Astronomical breakthroughs of the last two decades have led to a revolution in the way we understand the universe and to what we can teach students. This book explores these discoveries and carefully weaves together connecting themes to produce a cosmic context. Text discussions are complemented by a distinctive art program, with figures not seen before in astronomy texts. In addition, the text is accompanied by a next-generation media package that focuses on improving understanding of key concepts that students have the most problems with - like "Phases of the Moon" and "Stellar Evolution."