Astronomy 101: From the Sun and Moon to Wormholes and Warp Drive, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Facts about the Universe

Adams 101

by Carolyn Collins Petersen

Explore the curiosities of our galaxy Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won't be able to get anywhere else. So whether you're looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes, or just want to learn more about your favorite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answerseven the ones you didn't know you were looking for.

Genres: Science, Astronomy, Nonfiction, Physics, Space, Reference, Education

288 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 2013

Reviews

[Asma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first none-fiction read. It took me some time, but I'm so happy I finished it.

Astronomy 101 was out of this world! Very informative book on the most important topics in astronomy. Easy language, short, and I generally didn't expect it to be so interesting. It was.

It's starts off with our solar system, then it goes deeper to talk about topics like black holes, quasars, stars death and formation. It also mentions a number of scientists who contributed to astronomy.

I loved the scientist chapter. There were some women scientists mentioned which I absolutely loved.

My only disappointment came from the complete disregard for Muslim astronomers during the Islamic golden age, and their contributions to the field. I was looking forward to reading about it, but there was no mention whatsoever.

What I liked about this book is the easy language and it's repetitiveness. The latter might sound like a disadvantage, but when a piece of information is mentioned more than once, you tend to remember it.

I totally recommend this to anyone who's interested in astronomy. A fun read indeed.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT introduction to a lot of concepts, both basic and more high level, of astronomy, starting with our own solar back yard, with lots of history of the people involved in forwarding the field over the centuries included, all written in a way easy to understand, even coming in with no background on the subject.

[Hridoy Hoque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine book. Good for beginners. Writing style is well and smooth. Deals with Basic stuffs.

[Thund3r · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction for anyone looking to learn about stars and planets. A concise, eye-opening, and enchanting read about all the cosmos mysteries. What more could be said? Astronomy 101 gives you a comprehensive overview of all the major parts of the universe as we know it as a whole. What I appreciate most about this novel is that it never feels like you've been to a learning class where you need to memorize equations and read long and boring paragraphs. This, keeps all of it in but makes it more concise and interesting to read, and you never feel like you're in a lecture hall while reading. It's an excellent way to learn about the universe without feeling overwhelmed. The author does an excellent job of taking complex concepts and making them accessible to everyone. For example, the author explains the concept of black holes in an easy-to-understand way, starting with the basics and gradually introducing more complex concepts. If you're looking to learn what's truly out there or to sound smart for the next NASA mission, then this book is for you.

[Vootie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy read and a good introduction, it's a pity that the proof readers didn't pick up on the blatantly incorrect explanation of special relativity and time dilation under the section on Einstein. She states that "your friend back on Earth..if they could see your clock it would appear to be ticking faster" and the rest of the explanation will confuse a first time reader - moving clocks run slower not faster.

It seems a bit nit picky but it is a glaring error about a very tough topic and will only lead to confusion.

Hope this helps.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cool!

[Aina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because I love astronomy and learning about the universe. It was an interesting reading, it gives you a lot of information of planets, how the “stuff”in universe works, such as black holes, nebulae, the birth and death of stars,etc.
I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it 100% to people who are into astronomy and want to know more about space ;)

[Alan Oliveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The search for stars and planets continues. Great book to understand basic concepts of Astronomy. Although outdated in 2023 since it was released 10 years ago, it still has a solid basic knowledge of astronomy. I definitely learned a lot from it.

[bychemist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bilgilerin güncellenmesi gerek...

[Leticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really did feel like an Astrology 101 and it was a nice intro! :) I loved the pictures and explanations of things.

[Lilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically just skimmed this- really interesting stuff! I’ll probably use it mostly as a reference book.

[Justin L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really an amazing book. The first two thirds present a truly awe inspiring amount of information in a succinct way. The latter part of the book gives wikipedia like entries of scientific missions. I wish those had been threaded into the first part of the book rather than tacked into the end, feeling really dry.

[Alexandre Bittar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining

I always liked see the sky and the stars, but I never had the chance to understand what I was seeing. This book is an incredible way to learn all the aspects of what is beyond of our little planet.

[Lauren Pointer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great info but a bit redundant

[Yogi Saputro · Rating 4 out of 5]

It delivers what's promised: a crash course on astronomy. Perfect for anyone interested in astronomy as hobby or profession. Your kid wants to be stargazer? Give him/her this book and a telescope.

The structure is easy to follow. It includes:
- crazy stuff happening in heavens
- what are interesting things in astronomy
- how astronomy evolved
- who's who in astronomy
- how one can join astronomy bandwagon.
All explained straightforward with necessary jargon.

I read this as refreshment. I used to like space stuff in school. This book amused me, reminded me what it was like to be fascinated by pulsars or dark matters.

Overall, it did good job amusing people. It might attract some people to astronomy field.

[Erikka Yancie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astronomy 101 is a book that delves into the narratives and information pertaining to the universe. From the birth of stars to the formation of galaxies. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about the cosmos. This book will take you on a journey through space and time, exploring the wonders of the universe in an accessible and engaging way.

As someone who likes to read with visual aids, the stunning images accompanying the fascinating facts made it easier for me to fully grasp the ideas it conveys. Although, I did not enjoy it as much as I lean more to the fictional side, I enjoyed learning facts about the mysterious skies above us. I'd recommend Astronomy 101 for anyone with a curiosity about the world beyond our planet.

[Kunjesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good actually.
The book has an interesting starting point as well as the ending phase. It's the middle part where the journey becomes quite boring and confusing. The deep space objects and complex phenomenons are explained poorly which can leave you all jumbled up with just bunch of heavy detailed information and nothing else. Although upon enduring this part and coming to end, you may conclude the book is pretty decent given that it shall cover a little of everything.

Reading it helps you if you're an amateur or just casual enjoyer of astronomy, but not so much if you're looking for something denser or more specific.

[Jacob · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a sub-par general astronomy book. It read like a paper written by me when I am just trying to fill up space, as lots of points are repeated for no good reason. The sentences feel choppy as well. Also, the author is stating some things that I feel are stretching the truth, but unfortunately there are no sources in the back specifically for some of these larger claims so take them with a grain of salt. I only read this as a refresher, so I would search elsewhere if you are new to the topic.

[Bob Mimiaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolyn Petersen's book, Astronomy 101 started out slow but evolved into a very interesting and informative resource. Written for the beginner and learned person interested in astronomy, it contains interesting facts about the universe around us and details of advanced topics such as Black Holes, Wormholes and key theories from past fathers of astronomy.

Very well written resource for someone who wants to expand their knowledge of the universe.

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic overview of astronomy. It took me a while to get through, but the book is so well written and I learned a ton. It is hard to write a book this complex and informative, yet still keeping it engaging and simple. Bravo to the author. I also like that she highlighted some of the amazing women who have played a major role in astrophysics. Five stars.

[Joey R · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book if you do not know anything about astronomy, or just a beginner. This book touches on the many topics within astronomy, but does not go further than that on any topic. Some of the topics are out-dated about NASA (or other space agencies) future space missions, because they have already happened. Overall, a fun read.

[Rashed Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

جميل وشامل عدة مواضيع فلكية كنت مهتم افهمها بشكل أوضح
مثل (الكوازارات ، اهم التلسكوبات اللي تم ارسالها للفضاء ، الاشعه الغير المرئيه واهميتها في الفضاء وغيرها)
سلبيته صعوبة شرح الافكار في بعض المواضيع وافتقاره الشديد للصور التوضيحية وكذلك اصداره القديم ٢٠١٣ اللي يخلي معلوماته جدًا قديمه في علم يتطور بسرعة مثل الفلك

أنصح فيه للي لغته الانجليزية متوسطه ومهتم بالفلك🌌

[Katy Faulkner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of Astronomy for those of us fascinated by it, but don't have the mathematical literacy to understand a lot of it without help. I took off one star because the edition I had was about ten years out of date, but I would happily read another with updates of everything that's happened since then! What an incredible universe we have

[Little Mermaid · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful intro to astronomy for beginners! gives a lot of information about basic ideas and objects in a digestible way, and also gives information about other stuff like the history of astronomy and tips for doing astronomy yourself. 10/10 would recommend to absolutely anyone looking to get into astronomy!!

[Dawn Colclasure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good information on basic astronomy

There was a lot of ground covered in this ebook but unfortunately it was not as thorough as I would have liked. Even so, it’s a good introduction to basic astronomy and there is a lot one can learn.

[K. Eren · Rating 2 out of 5]

İlgi çekici bilgiler var ancak çoğu bilginin de güncellenmesi gerekmekte. Pek çok şey hakkındaki açıklamalar temel düzeyde kalmış ve çevrimiçi edinilebilecek sayısal bilgilere fazlasıysa yer verilmiş. Yine de okuması keyifliydi.

[Shaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love that you flip through the book like a reference however I didnt find the order of the chapters helpful instead quite annoying, the birth of universe was the ends things that were at the beginning should have been at the end.

The order of the book was a let down.

[syd · Rating 4 out of 5]

super cool. ironically though its attempts to simplify something this complex kind of make it confusing, imo. however the writing style is intriguing enough and the little diagrams are fun! will definitely be referring back to it in the future.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little coffee table primer for all things astronomy, though it's in that awkward zone where it's too detailed for people who aren't really interested but not detailed enough for those who are.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers all the basics. The final chapter has some helpful tips about how to begin observing the stars on your own. A little outdated now.