Astronomy In Depth

Astronomy in Depth fills the need for a textbook that covers pre-university level Astronomy courses (in the UK, the GCSE syllabuses) and provides numerical examples to help students. It is also written as a serious foundation in Astronomy for amateurs who want to take a more detailed approach than can be found in the bulk of introductory astronomy books. Almost every aspect of astronomy is considered, from Earth and its place in the solar system, through instrumentation, the planets, stars, and galaxies, to black holes and the beginnings of cosmology. This book is perfect for anyone who wants to get to know astronomy in detail, as quickly as possible.

Going beyond the superficial treatments found in "coffee-table" astronomy books, this book provides comprehensive treatment of astronomy in depth, offering comprehensible explanations of how and why things are as they are. Comprehensive in its coverage, the book includes self-study questions at the end: of each chapter.

This second edition has been updated and substantially expanded. Starting with the description of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, this cogently written textbook introduces the reader to the astronomy of galaxies, their structure, active galactic nuclei, evolution and large scale distribution in the Universe. After an extensive and thorough introduction to modern observational and theoretical cosmology, the focus turns to the formation of structures and astronomical objects in the early Universe. The basics of classical astronomy and stellar astrophysics needed for extragalactic astronomy are provided in the appendix. While this book has grown out of introductory university courses on astronomy and astrophysics and includes a set of problems and solutions, it will not only benefit undergraduate students and lecturers; thanks to the comprehensive coverage of the field, even graduate students and researchers specializing in related fields will appreciate it as a valuable reference work.

A Noble Prize–winning Italian astrophysicist shares his scientific autobiography and the history of the development of contemporary astronomy. The discovery of x-rays continues to have a profound effect on the field of astronomy. It has opened the cosmos to exploration in ways previously unimaginable, and fundamentally altered the methods for pursuing information about outer space. Nobel Prize–winner Riccardo Giacconi’s highly personal account of the birth and evolution of x-ray astronomy reveals the science, people, and institutional settings behind this important and influential discipline. Part history, part memoir, and part cutting-edge science, Secrets of the Hoary Deep is the tale of x-ray astronomy from its infancy through what can only be called its early adulthood. It also details how the tools, techniques, and practices designed to support and develop x-ray astronomy were transferred to optical, infrared, and radio astronomy, drastically altering the face of modern space exploration. Giacconi relates the basic techniques developed at American Science and Engineering and explains how, where, and by whom the science was advanced. From the first Earth-orbiting x-ray satellite, Uhuru, to the opening of the Space Telescope Science Institute and the lift-off of the Hubble Space Telescope to the construction of the Very Large Telescope, Giaconni recounts the ways in which the management methods and scientific methodology behind successful astronomy projects came to set the standards of operations for all subsequent space- and Earth-based observatories. Along the way he spares no criticism and holds back no praise, detailing individual as well as institutional failures and successes, reflecting upon how far astronomy has come and how far it has yet to go.

In preparing the report, Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millenium , the AASC made use of a series of panel reports that address various aspects of ground- and space-based astronomy and astrophysics. These reports provide in-depth technical detail. Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millenium: An Overview summarizes the science goals and recommended initiatives in a short, richly illustrated, non-technical booklet.

Astronomy is written in clear non-technical language, with the occasional touch of humor and a wide range of clarifying illustrations. It has many analogies drawn from everyday life to help non-science majors appreciate, on their own terms, what our modern exploration of the universe is revealing. The book can be used for either aone-semester or two-semester introductory course (bear in mind, you can customize your version and include only those chapters or sections you will be teaching.) It is made available free of charge in electronic form (and low cost in printed form) to students around the world. If you have ever thrown up your hands in despair over the spiraling cost of astronomy textbooks, you owe your students a good look at this one. Coverage and Scope Astronomy was written, updated, and reviewed by a broad range of astronomers and astronomy educators in a strong community effort. It is designed to meet scope and sequence requirements of introductory astronomy courses nationwide. Chapter 1: Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour Chapter 2: Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy Chapter 3: Orbits and Gravity Chapter 4: Earth, Moon, and Sky Chapter 5: Radiation and Spectra Chapter 6: Astronomical Instruments Chapter 7: Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System Chapter 8: Earth as a Planet Chapter 9: Cratered Worlds Chapter 10: Earthlike Planets: Venus and Mars Chapter 11: The Giant Planets Chapter 12: Rings, Moons, and Pluto Chapter 13: Comets and Asteroids: Debris of the Solar System Chapter 14: Cosmic Samples and the Origin of the Solar System Chapter 15: The Sun: A Garden-Variety Star Chapter 16: The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse Chapter 17: Analyzing Starlight Chapter 18: The Stars: A Celestial Census Chapter 19: Celestial Distances Chapter 20: Between the Stars: Gas and Dust in Space Chapter 21: The Birth of Stars and the Discovery of Planets outside the Solar System Chapter 22: Stars from Adolescence to Old Age Chapter 23: The Death of Stars Chapter 24: Black Holes and Curved Spacetime Chapter 25: The Milky Way Galaxy Chapter 26: Galaxies Chapter 27: Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Black Holes Chapter 28: The Evolution and Distribution of Galaxies Chapter 29: The Big Bang Chapter 30: Life in the Universe Appendix A: How to Study for Your Introductory Astronomy Course Appendix B: Astronomy Websites, Pictures, and Apps Appendix C: Scientific Notation Appendix D: Units Used in Science Appendix E: Some Useful Constants for Astronomy Appendix F: Physical and Orbital Data for the Planets Appendix G: Selected Moons of the Planets Appendix H: Upcoming Total Eclipses Appendix I: The Nearest Stars, Brown Dwarfs, and White Dwarfs Appendix J: The Brightest Twenty Stars Appendix K: The Chemical Elements Appendix L: The Constellations Appendix M: Star Charts and Sky Event Resources

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.