Astronomy - A Self Teaching Guide - Dinah L.Moche

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Astronomy is a user-friendly guide for beginners. Chapters make it easy for you to quickly learn the main topics of a college level course. Sections clarify basic principles and contemporary advances. The Index enables you to look up concepts, definitions, facts and famous astronomers, fast. You can use the book alone or with a conventional textbook, Internet based or distance-learning course, computer software, telescope manual, or as a handy reference.

A list of objectives for each chapter tells you instantly what information is contained there. The first time a new term is introduced, it appears in bold type and is defined. Topics in each chapter are presented in short, numbered sections. Each section contains new information and usually asks you to answer a question or asks you to suggest an explanation, analyze, or summarize as you go along. You will always see the answer to the question right after you have answered it. If your answer agrees with the book’s, you understand the material and are ready to proceed to the next section. If it does not, you should review some previous sections to make sure you understand the material before you proceed.

A self-test at the end of each chapter lets you find out fast how well you understand the material in the chapter. You may test yourself right after completing a chapter, or you might take a break and then take the self-test as a review before beginning a new chapter. Compare your answers with the book’s. If your answers do not agree with the printed ones, review the appropriate sections (listed next to each answer).

On a clear night in a place where the sky is really dark, you can see about 2000 stars with your unaided eye. You can look trillions of kilometers into space and peer thousands of years back into the distant past. As you gaze at the stars you may wonder: What is the pattern or meaning of the starry heavens? What is my place in the vast cosmos? You are not alone in asking these questions. The beauty and mystery of space have always fascinated people.

Astronomy is the oldest science—and the newest. Exciting discoveries are being made today with the most sophisticated tools and techniques ever available. Yet dedicated amateurs can still make important contributions. This book will teach you the basic concepts of astronomy and space exploration. You will more fully enjoy observing the stars as your knowledge and understanding grow. You will be better able to surf the Web and to read more on topics that intrigue you, from ancient astronomy to the latest astrophysical theories and spaceflights. Now, begin reading about the enormous tracts of space and time we call the universe, and stretch your mind!