Fundamentals of Astronomy

About this book

Fundamentals of Astronomy is an undergraduate text covering the whole of fundamental astronomy as taught to students of physics or astronomy. Classical in approach and covering all the fundamentals of the subject in detail, this book is aimed at students wishing to continue with astronomy beyond a first year taster or optional course. The details would also make it suitable for graduate students, as discussions include elementary astrophysics and astronomical spectroscopy.

Contents

SPHERICAL ASTRONOMYElements of Plane TrigonometrySome Properties of Plane TrianglesElements of Spherical Trigonometry Cartesian and Polar CoordinatesTerrestrial Latitude and Longitude on the Spherical EarthElements of Vector CalculusNotesExercisesASTRONOMICAL REFERENCE SYSTEMSThe Alt-Azimuth SystemThe Hour Angle and Declination SystemThe Equatorial SystemThe Ecliptic SystemThe Galactic SystemNotesTRANSFORMATIONS OF COORDINATESTransformations by Matrix RotationTransformations by Spherical TrigonometrySome Examples and ApplicationsExercisesTHE MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH AND THE ASTRONOMICAL TIMESThe Movements of the EarthThe Sidereal Time (ST)The Solar Time and the Equation of TimeThe Universal Time (UT)The Tropical Year and the Rates of ST and UTThe Year and the Julian CalendarThe Besselian Year or Annus FictusThe SeasonsThe Julian DateNotesExercisesTHE MOVEMENTS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PLANESFirst Dynamical ConsiderationsThe Precession of the EquinoxThe Movements of the Fundamental PlanesFirst-Order Effects of the Precession on the Stellar CoordinatesThe NutationApproximate Formulae for General Precession and NutationNewcomb's Rotation Formulae for PrecessionPrecession and Position AnglesNotesExercisesDYNAMICS OF EARTH'S ROTATIONNewton's Lunisolar PrecessionThe Lunisolar TorqueThe Precessional PotentialThe Earth's Free RotationRecent DevelopmentsNotesExercisesABERRATION OF LIGHTThe Solar AberrationThe Annual AberrationLorentz TransformationsEffects of Annual Aberration on the Stellar CoordinatesThe Diurnal AberrationPlanetary AberrationThe Gravitational Deflection of LightNotesTHE PARALLAXThe Trigonometric ParallaxThe Diurnal ParallaxSolar and Lunar ParallaxesThe Annual ParallaxSecular and Dynamical ParallaxesNotesExercisesRADIAL VELOCITIES AND PROPER MOTIONSRadial VelocitiesProper MotionsVariation of the Equatorial CoordinatesInterplay between Proper Motions and Precession ConstantsAstrometric Radial VelocitiesApex of Stellar Motions and Group ParallaxesThe Peculiar Motion of the SunSecular and Statistical ParallaxesDifferential Rotation of the Galaxy and Oort's ConstantsNotesExercisesTHE ASTRONOMICAL TIMESThe Sidereal Time STThe Solar Time TThe YearThe Dynamical TimeThe Atomic TimeNotesExercisesTHE TERRESTRIAL ATMOSPHEREThe Vertical Structure of the AtmosphereThe RefractionEffects of Refraction on the Apparent CoordinatesThe Chromatic Refraction of the AtmosphereRelationships between Refraction Index, Pressure and TemperatureScintillation and SeeingNotesTHE TWO-BODY PROBLEMThe Barycentric TreatmentThe Gravitational AttractionThe Relative MovementPlanetary Masses from Kepler's Third LawEscape VelocitySome Considerations on Artificial SatellitesNotesExercisesORBITAL ELEMENTS AND

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