An introduction to modern astrophysics

An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics is a comprehensive, well-organized and engaging text covering every major area of modern astrophysics, from the solar system and stellar astronomy to galactic and extragalactic astrophysics, and cosmology. Designed to provide students with a working knowledge of modern astrophysics, this textbook is suitable for astronomy and physics majors who have had a first-year introductory physics course with calculus. Featuring a brief summary of the main scientific discoveries that have led to our current understanding of the universe; worked examples to facilitate the understanding of the concepts presented in the book; end-of-chapter problems to practice the skills acquired; and computational exercises to numerically model astronomical systems, the second edition of An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics is the go-to textbook for learning the core astrophysics curriculum as well as the many advances in the field.

"This book was previously published by Pearson Education, Inc. 2007"--Title page verso.

The tools of astronomy. The celestial sphere ; Celestial mechanics ; The continuous spectrum of light ; The theory of special relativity ; The interaction of light and matter ; Telescopes -- The nature of stars. Binary stars and stellar parameters ; The classification of stellar spectra ; Stellar atmospheres ; The interiors of stars ; The sun ; The interstellar medium and star formation ; Main sequence and post-main-sequence stellar evolution ; Stellar pulsation ; The fate of massive stars ; The degenerate remnants of stars ; General relativity and black holes ; Close binary star systems -- The solar system. Physical processes in the solar system ; The terrestrial planets ; The realms of the giant planets ; Minor bodies of the solar system ; Formation of planetary systems -- Galaxies and the universe. The Milky Way galaxy ; The nature of galaxies ; Galactic evolution ; The structure of the universe ; Active galaxies ; Cosmology ; The early universe -- Appendixes. A. Astronomical and physical constants ; B. Unit conversions ; C. Solar system data ; D. The constellations ; E. The brightest stars ; F. The nearest stares ; G. Stellar data ; H. The Messier catalog ; I. Constants, a pro…