Astronomy: The Solar System and Beyond (with InfoTrac and TheSky CD-ROM)

This newly revised and updated 3rd edition of ASTRONOMY: THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND BEYOND engages students as it illustrates their place in the universe - not just their location, but also their role as planet dwellers in an evolving universe. Fascinating and engaging, the book illustrates how science works, and how scientists depend on evidence to test hypotheses. Students will learn to focus on the scientific method through the strong central theme of "how we know what we know." Through a discussion of this interplay between evidence and hypothesis, Seeds provides not just a series of facts, but also a conceptual framework for understanding the logic of astronomical knowledge. The book vividly conveys the author's love of astronomy, shows students how the universe can be described by a small set of physical laws, and illustrates how they can comprehend their place in the universe by understanding these laws, rather than simply memorizing facts. By crafting a story about astronomy, Seeds shows students how to ask questions of nature and therefore gradually puzzle out the beautiful secrets of the physical world. With the use of mathematics set off in boxes, the book's presentation is flexible and allows instructors to teach to differing student levels. This is the first text from Mike Seeds to be written using a planets-first approach.