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  • © 2016

An Introduction to Observational Astrophysics

Authors:

  • Provides guidance to a vital component of any undergraduate astrophysics course
  • Informs novices about the elementary operation and calibration of CCD instruments used in introductory courses
  • Offers information to help students plan, execute, and analyze final projects

Part of the book series: Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics (ULNP)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xv
  2. Introduction

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 1-6
  3. The Nature of Light

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 7-19
  4. The Telescope

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 21-33
  5. Time

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 35-41
  6. Spheres and Coordinates

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 43-51
  7. Catalogues and Constellations

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 53-65
  8. The Astronomical Detector

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 67-89
  9. Imaging

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 91-118
  10. Image Reduction and Processing

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 119-128
  11. Photometry

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 129-143
  12. Errors

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 145-151
  13. Solar Astronomy

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 153-162
  14. Spectrography

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 163-169
  15. Radio Astronomy

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 171-182
  16. Astrometry

    • Mark Gallaway
    Pages 183-187
  17. Back Matter

    Pages 189-204

About this book

Observational Astrophysics follows the general outline of an astrophysics undergraduate curriculum targeting practical observing information to what will be covered at the university level. This includes the basics of optics and coordinate systems to the technical details of CCD imaging, photometry, spectography and radio astronomy.  General enough to be used by students at a variety of institutions and advanced enough to be far more useful than observing guides targeted at amateurs, the author provides a comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of observational astrophysics at undergraduate level to be used with a university’s teaching telescope.  The practical approach takes the reader from basic first year techniques to those required for a final year project. Using this textbook as a resource, students can easily become conversant in the practical aspects of astrophysics in the field as opposed to the classroom.

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Hertfordshire, Hockley, United Kingdom

    Mark Gallaway

About the author

Dr. Mark Gallaway holds an undergraduate honors degree in Physical Science from the Open University and a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Hertfordshire, UK (one of the largest astrophysics research groups in the UK). He has taught observational astrophysics at the University of Hertfordshire’s Bayfordbury Observatory (the largest such observatory in the UK and one of the largest robotic observatories in Europe) for three years, continuing to do so after he became the Observatory Manager in 2011.

During his current tenure Dr. Gallaway has overseen both a large increase in student numbers and a refocusing of the observatory to one of the UK’s leading small telescope research facilities. He is currently the PI of the Bayfordbury Supernova Search program, the Bayfordbury SuperWasp CV (Cataclysmic Variable) Follow-up program and the Bayfordbury NEO (Near Earth Object) Search. Dr. Gallaway is also a lead member of the M-Dwarf transit survey.

He regularly appears onthe BBC and other UK national broadcasters both as an expert. Furthermore, Dr. Gallaway has consulted on a number of general science programs in including the BBC documentary  “How Satellites Rule Our Lives” and the series “How dangerous is….?”

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 29.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access