The Modern Scholar

Astronomy I: Earth, Sky and Planets

By: Prof. James Kaler

Narrated by: Prof. James Kaler

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The Earth, the sun and moon, the planets, comets, asteroids and meteors - the solar system is all around us, yet how much do we truly know about it? When we explore the Earth and the layout of the sky, what can we learn about the meanings of the day, the year, the seasons, and the constellations? Which physical laws control what we see, and what are the natures of the celestial bodies? Professor James Kaler - a former Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellow and author of many acclaimed books on astronomy - answers these questions, taking us on a fascinating and informative voyage through the Solar System.The heart of this course examines the planets themselves, and reveals how they are constructed and how they differ from one another. By studying the physical astronomy of all the planets in the Solar System, we can attempt to understand their true nature. Ultimately, these lectures will bring us to a greater understanding of the Solar System's creation, which brings us again back to the beginning and what it means to us as we look outward from our rotating Earth.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2003 James Kaler (P)2003 Recorded Books

A Journey Through Our Solar System

This book is a good overview of the solar system. It is not very detailed, but it explains a great deal. The reader was above average and I enjoyed listening to this very much.

Great Overview

Excellent overview of the solar system. Makes a good primer for the d=per study of astronomy. It has certainly inspired me to break out my telescope once again.

Wow... just wow

I'm very very impressed. Some concepts are quite complex and he has explained with extraordinary ease. Immediately made me buy Part II.

Worth Every Minute

Author is interesting and sharp. The material presented is concise and packs a ton of knowledge in every minute, perfect for me, but you may to do some graphical research on the side if you are new to Astronomy. Loved every minute.

Listen to it over and over

This title, and is companion (Astronomy 2) is fascinating. Narrator presents material with enthusiasm and sincerity. I don't ever get tired of listening to it.

Great Book

What did you love best about The Modern Scholar?

Learning about astronomy from an educator who knows his stuff and is obviously passionate and enthused about sharing it.

Any additional comments?

Very fun to listen to. Will be one to listen to more than once for sure. In the future, I'd like Audible to offer hard copies of some books as an add on. Would be a great feature for a lot of lectures, and science topics.

Excellent Read

The author has the incredible ability to describe objects and their interactions. His descriptions let you visualize the Astronomical processes. Some of which you would think needed visual media. Excellent speaker

A very interesting read

What made the experience of listening to The Modern Scholar the most enjoyable?

The Modern Scholar carefully chooses the authors they make business with.

What did you like best about this story?

It's so instructive! Of course, many of the things he says are taught in High School. If you're an enthusiast in Astronomy, get the second book of this series, it's way more complex than this one.

The content is well organized and the author knows his subject. It was actually a fun experience from the beginning till the end. The part one is mostly designed for people with no or little astronomy knowledge.

How do you know if this book is for you?

If you know by hearth how many light years there are between Earth and Jupiter, if you have an elaborate knowledge on how the solar system was created, how gravity works, why the sky is blue, how the sun works, what is the composition of the planets in our solar system... well get the second book!

If you are interested in the above subjects and have little or no knowledge in these, get this book it's a MUST.

Plus, it comes with bonus content on the Modern Scholar's website.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I had the time to listen to the book all in one sitting, I would definitely do it.

Any additional comments?

It is worth looking at the other Modern Scholar's book, but they don't have much books about science though.

Excellent overview of our solar system

Anyone interested in Astronomy and our solar system will enjoy this course. The topic is thoroughly covered in detail and is understandable for those who haven't taken a math or physics course in many years. I had learned all the material in this course in college many years ago and found this to be an outstanding review. I believe it would also be a great starter to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of our fascinating solar system. There is a lot of material to cover and he moves fast. What is great about an audiobook format is that you can rewind and re-listen if something blows by too fast.

Fantastic audio book

If you could sum up The Modern Scholar in three words, what would they be?

Kaler is incredible at weaving together the complexities of the universe in an accessible and exciting way. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and his narration style - looking forward to the next ones.