Request for a little help.

[JoshUAH]

Alright, I've always been really fascinated with space, the stars, the universe, etc. I've never found anything that interested me so much before, but now I'm tired of it just being interesting. I want to know as much as I can about it. My astronomy/astrophysics courses don't begin until next fall and I don't want to wait that long. So my question is do any of you have any recommendations for some books that will help me? I don't want to just read something that doesn't really do anything for me, I want something that explains it in practical terms but also gets into the mathematical details, equations, and whatever else there is to learn.

I've been reading this board for quite some time now but never posted until now and I'd really appreciate any suggestions any of you brilliant people may have. Thank you in advance and happy holidays.

[Donnie B.]

There have been a few other threads about good astronomy books in this forum -- you should be able to find them using the Search feature. So I won't try to repeat those suggestions.

However, since you're already planning to take a (college-level?) astronomy course, why not get in touch with the professor or teacher who's running the course? Find out what your textbook is going to be, and ask about a suggested reading list. That way you can get a jump on your course as well as getting a (presumably) good book or books. I assure you that the prof will be happy to give you this information, and you should be able to buy the book at the college bookstore or online.

(At a big university there may be several sections taught by different people, but at the intro level they typically use the same text for all sections.)

And I almost forgot to add: welcome to the BABB! Please do stay in touch and let us know how your reading and (later) studies are coming along.

[Postmortem]

well you can't go wrong with A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

[JoshUAH]

There have been a few other threads about good astronomy books in this forum -- you should be able to find them using the Search feature. So I won't try to repeat those suggestions.

However, since you're already planning to take a (college-level?) astronomy course, why not get in touch with the professor or teacher who's running the course? Find out what your textbook is going to be, and ask about a suggested reading list. That way you can get a jump on your course as well as getting a (presumably) good book or books. I assure you that the prof will be happy to give you this information, and you should be able to buy the book at the college bookstore or online.

(At a big university there may be several sections taught by different people, but at the intro level they typically use the same text for all sections.)

And I almost forgot to add: welcome to the BABB! Please do stay in touch and let us know how your reading and (later) studies are coming along.

That's a good idea and I'll definitely do that. I go to the University of Alabama in Huntsville by the way. I believe I know who teaches the astronomy courses, he also teaches my Physics III course this coming spring. Thank you

well you can't go wrong with A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

I've actually read that before, although it was a little while ago. Great book.

[Wolverine]

Fraser posted an excellent list on Universe Today a while back. Perhaps it might offer some ideas.

[Ari Jokimaki]

...I want something that explains it in practical terms but also gets into the mathematical details, equations, and whatever else there is to learn.

From here you can access actual scientific papers. They are not always in practical terms, but the details are certainly there.

[Cougar]

Well, the field is moving so fast, books have a hard time keeping up. But you'll probably want to take a look at The Inflationary Universe, the quest for a new theory of cosmic origins [1997] -- Alan H. Guth... Then there's The Runaway Universe, the Race to Find the Future of the Cosmos [2000] -- Donald Goldsmith. Also Wrinkles in Time [1993] -- George Smoot, Keay Davidson -- is pretty good. These are all fairly accessible to a curious but general audience....