Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This well-established textbook gives a general, but comprehensive, introduction to positional astronomy. The author considers the night sky as a celestial sphere and powerfully exploits the methods of spherical geometry. The present revision has bought the terminology and treatment up to date with current astronomical practice.
Synopsis
This new revision of a standard work gives a general but comprehensive introduction to positional astronomy. Useful for researchers as well as undergraduates.
Table of Contents
1. Spherical trigonometry; 2. The celestial sphere; 3. Refraction; 4. The meridian circle; 5. Planetary motions; 6. Time; 7. Planetary phenomena and heliographic co-ordinates; 8. Aberration; 9. Parallax; 10. Precession and nutation; 11. The proper motions of the stars; 12. Astronomical photography; 13. Determination of position at sea; 14. Binary star orbits; 15. Occulations and eclipses; Appendix 1. The method of dependences; Appendix 2. Stellar magnitudes; Appendix 3. The coelostat; Appendix A. Astronomical constants; Appendix B. Dimensions of the sun, moon and planets; Appendix C. Mean elements of the planetary orbits for the epoch 1975 January 0.5 E.T.; Appendix D. Elements and dimensions of the satellites; Appendix E. Ephemeris and universal time.