Discover the undiscovered with this jargon-free introduction to astrophysics Astronomy is the study of what you see in the sky. Physics is the study of how things work. Astrophysics is the study of how things in the sky work, from large objects to tiny particles. Astrophysics For Dummies breaks it all down for you, making this difficult but fascinating topic accessible to anyone. Tracking the topics covered in a typical undergraduate astrophysics class, this book will teach you the essential pieces to understanding our universe. Get ready to launch into outer space with this ever-changing branch of science. O Discover the latest advances in the world of astrophysics O Understand how and why galaxies form and evolve O Find out the origins of cosmic rays O Get a standalone primer on the science or supplement your astrophysics courseStudents in introductory astrophysics courses and would-be astronomy buffs who want to better understand the mechanics of the universe will love Astrophysics For Dummies.
Introduction 1
Part 1: Getting Started with Astrophysics 7
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Universe 9
Chapter 2: The A to Z of Physics 21
Chapter 3: Astronomy in a Nutshell 49
Chapter 4: Bridging the Gap Between Astronomy and Physics 65
Part 2: When You Wish Upon a 89
Chapter 5: Star Power: Hydrogen, Helium with a Twist of Nuclear Fusion 91
Chapter 6: Friends for Life: Star Systems and Dust Clouds 111
Chapter 7: Exoplanets: The Search for Earth 2.0 129
Chapter 8: White Dwarfs, Black Holes, and Neutrinos, Oh My! 153
Part 3: Galaxies: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work 171
Chapter 9: From Fuzzy Blobs to Majestic Spirals: The Milky Way and Other Galaxies 173
Chapter 10: Quantifying the Unknown, or How Galaxies Work 189
Chapter 11: Bigger Than Huge: Galaxy Clusters 207
Chapter 12: Weird and Wacky Galactic Phenomena 231
Part 4: Cosmology: The Beginning and the End of Everything 249
Chapter 13: The Big Bang: How It All Began 251
Chapter 14: First Light in the Universe, or How a Star is Born 273
Chapter 15: And Then It Gets Weirder: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and Relativity 289
Chapter 16: The End of It All 313
Part 5: The Part of Tens 337
Chapter 17: Ten Scientists Who Paved the Way for Astrophysics 339
Chapter 18: Ten Important Space Missions for Astrophysics 345
Glossary 353
Index 359
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