Book excerpt: A fun, fascinating, accessible introduction to astronomy basics In this latest installment in the bestselling Utterly Confused series, an astronomy professor and a popular science writer team up to fill you in on all the essentials of modern astronomy. From the solar system and the constellations to space-time, gravity, and quantum physics, you'll go on a fascinating journey through the cosmos, becoming acquainted with the most recent astronomical phenomena and concepts, and dozens of fun facts.