I. Introducing Astronomy
1 Astronomy and the Universe
Guest Essay: Why Astronomy? Sandra M. Faber
2 Knowing the Heavens
Guest Essay: Why Astrology Is Not Science James Randi
3 Eclipses and the Motion of the Moon
Guest Essay: Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy Mark Hollabaugh
4 Gravitation and the Waltz of the Planets
5 The Nature of Light
6 Optics and Telescopes
II. Planets and Moons
7 Comparative Planetology I: Our Solar System
8 Comparative Planetology II: The Origin of Our Solar System
Scientific American: Dangling a COROT, Alexander Hellemans
9 The Living Earth
10 Our Barren Moon
11 Mercury, Venus, and Mars: Earthlike yet Unique
Scientific American: Father of Spirit and Opportunity, David Appell
12 Jupiter and Saturn: Lords of the Planets
13 Jupiter and Saturn’s Satellites of Fire and Ice
14 Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and the Kuiper Belt: Remote Worlds
15 Vagabonds of the Solar System
Guest Essay: Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Scott Sheppard
III. Stars and Stella Evolution
16 Our Star, the Sun
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life