Overview
This newly revised and updated Sixth Edition of FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY shows students their place in the universe — not just their location, but also their role as planet dwellers in an evolving universe. Fascinating and engaging, the book illustrates how science works, and how scientists depend on evidence to test hypotheses.Through a discussion of this interplay between evidence and hypothesis, Seeds provides not just a series of facts, but also a conceptual framework for understanding the logic of astronomical knowledge. Fascinating and vivid, the book conveys the author's love of the subject, shows students how the universe can be described by a small set of physical laws, and illustrates how they can comprehend their place in the universe by understanding these laws, not through memorization of facts. The book's use of mathematics is incorporated into the body of the text (as well as in separate sections for easy reference), but the arguments of the text do not depend on mathematical reasoning, allowing math-averse students to easily follow the story. The revision covers the history of astronomy, elementary physics concepts, stars and galaxies, the origins of the universe, and the Solar System.
Synopsis
With this newly revised tenth edition of FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY, 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? 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. And for students looking for an interactive alternative to the print text, the FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY Online Version is the ideal solution. The Online Version gives you Web-based access to a digital version of Michael A. Seeds' best-selling astronomy textbook. If your instructor is using the Enhanced WebAssign? online homework management system, the Online Version includes access to your homework assignments as well, allowing you to quickly navigate between your homework and the text. Visit www.webassign.net/seeds to learn more.
Booknews
New edition of a colorful textbook for introductory astronomy courses. It presents astronomy as a unified system of understanding that relates the student's personal experience to the basic processes in the universe. This edition includes new discoveries and hypotheses as well as the more gradual changes in understanding among astronomers concerning such things as black holes, dark matter, and the geology of Venus. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)