On the Cosmic Horizon

• Engaging and readable, this primer is ideal as a supplement or recommended reading for instructors wanting to capture students' interest in astronomy.
• A David Letterman-like "top ten" countdown organization draws students into discussions of ten key cosmological questions being explored by today's astronomers.
• The introductory chapter explains how the ten mysteries were selected, and provides background helpful to understanding the rest of the book.
• Each chapter begins with a compelling lead-in story that frames the mystery, then explains the significance of the mystery and its potential resolutions.
• While the mysteries can be covered independently, the author also introduces a few fundamental astronomical concepts along the way to help students gradually build their understanding.
• Unique full-color end pages illustrate our place in the universe.
• The book's Web site, hosted by author and an NPR reporter, allows students to keep current on the latest developments related to each of the mysteries.

A teacher and an author, Jeffrey Bennett has taught college courses in astronomy, physics, mathematics, and education, as well as writing introductory astronomy and general mathematics with Addison Wesley including: The Cosmic Perspective, The Cosmic Perspective-Brief, Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life, and Using and Understanding Mathematics.

Jeffrey Bennett earned a B.A. in biophysics from the University of California San Diego, and an M.S. and Ph.D in astrophysics from the University of Colorado. He served for two years as a Visiting Senior Scientist at NASA Headquarters, where he developed educational programs for the Hubble Space Telescope and other astronomical missions. He also led the creation of the Colorado Scale Model Solar System, a one to ten billion scale model of the solar system, and is now consulting with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, the Smithsonian Institution, and NASA on a project to build similar scale models for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and other locations around the world. He has recently begun writing science books for a popular audience and for children.