Understanding the Universe An Introduction to Astronomy

This series of lectures is a nontechnical description of the main concepts, methods, and discoveries in astronomy--in depth--from the constellations drawn by the ancients, to the latest reports from planetary probes in our Solar System. All of the material is integrated so that one topic builds on another to develop the conceptual tools that allow exploration of the Universe. The Solar System leads naturally to the investigation of planets around other stars and the possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos, while atmospheric phenomena introduce the subject of light, the key to unraveling the mysteries of stars and galaxies. Includes recent findings (through mid-2006).