Neil F. Comins

Discovering the Universe is the bestselling brief text for descriptive one-term astronomy courses (especially those with no mathematics prerequisites). Carried along by the book's vibrant main theme, "the process of scientific discovery," the Eighth Edition furthers the book’s legacy for presenting concepts clearly and accurately while providing all the pedagogical tools to make the learning process memorable.

New to This Edition

Margin questions in most sections of the book encourage students to test themselves about important concepts before errors accumulate. Answers to approximately one-third of these questions appear at the end of this text.

Margin photos connect concepts to their applications in everyday life. For example, during the discussion of solar eclipses, a photo shows a student using a pinhole camera to view an eclipse.

Margin charts show the sky location of important astronomical objects cited in the text, including details that allow students to locate the objects with either the unaided eye or a small telescope.

New coverage of the planets is based on the new classification scheme for the objects in the solar system. The text reconciles the new definitions of planets, dwarf planets, and small solar system objects with existing classes of objects, including planets, moons, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets. Also explained is how Pluto fits more comfortably with the dwarf planets than with the eight planets.
Expanding final chapter, Astrobiology, now offers a richer presentation of this emerging topic.

New Summary figures appear throughout the book to show either the interactions between important concepts or the evolution of important objects.