1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910678242703321

Autore

Inglis Mike

Titolo

Astrophysics Is Easy! : An Introduction for the Amateur Astronomer / / by Michael Inglis

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2023

ISBN

9783031168055

9783031168048

Edizione

[3rd ed. 2023.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (462 pages)

Collana

The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series, , 2197-6562

Disciplina

523.01

Soggetti

Astronomy

Astronomy, Cosmology and Space Sciences

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

1. Tools of the trade -- 2. The Solar System -- 3. The Interstellar Medium -- 4. Star Birth -- 5. The Sun and Stars -- 6. The Death of Stars -- 7. Special Relativity -- 8. General Relativity. 9. Black Holes -- 10. Exoplanets -- 11. Galaxies -- 12. Active Galaxies -- 13. Cosmology -- 14. The Speculative Universe -- Endnote -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

Astrophysics is often –with some justification – regarded as incomprehensible without the use of higher mathematics. Consequently, many amateur astronomers miss out on some of the most fascinating aspects of the subject. Astrophysics Is Easy! cuts through the difficult mathematics and explains the basics of astrophysics in accessible terms. Using nothing more than plain arithmetic and simple examples, the workings of the universe are outlined in a straightforward yet detailed and easy-to-grasp manner. Following on the success of the first and second editions, this fully updated third edition covers the significant changes in astrophysics theories and research that have occurred in the last five years, including new material on: exomoons, exocomets and exoasteroids; Special and General Relativity; gravitational waves, their origins and detection; telescope optics; black hole astrophysics; and more. For each topic under discussion, an observing list is included so thatobservers can actually see for themselves the concepts presented – stars of the



spectral sequence, nebulae, galaxies, even black holes. The book also features in-text, nonmathematical questions and end-of-chapter problems – all with their accompanying solutions – to help readers discuss and digest the material. This new 3rd edition contains several expanded and completely new chapters, and for the first time each chapter now contains many unique and relevant thought questions and numerical problems.