- Provides a concise introduction to the physical principles of astronomical measurement - spacecraft, telescopes, detectors, the atmosphere, spectroscopy, and the basics of measured quantities and statistics
- Takes a new approach on teaching astronomical measurement following the chain of measurement through atmosphere, imaging, detection, spectroscopy, timing, and hypothesis testing
- Covers all wavelengths – radio, infrared, optical, UV, X-ray, gamma-ray
- Concentrates on key principles rather than details
- Each chapter concludes with a set of exercises. Solutions provided.
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- About this Textbook
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This book on astronomical measurement takes a fresh approach to teaching the subject. After discussing some general principles, it follows the chain of measurement through atmosphere, imaging, detection, spectroscopy, timing, and hypothesis testing. The various wavelength regimes are covered in each section, emphasising what is the same, and what is different. The author concentrates on the physics of detection and the principles of measurement, aiming to make this logically coherent.
The book is based on a short self contained lecture course for advanced undergraduate students developed and taught by the author over several years. - About the authors
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Andy Lawrence is the Regius Professor of Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests are in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), observational cosmology, survey astronomy, and e-science (the Virtual Observatory). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- Reviews
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From the book reviews:
“In Astronomical Measurement: A Concise Guide, Andy Lawrence … provides a delightfully comprehensive summary of the essential information the budding observational astronomer needs to know. … It is aimed at the advanced undergraduate and the beginning graduate student, but it can also serve as an engaging refresher for the working astronomer who wants to venture into a new wavelength regime.” (Kimberly Weaver, Physics Today, December, 2014)
- Table of contents (5 chapters)
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Signal, Distortion, and Noise
Pages 1-24
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The Atmosphere and How to Avoid it
Pages 25-54
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Mapping the Sky
Pages 55-90
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Detection of Light
Pages 91-119
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Spectroscopy
Pages 121-144
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Table of contents (5 chapters)
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Bibliographic Information
- Bibliographic Information
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- Book Title
- Astronomical Measurement
- Book Subtitle
- A Concise Guide
- Authors
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- Andy Lawrence
- Series Title
- Astronomy and Planetary Sciences
- Copyright
- 2014
- Publisher
- Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- Copyright Holder
- Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- eBook ISBN
- 978-3-642-39835-3
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-642-39835-3
- Hardcover ISBN
- 978-3-642-39834-6
- Softcover ISBN
- 978-3-662-50906-7
- Series ISSN
- 2366-0082
- Edition Number
- 1
- Number of Pages
- XVIII, 192
- Number of Illustrations
- 54 b/w illustrations, 15 illustrations in colour
- Topics
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