Take the tour ×   So my question is, what book(s) do you
recommend for someone who has knowledge of    • algebra,
trigonometry and geometry   • college-level calculus   •
classical mechanics  and does not get intimidated by
mathematical language?  I expect the book(s) to answer questions
like (not necessarily all of the questions, but questions of the
same level and kind as these):    • How do we know how distant
from the earth a celestial body (for example, a star) is?   •
How do we know the volume/mass of celestial bodies?   • How do
we know the materials that a planet is made of?   • How do we
know that our solar system orbits around the center of the
galaxy?   • How do we calculate the total mass of the galaxy?
share|improve this question I think this should be community
wiki. –  user Jun 16 '11 at 12:03 This question brings to mind
two old but mandatory quotes from Richard Feynman. And in the
form of moving pictures, no less: here, and here. :) –  Grant
Thomas Jun 28 '11 at 17:34 add comment  2 Answers