Description
Book SynopsisA re-issued edition of this well-known modern astrophysics textbook. Designed for astronomy and physics majors, the Second Edition covers every major area of modern astrophysics, from the solar system and stellar astronomy to galactic and extragalactic astrophysics and cosmology, in one comprehensive and engaging volume.
Table of ContentsPreface; Part I. The Tools of Astronomy: 1. The celestial sphere; 2. Celestial mechanics; 3. The continuous spectrum of light; 4. The theory of special relativity; 5. The interaction of light and matter; 6. Telescopes; Part II. The Nature of Stars: 7. Binary systems and stellar parameters; 8. The classification of stellar spectra; 9. Stellar atmospheres; 10. The interiors of stars; 11. The Sun; 12. The interstellar medium and star formation; 13. Main sequence and post-main-sequence stellar evolution; 14. Stellar pulsation; 15. The fate of massive stars; 16. The degenerate remnants of stars; 17. General relativity and black holes; 18. Close binary star systems; Part III. The Solar System: 19. Physical processes in the solar system; 20. The terrestrial planets; 21. The realms of the giant planets; 22. Minor bodies of the solar system; 23. Formation of planetary systems; Part IV. Galaxies and the Universe: 24. The Milky Way Galaxy; 25. The nature of galaxies; 26. Galactic evolution; 27. The structure of the Universe; 28. Active galaxies; 29. Cosmology; 30. The early Universe; Appendix A. Astronomical and physical constants; Appendix B. Unit conversions; Appendix C. Solar system data; Appendix D. The constellations; Appendix E. The brightest stars; Appendix F. The nearest stars; Appendix G. Stellar data; Appendix H. The Messier catalog; Appendix I. Constants, a programming module; Appendix J. Orbit, a planetary orbit code; Appendix K. TwoStars, a binary star code; Appendix L. StatStar, a stellar structure code; Appendix M. Galaxy, a tidal interaction code; Appendix N. WMAP Data; Suggested reading; Index.
