1. Introducing the universe. 1.1. Cosmic inventory. 1.2. The great questions ;
2. Matter, radiation and forces. 2.1. A microscopic tour. 2.2. Forces of nature. 2.3. Building blocks of matter. 2.4. Radiation: packets of light. 2.5. Interaction of matter and light ;
3. Observing the universe. 3.1. The cosmic rainbow. 3.2. Seeing is believing. 3.3. Heat in the sky. 3.4. Music of the heavens. 3.5. The cosmic tan. 3.6. X-raying the universe. 3.7. Gamma-ray astronomy ;
4. Getting to know the universe. 4.1. Stars: Nature's nuclear plants. 4.2. Story of a star. 4.3. Supernovae: the violent end. 4.4. Neutron stars and pulsars. 4.5. Black holes. 4.6. Galaxies. 4.7. The Milky Way ;
our home. 4.8. Groups and clusters of galaxies ;
5. The expanding universe. 5.1. Expansion of the universe. 5.2. The universe has a past! 5.3. Dark matter: weight without light. 5.4. The very early universe. 5.5. The quantum universe: science of genesis ;
6. Forming the galaxies. 6.1. Gravitational instability. 6.2. Testing the paradigm. 6.3. Density contrast: the ups and downs. 6.4. Dark matter and normal matter. 6.5. Dark matter in two flavours: hot and cold. 6.6. Why hot dark matter does not work. 6.7. Scenarios with cold dark matter. 6.8. COBE: first glimpse of the truth. 6.9. Desperate models. 6.10. The gamut of observations. 6.11. The first structures ;
7. The universe at high redshift. 7.1. Probing the past. 7.2. Quasars: the enigmatic machines. 7.3. Radio galaxies and active galactic nuclei. 7.4. Quasar spectra and the intergalactic medium. 7.5. High redshift objects and structure formation. 7.6. Gravitational lensing ;
8. Open questions. 8.1. The broad picture. 8.2. A critique of structure formation.