Why study the universe?
What our forebears knew. Stonehenge : monument or megalithic observatory? ; How did the stars get their names? ; What was the Christmas star? ; How do we know when comet Halley was seen?
Looking around our solar system. Our moon : nearest neighbor, and hot property? ; Is there life on Mars? ; Pluto : impostor or king of the outer darkness? ; How astronomers learn without going anywhere
Triumph or disaster? Clear and present danger : will we be the next dinosaurs? ; Goldilocks and the three planets ; Going to the planets? ; Are we stardust? ; Manned spaceflight at the crossroads.