Fundamental Astronomy / Edition 5 available in Paperback
Fundamental Astronomy / Edition 5
- ISBN-10:
- 3642421105
- ISBN-13:
- 9783642421105
- Pub. Date:
- 11/15/2014
- Publisher:
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- ISBN-10:
- 3642421105
- ISBN-13:
- 9783642421105
- Pub. Date:
- 11/15/2014
- Publisher:
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Fundamental Astronomy / Edition 5
Paperback
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$69.99Overview
Fundamental Astronomy is a well-balanced, comprehensive introduction to classical and modern astronomy. While emphasizing both the astronomical concepts and the underlying physical principles, the text provides a sound basis for more profound studies in the astronomical sciences. This is the fifth edition of the successful undergraduate textbook and reference work. It has been extensively modernized and extended. Long considered a standard text for physical science majors, Fundamental Astronomy is also an excellent reference work for dedicated amateur astronomers. It is richly illustrated with more than 400 images, including 36 color plates, and this new edition offers substantial new material on extragalactic astronomy, cosmology, and extra-solar planets, in addition to updates throughout.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9783642421105 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Springer Berlin Heidelberg |
Publication date: | 11/15/2014 |
Edition description: | 5th ed. 2007 |
Pages: | 510 |
Sales rank: | 905,819 |
Product dimensions: | 7.91(w) x 9.84(h) x 0.04(d) |
About the Author
Heikki Oja is a Finnish astronomer and associate professor at the University of Helsinki, as well as the former director of the Almanac Office. Dr. Oja has written dozens of non-technical non-fiction books and appeared frequently on the radio to talk about astronomy and space research. He has received several awards for his outreach activities.
Table of Contents
1. | Introduction | |
1.1 | The Role of Astronomy | 3 |
1.2 | Astronomical Objects of Research | 4 |
1.3 | The Scale of the Universe | 7 |
2. | Spherical Astronomy | |
2.1 | Spherical Trigonometry | 9 |
2.2 | The Earth | 12 |
2.3 | The Celestial Sphere | 14 |
2.4 | The Horizontal System | 14 |
2.5 | The Equatorial System | 15 |
2.6 | Rising and Setting Times | 18 |
2.7 | The Ecliptic System | 18 |
2.8 | The Galactic Coordinates | 19 |
2.9 | Perturbations of Coordinates | 19 |
2.10 | Positional Astronomy | 23 |
2.11 | Constellations | 27 |
2.12 | Star Catalogues and Maps | 28 |
2.13 | Sidereal and Solar Time | 30 |
2.14 | Astronomical Time Systems | 32 |
2.15 | Calendars | 35 |
2.16 | Examples | 39 |
2.17 | Exercises | 42 |
3. | Observations and Instruments | |
3.1 | Observing Through the Atmosphere | 45 |
3.2 | Optical Telescopes | 47 |
3.3 | Detectors and Instruments | 62 |
3.4 | Radio Telescopes | 67 |
3.5 | Other Wavelength Regions | 74 |
3.6 | Other Forms of Energy | 77 |
3.7 | Examples | 79 |
3.8 | Exercises | 80 |
4. | Photometric Concepts and Magnitudes | |
4.1 | Intensity, Flux Density and Luminosity | 81 |
4.2 | Apparent Magnitudes | 83 |
4.3 | Magnitude Systems | 84 |
4.4 | Absolute Magnitudes | 86 |
4.5 | Extinction and Optical Thickness | 86 |
4.6 | Examples | 89 |
4.7 | Exercises | 91 |
5. | Radiation Mechanisms | |
5.1 | Radiation of Atoms and Molecules | 93 |
5.2 | The Hydrogen Atom | 95 |
5.3 | Line Profiles | 97 |
5.4 | Quantum Numbers, Selection Rules, Population Numbers | 98 |
5.5 | Molecular Spectra | 100 |
5.6 | Continuous Spectra | 100 |
5.7 | Blackbody Radiation | 101 |
5.8 | Temperatures | 103 |
5.9 | Other Radiation Mechanisms | 105 |
5.10 | Radiative Transfer | 106 |
5.11 | Examples | 107 |
5.12 | Exercises | 109 |
6. | Celestial Mechanics | |
6.1 | Equations of Motion | 111 |
6.2 | Solution of the Equation of Motion | 112 |
6.3 | Equation of the Orbit and Kepler's First Law | 114 |
6.4 | Orbital Elements | 114 |
6.5 | Kepler's Second and Third Law | 116 |
6.6 | Systems of Several Bodies | 118 |
6.7 | Orbit Determination | 119 |
6.8 | Position in the Orbit | 119 |
6.9 | Escape Velocity | 121 |
6.10 | Virial Theorem | 122 |
6.11 | The Jeans Limit | 123 |
6.12 | Examples | 124 |
6.13 | Exercises | 127 |
7. | The Solar System | |
7.1 | Planetary Configurations | 130 |
7.2 | Orbit of the Earth | 131 |
7.3 | The Orbit of the Moon | 132 |
7.4 | Eclipses and Occultations | 135 |
7.5 | The Structure and Surfaces of Planets | 137 |
7.6 | Atmospheres and Magnetospheres | 140 |
7.7 | Albedos | 145 |
7.8 | Photometry, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy | 147 |
7.9 | Thermal Radiation of the Planets | 151 |
7.10 | Mercury | 151 |
7.11 | Venus | 154 |
7.12 | The Earth and the Moon | 157 |
7.13 | Mars | 164 |
7.14 | Asteroids | 168 |
7.15 | Jupiter | 172 |
7.16 | Saturn | 177 |
7.17 | Uranus, Neptune and Pluto | 180 |
7.18 | Minor Bodies of the Solar System | 186 |
7.19 | Origin of the Solar System | 192 |
7.20 | Other Solar Systems | 196 |
7.21 | Examples | 196 |
7.22 | Exercises | 200 |
8. | Stellar Spectra | |
8.1 | Measuring Spectra | 201 |
8.2 | The Harvard Spectral Classification | 203 |
8.3 | The Yerkes Spectral Classification | 205 |
8.4 | Peculiar Spectra | 207 |
8.5 | The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram | 208 |
8.6 | Model Atmospheres | 210 |
8.7 | What Do the Observations Tell Us? | 210 |
8.8 | Exercise | 212 |
9. | Binary Stars and Stellar Masses | |
9.1 | Visual Binaries | 214 |
9.2 | Astrometric Binary Stars | 214 |
9.3 | Spectroscopic Binaries | 214 |
9.4 | Photometric Binary Stars | 216 |
9.5 | Examples | 218 |
9.6 | Exercises | 219 |
10. | Stellar Structure | |
10.1 | Internal Equilibrium Conditions | 221 |
10.2 | Physical State of the Gas | 224 |
10.3 | Stellar Energy Sources | 225 |
10.4 | Stellar Models | 229 |
10.5 | Examples | 232 |
10.6 | Exercises | 234 |
11. | Stellar Evolution | |
11.1 | Evolutionary Time Scales | 235 |
11.2 | The Contraction of Stars Towards the Main Sequence | 236 |
11.3 | The Main Sequence Phase | 238 |
11.4 | The Giant Phase | 240 |
11.5 | The Final Stages of Evolution | 242 |
11.6 | The Evolution of Close Binary Stars | 244 |
11.7 | Comparison with Observations | 246 |
11.8 | The Origin of the Elements | 247 |
11.9 | Example | 250 |
11.10 | Exercises | 250 |
12. | The Sun | |
12.1 | Internal Structure | 251 |
12.2 | The Atmosphere | 253 |
12.3 | Solar Activity | 257 |
12.4 | Example | 263 |
12.5 | Exercises | 263 |
13. | Variable Stars | |
13.1 | Classification | 266 |
13.2 | Pulsating Variables | 267 |
13.3 | Eruptive Variables | 269 |
13.4 | Examples | 275 |
13.5 | Exercises | 276 |
14. | Compact Stars | |
14.1 | White Dwarfs | 277 |
14.2 | Neutron Stars | 278 |
14.3 | Black Holes | 283 |
14.4 | Examples | 286 |
14.5 | Exercises | 287 |
15. | The Interstellar Medium | |
15.1 | Interstellar Dust | 289 |
15.2 | Interstellar Gas | 300 |
15.3 | Interstellar Molecules | 308 |
15.4 | The Formation of Protostars | 311 |
15.5 | Planetary Nebulae | 313 |
15.6 | Supernova Remnants | 314 |
15.7 | The Hot Corona of the Milky Way | 317 |
15.8 | Cosmic Rays and the Interstellar Magnetic Field | 317 |
15.9 | Examples | 319 |
15.10 | Exercises | 320 |
16. | Star Clusters and Associations | |
16.1 | Associations | 321 |
16.2 | Open Star Clusters | 321 |
16.3 | Globular Star Clusters | 325 |
16.4 | Example | 326 |
16.5 | Exercises | 327 |
17. | The Milky Way | |
17.1 | Methods of Distance Measurement | 331 |
17.2 | Stellar Statistics | 333 |
17.3 | The Rotation of the Milky Way | 337 |
17.4 | The Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way | 343 |
17.5 | Examples | 344 |
17.6 | Exercises | 345 |
18. | Galaxies | |
18.1 | The Classification of Galaxies | 347 |
18.2 | Luminosities and Masses | 352 |
18.3 | Galactic Structures | 355 |
18.4 | Dynamics of Galaxies | 359 |
18.5 | Stellar Ages and Element Abundances in Galaxies | 361 |
18.6 | Systems of Galaxies | 361 |
18.7 | Active Galaxies and Quasars | 364 |
18.8 | The Origin and Evolution of Galaxies | 369 |
18.9 | Exercises | 369 |
19. | Cosmology | |
19.1 | Cosmological Observations | 371 |
19.2 | The Cosmological Principle | 376 |
19.3 | Homogeneous and Isotropic Universes | 378 |
19.4 | The Friedmann Models | 379 |
19.5 | Cosmological Tests | 381 |
19.6 | History of the Universe | 383 |
19.7 | The Formation of Structure | 384 |
19.8 | The Future of the Universe | 385 |
19.9 | Examples | 388 |
19.10 | Exercises | 389 |
Appendices | 391 | |
A. | Mathematics | 392 |
A.1 | Geometry | 392 |
A.2 | Conic Sections | 392 |
A.3 | Taylor Series | 394 |
A.4 | Vector Calculus | 394 |
A.5 | Matrices | 396 |
A.6 | Multiple Integrals | 398 |
A.7 | Numerical Solution of an Equation | 399 |
B. | Theory of Relativity | 401 |
B.1 | Basic Concepts | 401 |
B.2 | Lorentz Transformation. Minkowski Space | 402 |
B.3 | General Relativity | 403 |
B.4 | Tests of General Relativity | 403 |
C. | Tables | 405 |
Answers to Exercises | 425 | |
Further Reading | 429 | |
Photograph Credits | 433 | |
Name and Subject Index | 435 | |
Colour Supplement | 449 |