Each year as Earth cruises through space a number of amazing and remarkable events occur. For example, like clockwork, we’ll run head-on into asteroid and cometary debris that spreads shooting stars across our skies. On occasion we’ll get to watch the disk of the Moon passing the Sun, casting its shadow upon the face of the Earth, and sometimes we’ll get to watch our own shadow as it glides across the face of the Moon. The Sun’s path will constantly change across the daytime sky, as will the stars and constellations at night. During this time, we’ll also get to watch the other majestic planets in our solar system wander the skies, as they, too, circle the Sun in this elaborate celestial dance.

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Big Bang

    Just a Theory?

    The Emergence of Matter

    The Fantastic Four!

    Still in the Dark

Chapter 2: The Solar System

    Viewing the Planets

    The Search for Life on Other Worlds

Chapter 3: Earth, Sun, Moon

    The Earth's Orbit

    Kepler's Laws

    Eratosthenes and the Summer Solstice

    The Moon

    The Harvest Moon

    Solar and Lunar Eclipses

    The Dragon that Devoured the Moon

    The Eclipse that Saved the Day

Chapter 4: The Night Sky

    The Myth of the

    Great Bear

    The Zodiac

    The Celestial Sphere

    Types of Stars

    Magnificence!

    Star Clusters and Nebulae

    The Pleiades and Orion

    Comets and Meteors

    Comets as Prophets

    Galaxies

Measuring Time

    The Month

    The Week

    The Day

    The Analemma

Our Place in the Cosmoe

Acknowledgments

Recommended for Further Reading