Fundamentals Of Astronomy A Guide For Olympiads By Flavio Salvati

Fundamentals of Astronomy. A Guide for Olympiads

Fundamentals of Astronomy

Providing a broad overview of foundational concepts, this second edition of Fundamentals of Astronomy covers topics ranging from spherical astronomy to reference systems, and celestial mechanics to astronomical photometry and spectroscopy. It expounds arguments of classical astronomy that provided the foundation for modern astrometry, whilst presenting the latest results of the very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) radio technique, optical interferometers and satellites such as Hipparcos and GAIA, and recent resolutions of the IAU and IERS regarding precession, forced and free nutation, and Earth figure and rotation. Concepts of general relativity are explored, such as the advance of Mercury’s perihelion, light deflection and black holes, in addition to the physical properties, orbits, and ephemerides of planets, comets and asteroids with an extension to visual binary stars orbital reconstruction. Extrasolar planets are also discussed, with reference to radial velocity and transits measurements by ground and space telescopes. Basic concepts of astronomical photometry, spectroscopy and polarimetry are given, including the influence of the terrestrial atmosphere. Classical works, such as Hipparchus, are mentioned in order to provide a flavor of the historical development of the field. It is an ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate students studying astronomy, astrophysics, mathematics, and engineering. Supplementary and explanatory notes provide readers with references to additional material published in other literature and scientific journals, whilst solved and unsolved exercises allow students to review their understanding of the material. Features: Provides an introductory vision of arguments from spherical astronomy to celestial mechanics to astronomical photometry and spectroscopy Presents the information at an introductory level without sacrificing scientific rigor Fully updated throughout with the latest results in the field

Fundamental Astronomy

The main purpose of this book is to serve as a university textbook for a first course in astronomy. However, we believe that the audience will also include many serious ama teurs, who often find the popular texts too trivial. The lack of a good handbook for am ateurs has become a problem lately, as more and more people are buying personal com puters and need exact, but comprehensible, mathematical formalism for their programs. The reader of this book is assumed to have only a standard high-school knowledge of mathematics and physics (as they are taught in Finland); everything more advanced is usually derived step by step from simple basic principles. The mathematical background needed includes plane trigonometry, basic differential and integral calculus, and (only in the chapter dealing with celestial mechanics) some vector calculus. Some mathematical concepts the reader may not be familiar with are briefly explained in the appendices or can be understood by studying the numerous exercises and examples. However, most of the book can be read with very little knowledge of mathematics, and even if the reader skips the mathematically more involved sections, (s)he should get a good overview of the field of astronomy. This book has evolved in the course of many years and through the work of several authors and editors. The first version consisted of lecture notes by one of the editors (Oja).