In Quest of the Universe

Book excerpt: A text for a nonmajor introductory course, serving as an introduction to astronomy and to science in general. Treatment moves from the solar system to stars to galaxies, with a final chapter on cosmology. Includes margin notes and definitions, review quizes, discussion questions, calculation exercises, activities, and questions keyed to the publisher's Web site. Optional mathematical exercises are interspersed through the text, with worked examples and answers. Boxed readings discuss topics of interest such as the search for extraterrestrial life, and present personal accounts of astronomers. This second edition includes color photos from the Hubble Space Telescope and incorporates the latest research in the field. There is expanded discussion of the Hubble device, findings from recent missions, and interstellar matter and star formation. This edition has a larger page size, allowing for enlarged color photos and illustrations, and color cues located at the first reference in the text to each figure. Figures are placed on the same page as accompanying material. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR