Introduction to Stars and Planets: An activities-based exploration

How do astronomers know what they know about the stars and planets? That is the question behind today's rapid pace of cosmic discovery, for every new finding rests upon a centuries-long foundation of astronomical practice. Introduction to Stars and Planets: An activities-based exploration reveals the methods by which Earthbound observers have deduced the physical attributes of celestial bodies, whether situated within our solar neighborhood or at the far ends of the galaxy. The book's 28 mildly mathematical activities invite readers to carry out the essential work of the astronomer by utilizing real observational data sets and high-quality celestial photographs to establish the innate properties of a range of cosmic systems. Taken in sequence, these activities illustrate the epic advancement of stellar and planetary astronomy over the past century, up to the present day.

Key Features

• Wide-ranging topical coverage of both historical and up-to-the-minute aspects of astronomical discovery
• Uses a learning-by-doing approach
• Structured, goal-oriented framework centered on the methods and physical principles by which astronomers study the universe
• Provides real-time educational feedback to students
• Introduces elementary mathematics for students to gain a truer sense of the work astronomers do

Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, is Chair of the American Astronomical Society's Historical Astronomy Division and a longtime Associate of the Harvard College Observatory. He is the author of Parallax: The Race to Measure the Cosmos; The Electric Life of Michael Faraday; Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes; Astronomy Activity and Laboratory Manual; and Starlight Detectives: How Astronomers, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe. He is a regular book reviewer for The Wall Street Journal and writes and lectures frequently on science history and discovery. Visit the author's website at www.alanhirshfeld.com.