21st Century Astronomy (Full Second Edition) [Paperback]

Jeff Hester (Author), David Burstein (Author), George Blumenthal (Author), Ronald Greeley (Author), Bradford Smith (Author), Howard Voss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 21, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0393924432 | ISBN-13: 978-0393924435 | Edition: Full Second Edition

The Second Edition of 21st Century Astronomy reaffirms its status as the most current and authoritative text for introductory courses.

Written by a team of specialists who are also experienced teachers, this accessible text fosters scientific literacy by relating core concepts in modern astronomy to the real-world process of science. Retaining the lively prose and narrative style of the previous edition, the text now offers improved pedagogy, an expanded art program, and dynamic new multimedia tools for students and instructors. The text is also now available in a comprehensive one-volume edition, a flexible ebook format, or two separate volumes, one focusing on the solar system and the other focusing on stars and galaxies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeff Hester is professor of physics and astronomy at Arizona State University. He studies the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and external galaxies, the structure of the diffuse ISM, and supernova remnants.


David Burstein is professor of physics and astronomy at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the structure and evolution of galaxies, stellar evolution, and cosmology.

George Blumenthal is professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He studies a wide range of topics including cosmology, dark matter, and the origin of structure in the Universe.

Ronald Greeley is professor of geological sciences at Arizona State University. His current research is focused on gaining an understanding of planetary surface processes and geological histories.

Bradford Smith, who studies solar system cosmogony and stellar astronomy, is affiliated with the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii.

Howard Voss is professor of physics emeritus at Arizona State University and has been active in the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Institute of Physics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 726 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; Full Second Edition edition (December 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393924432
• ISBN-13: 978-0393924435
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,685 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out of this world, August 5, 2003

By 

David Balding (Mission Viejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 21st Century Astronomy (Paperback)

Wonderful explanations. This is the astronomy book I never had as a kid! I'm a biologist and always thought I had the good fortune of working in the most interesting field. It sounds trite, but this book has opened my eyes to a universe out there. Now I even sort of understand black holes and the implications of relativity.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Favorite Astronomy Textbook, November 19, 2004

By 

Bram Boroson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 21st Century Astronomy (with Student CD-ROM) (Paperback)

This is my third year teaching introductory astronomy. I've used three textbooks. Last year I got a copy of 21st Century Astronomy free--publishers are always trying to get professors to adopt their textbooks. Anyway, I really like this one. I haven't been able to use it in a class yet, but I would like to. I use it already to help me prepare for lectures. It's clear and don't talk down to the reader. Many textbooks get weighted down with frills, but not this one. The graphics are clear but never superfluous. In keeping with its title, it includes may up to date topics.

The other texts I have used are Kaufman, Seeds, and Bennet et al. (which I liked a lot too--it's a little bulky though.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!, April 6, 2008

By 

Kevin Marshall (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 21st Century Astronomy (Full Second Edition) (Paperback)

I am teaching an introductory astronomy course this semester, and chose to use a different text since that is what others before me had used. Early on, the publisher sent a free copy of this book to me. I liked it so much that I ended up using it to prepare many of my lectures, and when I teach this course again I suspect that this will become the new text. The overall tone of the book is very good, presenting scientific material in a well thought-out fashion that doesn't talk down to the reader. The figures are clear, and often address common misconceptions. The material is also very up to date, addressing hot topics like Pluto's status as a planet, dark energy, WMAP results, etc. The only thing I don't like about the book is that the chapter titles and section headings are often complete sentences. For example, the chapter on the Sun is called "The Sun is an ordinary G star," instead of just calling it "The Sun." Strange, but overall an excellent book.