physics books they have and could not find the anything more than basic orbits. I can't find anyone local that understand about orbits.

Thank you
Tony

 

[Spinnor]

I wanted Brian Green's audio book, "The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality" but the price stopped me. Now I have it through a free trial offer. Went cross country skiing while being read to, nice.

The free offer is available through: http://www.audible.com/

Search out the above author and one button should say "Learn how to get this FREE"

I am no longer a member of audible.com as their selection of physics related e-books was limited and very expensive, see Feynman Lectures in Physics as an example of price.

Moderators, please move this if not appropriate here, my apologies in advance. Was not allowed to post to "Math & Science Learning Materials".

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

• Author: James B. Hartle
• Title: Gravity: An Introduction to Einstein's General Relativity
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805386629/?tag=pfamazon01-20
• Prerequisities:
• Contents:

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

• Author: Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan
• Title: Astronomy Today
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0321691431/?tag=pfamazon01-20
• Prerequisities:
• Contents:

Table of Contents:

I. ASTRONOMY AND THE UNIVERSE
1. Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy
2. The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science
3. Radiation: Information from the Cosmos
4. Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms
5. Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

II. OUR PLANETARY SYSTEM
6. The Solar System: An Introduction to Comparative Planetology
7. Earth: Our Home in Space
8. The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds
9. Venus: Earth’s Sister Planet
10. Mars: A Near Miss for Life?
11. Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System
12. Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons
13. Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System
14. Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin
15. The Formation of Planetary Systems: The Solar System and Beyond

III. STARS AND STELLAR EVOLUTION
16. The Sun: Our Parent Star
17. The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence
18. The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars
19. Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth
20. Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star
21. Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements
22. Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

IV. GALAXIES AND COSMOLOGY
23. The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space
24. Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe
25. Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos
26. Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe
27. The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time
28. Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

Description
With Astronomy Today, Seventh Edition, trusted authors Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan communicate their excitement about astronomy and awaken you to the universe around you. The text emphasizes critical thinking and visualization, and it focuses on the process of scientific discovery, making “how we know what we know” an integral part of the text. The revised edition has been thoroughly updated with the latest astronomical discoveries and theories, and it has been streamlined to keep you focused on the essentials and to develop an understanding of the “big picture.”

Alternate Versions

•Astronomy Today, Volume 1: The Solar System, Seventh Edition—Focuses primarily on planetary coverage for a 1-term course. Includes Chapters 1-16, 28.
•Astronomy Today, Volume 2: Stars and Galaxies, Seventh Edition—Focuses primarily on stars and stellar evolution for a 1-term course. Includes Chapters 1-5 and 16-28.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

• Author: Michael A. Seeds (Author), Dana Backman (Author)
• Title: Foundations of Astronomy
• Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/143905035X/?tag=pfamazon01-20
• Prerequisities:
• Contents:

Chapter 1: Here and Now
1.1: Where Are You?
1.2: When Is Now?
1.3: Why Study Astronomy?
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (8)
Review Exercise (14)
Problem (10)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure

Chapter 2: A User's Guide to the Sky
2.1: The Stars
2.2: The Sky And Celestial Motion
2.3: The Cycles of the Sun
2.4: Astronomical Influences on Earth's Climate
Learning to Look (1)
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (12)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (9)
General Problem (6)
Active Figure (6)

Chapter 3: Cycles of the Moon
3.1: The Changeable Moon
3.2: Lunar Eclipses
3.3: Solar Eclipses
3.4: Predicting Eclipses
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (10)
Review Exercise (21)
Problem (11)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 4: The Origin of Modern Astronomy
4.1: The Roots of Astronomy
4.2: The Copernican Revolution
4.3: Planetary Motion
4.4: Galileo Galilei
4.5: Modern Astronomy
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (11)
Review Exercise (23)
Problem (7)
General Problem (5)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 5: Gravity
5.1: Galileo and Newton
5.2: Orbital Motion and Tides
5.3: Einstein and Relativity
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (14)
Review Exercise (21)
Problem (11)
General Problem (5)
Active Figure (4)

Chapter 6: Light and Telescopes
6.1: Radiation: Information From Space
6.2: Telescopes
6.3: Observatories on Earth: Optical and Radio
6.4: Airborne and Space Observatories
6.5: Astronomical Instruments and Techniques
6.6: Nonelectromagnetic Astronomy
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (13)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (10)
General Problem (5)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 7: Atoms and Spectra
7.1: Atoms
7.2: Interactions of Light and Matter
7.3: Understanding Spectra
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (12)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (8)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 8: The Sun
8.1: The Solar Atmosphere
8.2: Solar Activity
8.3: Nuclear Fusion in the Sun
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (16)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (10)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 9: The Family of Stars
9.1: Star Distances
9.2: Apparent Brightness, Intrinsic Brightness, and Luminosity
9.3: Stellar Spectra
9.4: Star Sizes
9.5: Star Masses�Binary Stars
9.6: A Census of the Stars
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (3)
Review Question (18)
Review Exercise (23)
Problem (12)
General Problem (5)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 10: The Interstellar Medium
10.1: Studying the Interstellar Medium
10.2: Components of the Interstellar Medium
10.3: The Gas-Stars-Gas Cycle
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (11)
Review Exercise (19)
Problem (9)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 11: The Formation and Structure of Stars
11.1: Making Stars From the Interstellar Medium
11.2: The Orion Nebula: Evidence of Star Formation
11.3: Young Stellar Objects and Protostellar Disks
11.4: Stellar Structure
11.5: The Source of Stellar Energy
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (10)
Review Exercise (22)
Problem (11)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (5)

Chapter 12: Stellar Evolution
12.1: Main-Sequence Stars
12.2: Post-Main-Sequence Evolution
12.3: Star Clusters: Evidence of Evolution
12.4: Variable Stars: Evidence of Evolution
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (14)
Review Exercise (22)
Problem (10)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 13: The Deaths of Stars
13.1: Lower-Main-Sequence Stars
13.2: The Evolution of Binary Stars
13.3: The Deaths of Massive Stars
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (3)
Review Question (14)
Review Exercise (23)
Problem (9)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 14: Neutron Stars and Black Holes
14.1: Neutron Stars
14.2: Black Holes
14.3: Compact Objects With Disks and Jets
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (1)
Review Question (16)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (9)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 15: The Milky Way Galaxy
15.1: Discovery of the Galaxy
15.2: Structure of the Galaxy
15.3: Spiral Arms and Star Formation
15.4: The Nucleus of the Galaxy
15.5: Origin and History of the Milky Way Galaxy
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (11)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (11)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 16: Galaxies
16.1: The Family of Galaxies
16.2: Measuring the Properties of Galaxies
16.3: The Evolution of Galaxies
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (12)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (10)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 17: Active Galaxies and Supermassive Black Holes
17.1: Active Galactic Nuclei
17.2: Supermassive Black Holes
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (9)
Review Exercise (23)
Problem (10)
General Problem (2)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 18: Modern Cosmology
18.1: Introduction to the Universe
18.2: The Big Bang Theory
18.3: Space and Time; Matter and Energy
18.4: Twenty-First-Century Cosmology
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (12)
Review Exercise (25)
Problem (7)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (4)

Chapter 19: The Origin of the Solar System
19.1: The Great Chain of Origins
19.2: A Survey of the Solar System
19.3: The Story of Planet Building
19.4: Planets Orbiting Other Stars
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (3)
Review Question (18)
Review Exercise (25)
Problem (9)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (4)

Chapter 20: Earth: The Standard of Comparative Planetology
20.1: A Travel Guide to the Terrestrial Planets
20.2: Earth as a Planet
20.3: The Solid Earth
20.4: Earth's Atmosphere
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (13)
Review Exercise (21)
Problem (6)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 21: The Moon and Mercury: Comparing Airless Worlds
21.1: The Moon
21.2: Mercury
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (11)
Review Exercise (21)
Problem (10)
General Problem (2)
Active Figure (2)

Chapter 22: Venus and Mars
22.1: Venus
22.2: Mars
22.3: The Moons of Mars
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (10)
Review Exercise (22)
Problem (8)
General Problem (2)
Active Figure

Chapter 23: Jupiter and Saturn
23.1: A Travel Guide to the Outer Solar System
23.2: Jupiter
23.3: Jupiter's Moons and Rings
23.4: Saturn
23.5: Saturn's Moons and Rings
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (12)
Review Exercise (23)
Problem (8)
General Problem (5)
Active Figure (4)

Chapter 24: Uranus, Neptune, and the Kuiper Belt
24.1: Uranus
24.2: Neptune
24.3: The Kuiper Belt
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (12)
Review Exercise (19)
Problem (10)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (3)

Chapter 25: Meteorites, Asteroids, and Comets
25.1: Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
25.2: Asteroids
25.3: Comets
25.4: Asteroid and Comet Impacts
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (4)
Review Exercise (24)
Problem (9)
General Problem (4)
Active Figure (4)

Chapter 26: Astrobiology: Life on Other Worlds
26.1: The Nature of Life
26.2: Life in the Universe
26.3: Intelligent Life in the Universe
Learning to Look
Ranking Task Exercise (2)
Review Question (13)
Review Exercise (25)
Problem (8)
General Problem (3)
Active Figure (4)