Cengage Learning Astronomy: The Cosmic Journey (Cosmic Journey (with Infotrac, the Sky CD-ROM, and Webtutor)

Product Description This hybrid text/Web product is a comprehensive introduction to astronomy, covering all of the major topics in a thorough, yet concise approach. The authors take students on a threefold journey through history (where they see how humans slowly developed our present picture of the universe); through space, from Earth outward (where they see how our expanding frontiers have revealed the geography of our universe); and through cosmic time (where they travel back through cosmic time).. Through these themes, the book's content connects science and the humanities, without treating science as just an assortment of physical facts. The authors thoughtfully link astronomy to human concerns such as stewardship of the Earth and different ways of obtaining knowledge. Astronomy: The Cosmic Journey is comprised of a softcover text and a complete, enhanced, and integrated Web version (via WebTutor Advantage Plus) that will be continuously updated. Review 0. Invitation to the Cosmic Journey. Our Definition of Astronomy. A Survey of the Universe. A Word about Mathematics. A Note about Names of People. A Hint on Using This Book. Face To Face with the Universe. Concepts/Problem. 1. Prehistoric Astronomy: Origins of Science and Superstition. The Earliest Astronomy: Motives and Artifacts (c. 30,000 BC). Calendar Refinements (10,000-3,000 BC). Other Early Discoveries. Origin of the Constellations. The Seasons: Solstices, Equinoxes, and Their Applications. Astrology: Ancient Origins of a Superstition. Eclipses: Occasions for Awe. Summary. Concepts. Problems. Advanced Problem. Projects. 2. Historic Advances: Worlds in the Sky. Early Cosmologies and the Abstract Thinking (2500-100 BC). The System of Angular Measurement. Early Greek Astronomy (c. 600 BC to AD 150). Optional Basic Equation I: The Small-Angle Equation. Ancient Astronomy beyond the Mediterranean. Summary. Concepts. Problems. Advanced Problems. Projects. 3. Discovering the Layout of the Solar System. Clues to the Solar System's Configuration. Problems with the Ptolemaic Model. The Copernican Revolution. Bode's Rule. The Solar System as We Know it Today. Summary. Concepts. Problems. Advanced Problems. Projects. 4. Gravity and the Conquest of Space. Dreams of Escaping Earth. Newton's Law of Gravitational Force. Optional Basic Equation II: Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation. Optional Basic Equation III: Calculating Circular and Escape Velocities. Rockets and Spaceships. The Decision to Explore the Moon: Science and the National Policy. After Apollo. Space Exploration and Science: Cost and Results. Looking to the Future. Summary. Concepts. Problems. Advanced Problems. 5. Light and the Spectrum: Messages from Space. The Nature of Light: Waves vs. Particles. The Spectrum. Origins of Light: Electromagnetic Disturbances. Emission Lines and Bands. Optional Basic Equation IV: Measuring Temperatures of Astronomical Bodies: Wien's Law. Absorption Lines and Bands. Analyzing Spectra. The Three Functions of Telescopes. Using Visual Telescopes. Photography with Telescopes. Photometry. Image Processing Spectrophotometry. Light Pollution: A Threat to Astronomy. Detecting Nature's Messages from Space. Interferometry. New Frontiers. Summary. Concepts. Problems. Advanced Problems. Projects. 6. Earth as a Planet. Earth's Age. Earth's Internal Structure. Lithospheres and Plate Tectonics: An Explanation of Planetary Landscapes. Other Important Processes in Earth's Evolution. Earth's Magnetic Field. Earth's Atmosphere and Oceans. The Cosmic Connection. Environmental Changes on Today's Earth. Summary. Concepts. Problems. Advanced Problems. Projects. 7. The Moon's Phases and Rotation. Tidal Evolution of the Earth-Moon System. Surface Features of the Moon. Flights to the Moon. Lunar Rocks: Implications for the Moon and Earth. The Interior of the Moon. Cratering of the Moon and Earth. Optional Basic Equation V: The Definition of Mean Density. Ice Deposits at the Lunar Poles? Where Did the Moon