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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

This third edition of Astronomy: Principles and Practice has been updated and expanded to cover the exciting developments in the "new" astronomies and experimental methods which are now widely used. Together with the companion volume Astronomy: The Structure of the Universe, it provides a comprehensive and systematic treatment of astronomy including the physical and mathematical groundwork so often omitted from other textbooks. They comprise an excellent foundation for a complete two-year course in astronomy, while portions of the text may be selected as the basis of a preliminary science or liberal arts course at the first-year university level. Both books include many worked examples, problems with answers, and a selection of practical projects. Astronomy: Principles and Practice introduces the concepts and historical development of astronomy, presents a course on positional measurement and celestial mechanics, and describes the techniques and instrumentation of astronomical observation and measurement.

(Extracted from the back cover)

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Foreword to Third Edition.

-Foreword to First Edition.

-Acknowledgements.

-Part 1. Introduction.

-1- Naked Eye Observations.
-2- Ancient World Models.
-3- Observations Made by Instruments.
-4- The Nature of the Observables.
-5- The Astronomer's Measurements.

-Part 2. The Celestial Sphere and Elementary Celestial Mechanics.

-6- The Geometry of the Sphere.
-7- The Celestial Sphere: Co-ordinate Systems.
-8- The Celestial Sphere: Timekeeping Systems.
-9- The Reduction of Positional Observations: I.
-10- The Reduction of Positional Observations: II.
-11- Geocentric Planetary Phenomena.
-12- Celestial Mechanics: The Two-Body Problem.
-13- Celestial Mechanics: The Many-Body Problem.

-Part 3. Observational Techniques.

-14- The Radiation Laws.
-15- The Optics of Telescope Collectors.
-16- Visual Use of Telescopes.
-17- Special Optical Systems and Measurement.
-18- Radio Telescopes.
-19- Telescope Mountings.
-20- Detectors for Optical Telescopes.
-21- Astronomical Measurements.
-22- Other Astrophysical Experimentation.

-Part 4. Experimental Work.

-23- Practical Projects.

-Appendix: Astronomical and Related Constants.

-Bibliography.

-Answers to Problems.

-Index.

OUR REVIEW

Despite the fact that this is a work having been written some years ago, Astronomy: Principles and Practice is a magnificient example of what a book devoted to the practical teaching of astronomy in its first levels must be. In actual fact this is a series of two books, but this one is the one devoted to the most practical aspects of the question, and therefore it is one of the most appreciated ones in the market. The amateur readers who intend to reach a degree of knowledge compatible with the serious study of the astronomical sciences will find here an essential tool in which they can inure their understanding of the physical phenomena and their ability to solve the mathematical problems related to this science.

Certainly both authors have done a magnificient work, since they both review practically all the areas of interest for the amateurs (telescopes and observation, celestial mechanics, etc.). The great amount of problems, exercises and practical applications of what has been learned will no doubt amply satisfy all students. The inclusion of the solutions, besides, will help those who follow this course with rigour to self-evaluate their knowledge. In summary, this is an indispensable work (especially if accompanied by the second volume of the series), which will delight those readers who wish to learn something further than what the simple books aimed at amateurs can contribute.