PERSPECTIVES ON ASTRONOMY features the same engaging writing style and logical conceptual presentation that has become a hallmark of Mike Seeds’s introductory astronomy texts, but in a slimmer and more affordable alternative for instructors looking for a text that truly focuses on the core concepts. Seeds and new co-author Dana Backman personalize the history of the universe by placing students at the center of the latest chapter in a grand and amazing story-how we are the latest link in the "great chain of origins." The authors also emphasize the role of the scientific process throughout the text, helping students understand how analyzing scientific evidence not only answers the question "How Do We Know?" but also provides deeper insights into our place in the universe as well. New copies of PERSPECTIVES ON ASTRONOMY include access to CengageNOW, an online diagnostic resource and personalized learning system for students. Access is also included for Virtual Astronomy Labs, a collection of twenty interactive online exercises that cover the main concepts in introductory astronomy.
Features
This text features Mike Seeds’’s conversational and student-friendly writing style, which has made him the best-selling author in introductory astronomy. Students and professors find great clarity and accessibility in his presentation of astronomy. Students are able to acquire an understanding of the universe, instead of memorizing a set of facts that would quickly be forgotten.
Topics about the planets of our solar system in Chapters 13, "Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets," and 14, "Comparative Planetology of the Outer Planets," are arranged to emphasize comparative planetology. This text reflects the latest research, considering Pluto as a dwarf planet and Neptune’’s orbit as marking the outer boundary of the planetary zone of our solar system.
"Celestial Profiles" utilize a comparative planetology approach to show how objects in our solar system directly compare and contrast with each other. This feature helps students understand the planets not as isolated unrelated bodies but as siblings with many similar characteristics and a common family history, but with noticeable differences as well.
"Concept Figures" marry art and text to encourage students to synthesize information into one unified concept. "Guided Discovery Figures" lead students through several frames of art to demonstrate processes that occur over time, providing brief guiding comments as though the author was explaining each frame to the student himself.
"Windows on Science" boxes draw on examples from everyday life to illustrate the scientific process, helping students to evaluate scientific arguments clearly.
"Learning to Look" questions, at the end of the extensive set of "Review Questions," ask students to look at a photo and answer questions about what they see. Astronomy is a visual science, so students must learn to identify critical concepts visually. These questions help to build this critical skill.
Empower your students and help them to take charge of their learning with CengageNOW. This powerful and interactive resource helps students gauge their unique study needs, then gives them a Personalized Study plan that focuses their study time on the concepts they most need to master. By providing students with a better understanding of exactly what they need to focus on, CengageNOW helps them make the optimum use of their study time, bringing them closer to success!
Automatically packaged at no additional cost with most new copies of the text, the Virtual Astronomy Labs are an online, interactive way for students to learn. Focusing on twenty of the most important concepts in astronomy, the labs offer students hands-on exercises that complement the topics in the text. Instructors can set up classes online and view student results, or students can print their lab reports for submission, making the Virtual Astronomy Labs ideal for homework assignments, lab exercises, or extra-credit work.