Your Astronomy Coach: Descriptive Astronomy
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2020
Pages: 648
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2020
Pages: 648
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Astronomy is the story of some of the greatest puzzles humans have ever attempted to solve. Are we alone? What’s out there beyond Earth?
“Your Astronomy Coach: Descriptive Astronomy” begins with some of the unimaginable things humans have discovered. This text explores the expansive history from a couple of thousand years ago to modern science. It dives into the artistic side of astronomy by mapping out what could be going on out there to help readers visualize. The later part of the text covers worlds, planets and moons, looking for similarities and differences. Next this publication explores our solar system including order, widths and distance of the planets. Finally, readers briefly discover the connection between matter and light, the telescopes used to gather the light, and 5 laws of light that give an introduction to the evidence collected. The range of stars, Sun, star birth, life-cycles, and death are all reinforced by the famous and useful “H-R Diagram.” And then, the text returns to the beginning with Chapter 12 giving a short coverage of galaxies and cosmology that closes the circle with Chapter 0.
Preface
To the Student
To the Professor
Dedication
Additional Thanks
About the Author
PART 0: In the Beginning
Chapter 0: All Space and All Time (An overview of our universe)
PART I: Watching the Wheels Go ‘Round
Chapter 1: Observing the Sky in Wonder (Glowing dots!)
Chapter 2: Mapping the Sky (Beyond the stories, what’s really going on?)
Chapter 3: Science in motion (Where studying motion refines science and science reveals the motions)
PART II: Our Home and Backyard … Earth and Moon
Chapter 4: The Earth-Moon Dance (The heliocentric truth reveals what’s actually going on!)
Chapter 5: Earth—Our Home (Earth, the planet we know best, is what we will compare the other planets and moons with)
Chapter 6: Moon—Our Backyard (Dead at our doorstep)
PART III: Our Solar System … Our Hood
Chapter 7: Creation and Contents (Our solar system—what it is, what it was, and how it came to be)
Chapter 8: Worlds…in our Hood (Eight planets and a bunch of moons!)
Chapter 9: The Leftovers (Dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids)
PART IV: Light/Matter, Stars, Galaxies … All
Chapter 10: Light, Matter, and Knowing (Atoms, light, the secrets in light, and telescopes)
Chapter 11: Stars (Nuclear fusion factories)
Chapter 12: Galaxies and Cosmology (Back to all)
Jon Celesia is department chair of Astronomy, Physics, Engineering/Geology & Computer Science at Contra Costa Community College in San Pablo, California. He has taught physics and elementary astronomy for about three decades. He has been awarded the student honor society “Golden Apple” and the district “Unsung Hero” awards. He also received a division special commendation for raising money for a 12” SC/GPS, hosting high traffic star parties, and presenting planetarium shows to school groups. He received his bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. It was there that his work helping students, understandably struggling with difficult ideas and skills, compelled him to continue helping others appreciate and maybe even enjoy astronomy, physics, math, science and skiing… ;-) He completed his M.S. in physics and taught for six years at San Francisco State University. He continued his studies with upper division and graduate courses in observational astronomy and cosmology. He found a natural fit with the mission of the community college system.
YouTube channels: Your Physics Coach; Your Astronomy Coach