Contents
- Preface
1Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour
2Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy
7Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System
13Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System
14Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System
18The Stars: A Celestial Census
20Between the Stars: Gas and Dust in Space
21The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets outside the Solar System
27Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes
- AHow to Study for an Introductory Astronomy Class
- BAstronomy Websites, Images, and Apps
- CScientific Notation
- DUnits Used in Science
- ESome Useful Constants for Astronomy
- FPhysical and Orbital Data for the Planets
- GSelected Moons of the Planets
- HFuture Total Eclipses
- IThe Nearest Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and White Dwarfs
- JThe Brightest Twenty Stars
- KThe Chemical Elements
- LThe Constellations
- MStar Chart and Sky Event Resources
- Index
For Further Exploration
Articles
Brahe and Kepler
Christianson, G. “The Celestial Palace of Tycho Brahe.” Scientific American (February 1961): 118.
Gingerich, O. “Johannes Kepler and the Rudolphine Tables.” Sky & Telescope (December 1971): 328. Brief article on Kepler’s work.
Wilson, C. “How Did Kepler Discover His First Two Laws?” Scientific American (March 1972): 92.
Newton
Christianson, G. “Newton’s Principia: A Retrospective.” Sky & Telescope (July 1987): 18.
Cohen, I. “Newton’s Discovery of Gravity.” Scientific American (March 1981): 166.
Gingerich, O. “Newton, Halley, and the Comet.” Sky & Telescope (March 1986): 230.
Sullivant, R. “When the Apple Falls.” Astronomy (April 1998): 55. Brief overview.
The Discovery of Neptune
Sheehan, W., et al. “The Case of the Pilfered Planet: Did the British Steal Neptune?” Scientific American (December 2004): 92.
Websites
Brahe and Kepler
Johannes Kepler: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Johannes-Kepler. Encyclopedia Britannica article.
Johannes Kepler: http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Kepler.html. MacTutor article with additional links.
Noble Dane: Images of Tycho Brahe: http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/tycho/index.htm. A virtual museum exhibit from Oxford.
Newton
Sir Isaac Newton: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history//Biographies/Newton.html. MacTutor article with additional links.
Sir Isaac Newton: http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/newton/newtonbio.htm. Newton Biography at the Luminarium.
The Discovery of Neptune
Adams, Airy, and the Discovery of Neptune: http://www.mikeoates.org/lassell/adams-airy.htm. A defense of Airy’s role by historian Alan Chapman.
Mathematical Discovery of Planets: http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Neptune_and_Pluto.html. MacTutor article.
Videos
Brahe and Kepler
“Harmony of the Worlds.” This third episode of Carl Sagan’s TV series Cosmos focuses on Kepler and his life and work.
Tycho Brahe, Johannes Kepler, and Planetary Motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ALuycrCwI. German-produced video, in English (14:27).
Newton
Beyond the Big Bang: Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Gravity: http://www.history.com/topics/enlightenment/videos/beyond-the-big-bang-sir-isaac-newtons-law-of-gravity. From the History Channel (4:35).
Sir Isaac Newton versus Bill Nye: Epic Rap Battles of History: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yis7GzlXNM. (2:47).
The Discovery of Neptune
Richard Feynman: On the Discovery of Neptune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgXQffVgZRs. A brief black-and-white Caltech lecture (4:33).