Overview
Based on the very popular liberal arts course Bob Bless has taught at University of Wisconsin for many years, this book provides a rich, historical approach to introductory astronomy. It is ideal for use in an introductory astronomy course for nonmajors. In the fifteen years since the first edition of this text was published, several new concepts such as dark matter, dark energy, and an incredible expansion of the universe (inflation) have been developed. Furthermore, many of the exotic effects predicted by General Relativity (e.g. black holes, warped space) have gone from being interesting theoretical speculations to useful practical tools for understanding the universe. This book aims to give an overview of astronomy, but in such a way that the non-science major can get a feeling for how science actually developed with its false starts and wrong turns, which observational evidence eventually corrected, and also to describe the incredible recent developments in our understanding of the physical universe. Several chapters of this 2nd edition have been extensively revised to include these recent developments. Because it has become increasingly difficult to “cover” all of astronomy in a one-semester course, this edition has largely omitted coverage of the physical nature of the objects in our, and other, planetary systems, although a discussion of the possibility of life elsewhere closes the book.
Full Product Details
Author: R.C. Bless
Publisher: University Science Books,U.S.
Imprint: University Science Books,U.S.
Edition: 2nd Revised edition
Dimensions:
Width: 20.30cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 26.70cm
Weight: 1.545kg
ISBN: 9781891389719
ISBN 10: 1891389718
Pages: 728
Publication Date: 13 March 2013
Audience:
Adult education
,
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
The text is an excellent synthesis of an enormous topic that is presented in a clear, very readable fashion and provides interesting reading along the way. -- Book Reviewer --Meteoritics & Planetary Society
'Astronomy is a big subject, spanning the multi-billion light-year extent of the cosmos, and the entirety of human history. It's no easy task to encapsulate all this in a single text. The new edition of Bob Bless's book provides the best all-around treatment of the subject that I've found at the undergraduate level, including a thorough yet concise survey of astronomy's rich history, as well as rigorous but accessible explanations of diverse astrophysical phenomena. It's an admirable achievement.' -John Blakeslee, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Canada 'This new edition of Discovering the Cosmos by R.C. Bless is the best liberal arts introduction to astronomy available. Its emphasis is on understanding rather than memorizing the science. Bless includes a generous historical account in his text. And despite the limited use of explicit mathematics, this book provides excellent coverage of the science. The problem sets, observation projects, and references are excellent. Discovering the Cosmos has been my favorite introductory astronomy text since the first edition hit the market.' -Richard Hilt, Colorado College, USA
The new edition of Bob Bless's book provides the best all-around treatment of the subject that I've found at the undergraduate level, including a thorough yet concise survey of astronomy's rich history, as well as rigorous but accessible explanations of diverse astrophysical phenomena. It's an admirable achievement. -- John Blakesless Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
Author Information
R.C. BLESS is from the University of Wisconsin, USA.
