An Introduction to Observational Astrophysics

by Mark Gallaway

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783319233772
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	11/16/2015
Series:	Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

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….?”

Table of Contents

An Introduction to Modern Astronomy.- CCD Astronomy.- Imaging.- Photometry.- Astrometry.- Spectography.- Observational Astronomy Projects.- Small Dish Radio Astronomy.- Small Telescopes in Science.

Editorial Reviews

It is excellent, and its breadth of coverage is laudable. I would recommend it to undergraduate students and amateur astronomers … .” (John Southworth, The Observatory, Vol. 141 (1282), June, 2021)

From the Publisher