Secondary Astronomy
Secondary Astronomy is a clear, practical textbook for students aged 11 to 14 (Key Stage 3, Years 7–9). It covers the space physics in the national curriculum for science in England, including gravity, mass and weight, the seasons and the Earth's tilt, the Sun as a star, other stars and galaxies, and the light-year, and goes further as a bridge to GCSE Astronomy. Students explore the shape of the Earth, day and night and time zones, the Moon's phases, eclipses and tides, and how to find their way around the night sky safely, using sky coordinates and star charts. They meet the Sun, the planets, comets and meteors, learn how the planets move across our sky, and follow the change from Earth-centred to Sun-centred models. They study Kepler's laws, orbits and satellites, telescopes across the electromagnetic spectrum, space probes, exoplanets and the search for life beyond Earth. In Year 9 they learn how astronomers measure the brightness and distance of stars, read their spectra, use the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, study binary and variable stars, follow the lives of stars, and discover our galaxy, other galaxies and the evidence for the Big Bang. Every calculation and every number in the diagrams has been recomputed, and clear explanations, worked examples, code-drawn diagrams, questions with full answers and a glossary make it a supportive companion for class, homework and revision.
