Practical Universe: Observations, Experiments, Exercises
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2016
Pages: 470
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2016
Pages: 470
Choose Your Format
$93.58 USD
Ebook
$83.42 USD
Practical Astronomy: Observations, Experiments, and Exercises has been in print for over twenty-five years. The progress in astronomy since that time, both regarding new observations and the development of new methods and techniques, is gigantic and almost beyond anybody’s comprehension.
Practical Astronomy: Observations, Experiments, and Exercises:
- Is designed to meet the needs and expectations of introductory astronomy courses for non-science majors – no advanced math skills are required.
- Presents exercises for outdoor observations, regular laboratory experiments, and classroom and homework exercises.
- Includes units about extrasolar planets, stellar and supermassive black holes and Kuiper Belt Objects.
- Recognizes the new understanding of the Solar System, now considered to host eight planets instead of nine.
- Includes exercises available for software packages such as Starry Night and Stellarium.
1. Mathematical Tools
Unit 1.1 Powers of Ten
Unit 1.2 Measuring Angles
Unit 1.3 Temperature Scales
Unit 1.4 Mass, Weight, and Density
Unit 1.5 Astronauts’ Weights
2. Unaided Eye Observations
Unit 2.1 Introduction to the Night Sky
Unit 2.2 Use of Star Maps
Unit 2.3 Constellations and Mythology
3. Tools for Astronomical Measurements
Unit 3.1 Lens Optics
Unit 3.2 Telescopes
Unit 3.3 Astrophotography
Unit 3.4 Spectral Analysis
4. A Closer Look through Telescopes
Unit 4.1 Lunar Features
Unit 4.2 Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn
Unit 4.3 Jupiter and the Galilean Moons
Unit 4.4 Double Stars, Clusters and Galaxies
5. A Closer Look with Other Tools
Unit 5.1 The Ecliptic
Unit 5.2 The Length of the Day
Unit 5.3 Earth’s Geographical Coordinate System
Unit 5.4 The Altitude and Azimuth of the Sun
Unit 5.5 The Celestial Sphere
Unit 5.6 Phases of the Moon
Unit 5.7 The Apparent Path of the Moon
Unit 5.8 Moon and Mars Landing Sites
6. The Solar System and Beyond
Unit 6.1 A Scale Model of the Earth
Unit 6.2 A Scale Model of the Solar System
Unit 6.3 Planetary Characteristics
Unit 6.4 Mercury’s Orbit
Unit 6.5 Kuiper Belt Objects
Unit 6.6 Exoplanetary Systems and Habitable Zones
7. From Stars to Galaxies
Unit 7.1 Parallax: The Distance to a Star
Unit 7.2 The Diameters and Luminosities of Stars
Unit 7.3 The HR and MK Diagram
Unit 7.4 Cepheids and Other Pulsators
Unit 7.5 Globular Clusters and Molecular Clouds
Unit 7.6 The Hubble Distance-Redshift Relation
8. A Little Bit of Astrophysics
Unit 8.1 The Solar Spectrum
Unit 8.2 The Doppler Effect
Unit 8.3 The Colors and Luminosities of Stars
Unit 8.4 Spectroscopic Binaries
Unit 8.5 Eclipsing Binaries
Unit 8.6 Masses of Exoplanet Host Stars
Unit 8.7 Black Holes
Tables
1. Astronomical and Physical Constants
2. The Eight Planets
3. Kuiper Belt Objects
4. The Nearest Stars
5. The Brightest Stars
6. Variable Stars
7. The Messier Catalogue
8. Coordinates of the Ecliptic
Source Information and Suggested Readings
Manfred Cuntz is a professor at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Originally from Germany, he spent extended time at various science institutions in Colorado, Alabama, and Texas. His network of collaborations spans all around the globe, including Europe, Japan, Mexico, and India. He is strongly engaged in research, teaching and public engagements. In 2020, he was inducted into UTA’s Academy of Distinguished Teachers. In 2023, he became a fellow with the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Manfred has spent more than 30 years studying the universe, especially stars and planets, including planets where life might be possible. This book is loosely inspired by the Alpha Centauri system, a triple star system in our immediate cosmic neighborhood, consisting of three suns of different colors (although no effort was made to strictly map the various astronomical data). Red dwarfs, like the third sun, are known to be especially violent. Manfred has been involved in numerous public outreach activities, including being a script writer of planetarium shows, and events for kids and grownups of all ages. Fun with Three Suns in the Sky is his picture book debut.