CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE What Is Astronomy 4 CHAPTER TWO The History of Astronomy 12 CHAPTER THREE Careers in Astronomy 24 CHAPTER FOUR The Future of Astronomy 36 Fast Facts 42 Stop and Think 44 Glossary 46 Learn More 47 Index 48 About the Author 48
CHAPTER ONE WHAT IS ASTRONOMY The crowd of people hushed The astronomer took to the podium He adjusted the microphone Excitement crackled through the air Questions flashed through the minds of the audience What news would the astronomer share Had his team discovered a new planet Would the announcement offer new answers about the universe Had they found a planet that could support life Discovering new planets orbiting distant stars is a major part of m o d e r n a s t r o n o m y 5
