Contemporary Activities in Astronomy : A Process Approach (4 Revised edition)

New Fifth Edition Coming Soon!Now available in a new fifth edition, the popular astronomy laboratory manual Astronomers as Observers and Experimenters: Exercises and Projects for the Laboratory and Night Sky integrates new exercises, connections between exercises, as well as all the favorite exercises from past editions - updated to connect to recent discoveries and news in astronomy. Students will gain experience in making meaning out of observations and experiments by using observational results to make models of the universe.

The excitement and challenge of the scientific process is evident at every step.

Students will recognize astronomy as a human endeavor, with real people needing to make real decisions all along the way.

The reader also is prompted to understand uncertainty in measurements and observational bias that is ever-present in astronomy.

This edition of the book encourages users to connect the laboratory work to material they are learning elsewhere in the course, placing that laboratory work within the historical evolution of our understanding of the universe.

Science as a shining example of human ingenuity, determination and drive to know what is around us comes alive. Instructors will appreciate the flexibility this manual offers.

Exercises are simple to use individually and can be adapted to be completed in a single laboratory setting, however long that may be.

Many exercises, however, can be extended to connect to other course material or to lead to reflective homework outside of class.

Some exercises can be grouped into a larger set of activities pertaining to a topic like, say, the structure of the Milky Way.

Other exercises can be developed into full projects as desired.