Discovering the Cosmos

This text has two objectives: to describe the leading ideas and concepts of modern astronomy; and to indicate how astronomy in particular and physical science in general developed, what its methods are, its goals and its limitations. Though it is not a history of astronomy, the book has a much stronger emphasis on history than is usually the case in order to provide the context in which major discoveries were made and attitudes shaped, as well as to indicate how early astronomy developed. The book is based on Bob Bless's liberal arts course at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. It is suitable for use in a one-semester non-majors introduction to astronomy.