Astronomy (Space)

Maybe it's just us, but we think there's a lot of interest in astronomy. It could just be that we have a nearly full bookcase of astronomy books, or that Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy is one of our best-sellers. But whatever it is, the interest never seems to go away, and summer, with its many balmy nights of cloudless skies is a perfect time to explore the topic. 

Astronomy, a natural science, is the study of celestial objects (stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets and nebulae), processes (such as supernovae explosions, gamma ray bursts, and cosmic microwave background radiation), the physics, chemistry, and evolution of such objects and processes, and more generally all phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth. Studying the universe as a whole, technically called "physical cosmology" is a related but distinct subject.

Astronomy, which comes from the Greek astron (star) and nomia (law or culture), is certainly one of the earliest sciences. As early as Genesis 1:14, we are told the purpose for the Sun, Moon and stars is... for signs and seasons, and days and years. We know that many early civilizations in recorded history (Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese, Maya, and more) performed methodical observations of the night sky. In what might be termed "Classical Astronomy," the topic has historically included disciplines as diverse as astrometry, celestial navigation, observational astronomy and the making of calendars. We carry a course called Signs and Seasons, which helps bring out the practicality of astronomy.

Although astronomy should not be confused with astrology (the belief system which claims that human affairs are correlated with the positions of celestial objects) it does have a similar origin. One word mentioned only in Job 38—mazzaroth—has to do with constellations and the biblical story in the stars. It's a fascinating topic, and Lift Up Your Eyes on High, an astronomy course for high school or adult students, references this with more depth than we've seen elsewhere.

Now considered nearly synonymous with astrophysics, modern professional astronomy uses principles of physics and chemistry "to ascertain the nature of the heavenly bodies, rather than their positions or motions in space." During the 20th century, astronomy split into two branches. Observational astronomy focuses on observing astronomical objects and acquiring data, then analyzing that data using basic principles of physics. Theoretical astronomy is oriented toward the development of computer or analytical models to describe astronomical objects and phenomena. The two fields complement each other, with theoretical astronomy seeking to explain the observational results and observations being used to confirm theoretical results.

While none of these books will fully prepare students for a professional career in astronomy, most will spark their interest in our vast, strange, and fantastic universe.

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101 Super Simple Science Experiments
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Real Science-4-Kids (Location: SCICUR-RS4K)
2000 Years of Space Travel
by Russell Freedman
from Holiday House
for 7th-10th grade
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21 Super Simple Astronomy Experiments
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for Kindergarten-8th grade
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365 Starry Nights
by Chet Raymo
from Fireside Books
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$12.00 (1 in stock)
All About Rockets and Space Flight
All About Books #50
by Harold Goodwin
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All About the Universe
All About Books #55
by David Dietz, illustrated by John Polgreen
from Random House
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in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
Americans in Space
by John Dille
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
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in American Heritage Junior Library (Location: VIN-HIS)
Americans Into Orbit
Landmark #101
by Gene Gurney
from Random House
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Americans to the Moon
Landmark Giant #20
by Gene Gurney
from Random House
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Ancient Astronomy
Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe
by Isaac Asimov
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Apollo on the Moon
by Henry S. F. Cooper, Jr.
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Asteroids
by Isaac Asimov
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Astronomy
by Cheryl Evans, Stuart Atkinson
from Usborne
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Astronomy Out of This World!
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Astronomy Today
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
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Classical Acts and Facts Science Cards: Ecology, Astronomy & Physics (old)
from Classical Conversations
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Classical Acts and Facts Science Cards: Spinning Harmonies
from Classical Conversations
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$23.99
Colonization of the Moon
by D. S. Halacy, Jr.
from Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
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$8.00 (1 in stock)
Colonizing the Planets and Stars
by Isaac Asimov
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Comets and Meteors
by Isaac Asimov
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Creation Astronomy
by Felice Gerwitz & Jill Whitlock
from Media Angels Science
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$9.00 (2 in stock)
Did Comets Kill the Dinosaurs?
by Isaac Asimov
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DK Eyewitness: Astronomy
by Kristen Lippincott
from DK Children
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$6.00 (1 in stock)
Earth's Moon
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
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Earth, The
Exploring Our Universe
by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Helmut K. Wimmer
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
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Earth: Our Home Base
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
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Exploring the World of Astronomy
by John Hudson Tiner
from Master Books
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Exploring the World of Astronomy - Set
by John Hudson Tiner
for 5th-12th grade
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Exploring the World of Astronomy - Supplemental Student Questions
by Cindy Davis
2nd edition from Memoria Press
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$6.00 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Exploring the World of Astronomy - Teacher Key & Tests
by Cindy Davis
2nd edition from Memoria Press
for 7th-10th grade
in Memoria Press Science (Location: SCICUR-MP)
$8.95
Find the Constellations
by H. A. Rey
2nd edition from Houghton Mifflin
Non-Fiction for 5th-8th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$11.99
Fly the Space Shuttle
by Carole Stott
1st American ed from DK Publishing
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Flying to the Moon
by Michael Collins
from Sunburst Book
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$8.99
Focus On Middle School Astronomy - Student Textbook (old)
by Rebecca W. Keller
2nd edition from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
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$20.00 (1 in stock)
Focus On Middle School Astronomy - Teacher's Manual (old)
by Rebecca W. Keller
from Gravitas Publications, Inc.
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$18.00 (1 in stock)
Galileo
by Mitch Stokes
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 7th-Adult
in Christian Encounters (Location: BIO-CE)
General Science 1 - Teacher Guide
from Master Books
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in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$21.59 $17.50 (1 in stock)
God's Design for Heaven & Earth - Student Book
by Debbie & Richard Lawrence
Master Books Edition from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Master Books God's Design (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$43.19
God's Design for Heaven & Earth - Teacher Guide
by Debbie & Richard Lawrence
Master Books Edition from Master Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Master Books God's Design (Location: SCICUR-MB)
$34.39
Golden Guide: Skyguide
Golden Guides
by Mark Chartrand
from Golden Books
for 2nd-7th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Golden Guide: The Sky Observer's Guide
Golden Guides
by R. Newton Mayall, Margaret Mayall, and Jerome Wyckoff
from St. Martin's Press
for 2nd-7th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Great Astronomers
by Robert S. Ball
from Living Book Press
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$12.99
History News in Space
by Michael Johnstone
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
History of US Book 10
History of US Book 10
by Joy Hakim
3rd Revised Edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
in History of US (Location: HISA-HAKIM)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
History of US Book 10
History of US Book 10
by Joy Hakim
4th edition from Oxford University
American History Reference for 5th-9th grade
in History of US (Location: HISA-HAKIM)
$15.95
How Was the Universe Born?
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
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How We Got to the Moon
by John Rocco
from Crown Books for Young Readers
for 4th-8th grade
2021 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
Janice VanCleave's Astronomy for Every Kid
Janice VanCleave's Science for Every Kid Series
by Janice VanCleave
from John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$16.00
Johannes Kepler
Sowers Series
by John Hudson Tiner
from Mott Media
for 7th-9th grade
in Sowers Biographies (Location: BIO-SOW)
Journeys to the Edge of Creation DVD
by Moody Video
from Moody Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Moody Science DVDs (Location: SCI-MOODY)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Jupiter: The Spotted Giant
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon
by Bea Uusma Schyffert
from Chronicle Books
for 4th-8th grade
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$7.00 (1 in stock)
Mars: Our Mysterious Neighbor
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Mercury: The Quick Planet
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Milliken: Exploring Space
by Edward P. Ortleb & Richard Cadice
from Milliken Publishing
for 5th-9th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
Milliken: Solar System
by Edward P. Ortleb & Richard Cadice
from Milliken Publishing
for 5th-9th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Mission Control, This Is Apollo
by Andrew Chaikin, Victoria Kohl
from Viking Press
for 4th-9th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
Moon, The
Exploring Our Universe
by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Helmut K. Wimmer
from Thomas Y. Crowell & Co.
for 7th-10th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$10.00 (2 in stock)
Mythology and the Universe
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky
First Edition from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 7th-Adult
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FIELD)
$24.95
New Astronomy Book
Wonders of Creation Series
by Jonathan Henry
2nd edition from Master Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$15.19
Our Milky Way and Other Galaxies
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Our Universe
God's Design for Heaven and Earth
by Debbie and Richard Lawrence
4th edition from Answers in Genesis
for 4th-8th grade
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Our Universe (old)
God's Design for Heaven and Earth
by Debbie and Richard Lawrence
3rd edition from Answers in Genesis
for 4th-8th grade
$7.50 (4 in stock)
PLP: Concepts if Biogeography & Astronomy - Package
from Master Books
for 7th-9th grade
in Master Books Science (Location: SCICUR-MB)
PLP: Concepts of Biogeography & Astronomy - Parent Lesson Planner
from Master Books
for 7th-9th grade
in Old Edition Science (Location: OSCI)
$9.00
Pluto: A Double Planet?
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Practical Astronomer
by Colin A. Ronan
from Crescent Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Quasars, Pulsars, & Black Holes
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Real Book About Space Travel
by Samuel Epstein
from Garden City Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Real Books series (Location: VIN-RBA)
Rockets, Probes, & Satellites
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Saturn: The Ringed Beauty
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Science Fiction, Science Fact
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Signs & Seasons
by Jay Ryan
from Fourth Day Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Signs & Seasons: Field Journal and Test Manual
by Jay Ryan
from Fourth Day Press
for 5th-9th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Space Garbage
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Space Shuttle: A Photographic History
by Philip S. Harrington
from Browntrout Publishers
for 4th-10th grade
in Clearance: Science & Health (Location: ZCLE-SCI)
Space Spotter's Guide
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Spacecraft at Work
by Mary Elting, illustrated by Ursula Koering
from Harvey House, Inc., Publishers
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Star and Planet Locator
from Edmund Scientifics
for 2nd-Adult
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Stargazing with a Telescope
by Robin Scagell
Revised from Firefly Books
for 6th-Adult
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Ten Worlds
by Ken Croswell
from Boyds Mill Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
The Sun
Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Unidentified Flying Objects
Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Uranus: The Sideways Planet
Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe
by Isaac Asimov
from Gareth Stevens Publishing
for 7th-12th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
Usborne Book of Astronomy & Space
by Lisa Miles & Alastair Smith
from Usborne
for 4th-8th grade
in Astronomy (Space) (Location: SCI-AST)
Walk in Space: The Story of Project Gemini
Landmark #117
by Gene Gurney
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
in Vintage & Collectible (Location: VIN-COL)