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Vault of the Heavens: Exploring the Solar System's Place in the Universe (Portable Professor Series) by James Kaler

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(Compact Disc - Unabridged, 8 CD's, Full-length Course G)

  • Pub. Date: May 2004

    Reader Rating: (6 ratings)

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    Product Details

    • Pub. Date: May 2004
    • Publisher: Barnes & Noble
    • Format: Compact Disc

    Synopsis

    PORTABLE PROFESSOR™ is a series of exciting and informative lectures recorded by some of today's most renowned university and college professors. Each course introduces listeners to fascinating, and sometimes startling, insights into the intellectual forces that shape our understanding of the world. Each package includes 14 riveting lectures presented by notable professors as well as a book-length course guide.

    Since the beginning of recorded history, and likely for much longer than that, humankind has gazed to the heavens for clues to the most fundamental mysteries about our place in the universe. In the modern age, when the science of astronomy has replaced mythology as the primary tool for interpreting the heavens, we continue to search the skies for answers as we tumble through the solar system. In this remarkable course, award-winning astronomer James Kaler, moving outward from our vantage point on Earth, explains the workings of the planets and sun and shows how this knowledge provides remarkable insights into the mechanics of the universe at large.

    COURSE LECTURES

    1. We and the Universe
    2. Reflections of the Spinning Earth
    3. Sun and Seasons
    4. Stories in the Sky: Constellations
    5. Romance of the Moon
    6. Happy Wanderers: The Planets
    7. Keeping It All Together
    8. Reaching Outward
    9. Our Domain: Earth and the Moon
    10. Iron Planets: Mercury, Venus, and Mars
    11. Monsters of the Midway: Jupiter and Saturn
    12. Distant Outposts: Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
    13. Leftovers of Creation: Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors
    14. Creation

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    Biography

    James Kaler, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Illinois, has published more than one hundred scholarly papers as well as a number of popular books about astronomy, including The Ever-Changing Sky: A Guide to the Celestial Sphere and The Hundred Greatest Stars. He has received numerous awards and honors, including both a Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowship, has served as a consultant to Time-Life Books, and appears regularly on television and radio as an expert on astronomy.

    Customer Reviews

    Greate Lecturesby Brighton_Astronomy_Group

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    May 13, 2009: I have enjoyed this set of Audio CD's as I have listened to them 3 times now, and still keep picking up points I missed before.

    I' am an amateur astronomer at hart, and have always been interested in Astronomy since 1977, When I received my first telescope. Some of this stuff was a refresher for me.

    Mr. Kaler is a very easy person to listen to, and he keeps the information at a basic level, so most any one with an interest in astronomy could follow along. The material is laid out in a logical order that is easy to follow. I like to listen to them before I do a Star Party, as a little refresher.

    A hit!by Anonymous

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    November 06, 2005: The first book I bought from the available portable professors. I often take long drives and love how B&N finally released a series like this. Anyway, I picked this up because I've always been somewhat of an astronomy nut, though I'm quite a novice. Dr. Kaler is very enthusiastic and quite knowledgeable. There's no language barrier to overcome - not like there is with Evolution and its Discontents. You will learn something in just about every minute of these CDs, and it won't feel like learning. I've loaned this book to a few friends and they all enjoyed it. The book offers clear and concise explanations of many things - solar cycles, season changes, electromagnetic spectrum, planets, the sun, northern lights, eclipses, comets, asteroid belt.


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