Astronomy: Principles and Practice, Fourth Edition (PBK)

"I'm pleased to see that the strengths of the old version have been retained (i.e. the sections on positional astronomy are largely unaltered) and the book has been brought up to date with, for example, the sections on CCDs and modern telescopes. I will have absolutely no hesitation in continuing to recommend that the ~50 students in my first-year "Celestial Sphere" course buy this book." -- Vik Dhillon, Sheffield University "It claims to be written for students working for degrees in astronomy, and as such it is admirably acceptable. There are four main sections - an introduction, which is an excellent survey of the fundamentals, written in a clear and well-balanced way; the celestial sphere and elementary celestial mechanics; observational techniques, and finally a number of suggestions for experimental work. But this book should not be dismissed by those whose grasp of mathematics is not up to university standard. We all, at times, want to go deeper into some aspects of the subject and will find much of help and value in this book, even if we miss out the formulae and calculations. Members will find themselves returning to it again and again for help with those really searching questions. A book worth considering. -- Jeffrey Barham, Popular Astronomy, January-March 2004

Despite remarkable advances in astronomy, space research, and related technology since the first edition of this book was published, the philosophy of the prior editions has remained the same throughout. However, because of this progress, there is a need to update the information and present the new findings. In the fourth edition of Astronomy: Principles and Practice, much like the previous editions, the celebrated authors give a comprehensive and systematic treatment to the theories of astronomy.

This reference furthers your study of astronomy by presenting the basic software and hardware, providing several straightforward mathematical tools, and discussing some simple physical processes that are either involved in the astronomer's tools of trade or concerned in the mechanisms associated with astronomical bodies. The first six chapters introduce the simple observations that can be made by the eye as well as discuss how such observations were interpreted by previous civilizations. The next several chapters examine the interpretation of positional measurements and the basic principles of celestial mechanics. The authors then explore radiation, optical telescopes, and radio and high-energy technologies. They conclude with practical projects and exercises.

Features New to the Fourth Edition:

Revised values such as the obliquity of the ecliptic

Expanded material that is devoted to new astronomies and techniques such as optical data recording

A listing of Web sites that offer information on relevant astronomical events

Revised and expanded, this edition continues to offer vital information about the fundamentals of astronomy. Astronomy: Principles and Practice, Fourth Edition satisfies the need of anyone who has a strong desire to understand the philosophy and applications of the science of astronomy.