• The Modern Scholar

  • Astronomy I: Earth, Sky and Planets
  • By: Prof. James Kaler
  • Narrated by: Prof. James Kaler
  • Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (368 ratings)

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The Modern Scholar

By: Prof. James Kaler
Narrated by: Prof. James Kaler
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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.
©2003 James Kaler (P)2003 Recorded Books

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Now I understand...

The large majority of these lectures are exactly what a curious, beginning astronomy-enthusiast needs to get an understanding of what is going on in the universe. A minor part is over-the-head mathematics that given time, you can comprehend.
Prof. Kaler does a fantastic job and clearly knows he's subject well!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

sweet!!!!

Very interesting and easy to understand if you are curious about space. highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

First rate

Prof Kaler is brilliant. Content is excellent. looking forward to listening to his other course.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Very basic

This is a decent overview, but it is at an extremely basic level.

If you already know that the seasons have nothing to do with Earth's distance from the sun and that the phases of the moon have nothing to do with Earth's shadow, you can skip the first three lectures and not miss anything.

If you have ever read a book on the planets, you can probably skip the rest.

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