This streamlined text (21 chapters) provides clarity with coverage of such topics as planetary origins, star formation, the formation and evolution of galaxies, and cosmology. The text introduces and reinforces the concept that stellar and interstellar research have much in common with planetary science and that both are closely related to the formation and evolution of the universe as a whole. Chapter 12 bridges the sections on planets and stars by reviewing the origins of both. The text also contains many features to help students appreciate Earth's role in the universe, including Science and Society boxes that cover the effects of technology on the Earth's atmosphere. Plus, Astronomical Activities and WWW Activities are at the end of each chapter. Voyage Through the Solar System CD-ROM and The Sky Student Edition CD-ROM are included with each new student copy of the text.