Astronomy! A Brief Edition

For the beginner, this revised, edition of the text has been updated and shortened. It includes 12 background essays which seek to make astronomy relevant to everyday life with discussions of ancient astronomy, how to oberve the sky, and hypothetical trips to the moon and planets. James Kaler relates modern astronomy to identifiable subjects and events such as the daily movement of celestial bodies, sunrises, sunsets and the movements of the planets. In the comparative planetology sections, he emphasizes the differences and similarities of all planets to each other and the Earth.