Astronomy Today Plus MasteringAstronomy with eText -- Access Card Package (8^th Ed.)

ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable. In addition, you may need a CourseID, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products.

Packages

Access codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included when purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson; check with the seller before completing your purchase.

Used or rental books

If you rent or purchase a used book with an access code, the access code may have been redeemed previously and you may have to purchase a new access code.

Access codes

Access codes that are purchased from sellers other than Pearson carry a higher risk of being either the wrong ISBN or a previously redeemed code. Check with the seller prior to purchase.

--

With Astronomy Today, Eighth Edition, trusted authors Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan communicate their excitement about astronomy, delivering current and thorough science with insightful pedagogy. The text emphasizes critical thinking and visualization, and it focuses on the process of scientific discovery, teaching students “how we know what we know.” The Eighth Edition has been thoroughly updated with the latest astronomical discoveries and theories and improved pedagogical features.

0321901673 / 9780321901675 Astronomy Today

0321909860 / 9780321909862 MasteringAstronomy with Pearson eText -- ValuePack Access Card -- for Astronomy Today

I. ASTRONOMY AND THE UNIVERSE

1. Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

2. The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

3. Radiation: Information from the Cosmos

4. Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms

5. Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

II. OUR PLANETARY SYSTEM

6. The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models7. Earth: Our Home in Space

8. The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

9. Venus: Earth’s Sister Planet

10. Mars: A Near Miss for Life?

11. Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

12. Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

13. Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

14. Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

15. Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own.

III. STARS AND STELLAR EVOLUTION 

16. The Sun: Our Parent Star

17. The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

18. The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust among the Stars

19. Star Formation: A Traumatic Birth

20. Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

21. Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

22. Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

IV. GALAXIES AND COSMOLOGY

23. The Milky Way Galaxy: A Spiral in Space

24. Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

25. Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

26. Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

27. The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time  

28. Life in the Universe: Are We Alone?

Eric Chaisson received his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Harvard, where he spent 10 years on the faculty; after holding various professorships at Johns Hopkins and Tufts, Eric is back at Harvard teaching and doing research at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He has written 12 books and received a number of literary awards along the way. Steve McMillan received his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard and is a professor of physics at Drexel University. He has published more than 100 articles and scientific papers.

The Process of Science

• The Process of Science is emphasized throughout the book and the authors strive to give students an understanding of how scientists think and work.
• Students are encouraged to ask how we know what we know and to learn the historical development of the discipline.

Insightful Pedagogy

• Process of Science Check questions throughout every chapter prompt students to consider how astronomers use various aspects of the process of science in their research. Concept Checks are critical-thinking questions throughout each chapter that prompt students to reflect on the material just presented and to test their mastery of key concepts. Answers are provided in the back of the book.
• The Big Picture feature on each chapter opening spread explains how chapter content fits in with an overall perspective on introductory astronomy, helping students see how each chapter is connected to a broad understanding of the universe.
• Concept Link Icons refer students back to previous sections in the text to help them understand how concepts are related and allow them to more easily see the “big picture.”
• Discovery Boxes explore a wide variety of interesting supplementary topics, providing students with insight into how scientific knowledge evolves and emphasizing the process of science. 
• More Precisely Boxes present mathematical information that the instructor can include or exclude in class discussions.
• Spectrum Icons accompany each photo in the text, identifying the wavelength used to capture the image and reinforcing for students how light influences the way we see things.

Technology

• MasteringAstronomy^® is designed to improve results by helping students quickly master concepts. Students benefit from wrong-answer specific feedback, hints, and a h