Structural Dynamics of Electronic and Photonic Systems

User-friendly guide for beginners. Chapters make it easy for you to quickly learn the main topics of a college level course. Sections clarify basic principles and contemporary advances. The Index enables you to look up concepts, definitions, facts and famous astronomers, fast. You can use the book alone or with a conventional textbook, Internet-based or distance-learning course, computer software, telescope manual, or as a handy reference.- ASTRONOMY: A Self-Teaching Guide, 7th Edition 5 To The Reader 9 PARTICULARLY USEFUL FEATURES 9 WHAT’S NEW IN THE SEVENTH EDITION? 9 STUDY AIDS 10 USEFUL RESOURCES AND WEB SITES 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 11 CONTENTS 15 LIST OF TABLES 17 INTRODUCTION: COSMIC VIEW 19 Chapter 1: UNDERSTANDING THE STARRY SKY 23 1.1 STARGAZER’S VIEW 24 1.2 CONSTELLATIONS 25 1.3 CIRCUMPOLAR CONSTELLATIONS 26 1.4 HOW TO USE THE STAR MAPS 26 1.5 HOW TO IDENTIFY CONSTELLATIONS 28 1.6 STAR NAMES 28 1.7 BRIGHTNESS 29 1.8 LOCATION ON EARTH 30 1.9 CELESTIAL COORDINATES 31 1.10 LOCATION ON THE CELESTIAL SPHERE 32 1.11 LOCAL REFERENCE LINES 33 1.12 CELESTIAL MERIDIAN 34 1.13 LATITUDE AND STARGAZING 34 1.14 APPARENT DAILY MOTION OF THE STARS 35 1.15 UNUSUAL VIEWS 38 1.16 APPARENT ANNUAL MOTION OF THE STARS 38 1.17 THE ECLIPTIC 39 1.18 APPARENT ANNUAL MOTION OF THE SUN 39 1.19 EARTH’S SEASONS 40 1.20 EQUINOXES AND SOLSTICES 41 1.21 SUN’S ALTITUDE 42 1.22 OBSERVABLE EFFECTS OF EARTH’S MOTIONS 43 1.23 THE DAY 43 1.24 PRECESSION 44 Chapter 2: LIGHT AND TELESCOPES 49 2.1 WHAT IS LIGHT? 50 2.2 WAVELENGTH 50 2.3 THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM 52 2.4 RANGE OF WAVELENGTHS 53 2.5 SPEED OF LIGHT 53 2.6 WAVE FREQUENCY 54 2.7 WAVELENGTH AND FREQUENCY 54 2.8 WAVE PROPAGATION 55 2.9 WAVE EQUATION 55 2.10 RADIATION LAWS 56 2.11 ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS 57 2.12 OPTICAL TELESCOPES 58 2.13 BINOCULARS 59 2.14 REFRACTING TELESCOPES 60 2.15 REFLECTING TELESCOPES 61 2.16 REFLECTORS VERSUS REFRACTORS 62 2.17 f NUMBER 62 2.18 IMAGES 63 2.19 RESOLVING POWER 63 2.20 MAGNIFICATION 64 2.21 MAXIMUM USEFUL MAGNIFICATION 66 2.22 TELESCOPE ABERRATIONS 67 2.23 TELESCOPE DESIGN AND SELECTION 68 2.24 TELESCOPE ENHANCEMENTS 71 2.25 RADIO ASTRONOMY 72 2.26 RADIO TELESCOPES 73 2.27 INFRARED ASTRONOMY 75 2.28 ULTRAVIOLET, X-RAY, AND GAMMA RAY ASTRONOMY 76 Chapter 3: THE STARS 83 3.1 DISTANCES TO NEARBY STARS 84 3.2 TYPES OF SPECTRA 86 3.3 SPECTRAL LINES 87 3.4 SPECTRA OF STARS 89 3.5 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION 89 3.6 SPECTRAL CLASSES 90 3.7 TEMPERATURE 92 3.8 ORIGIN OF SPECTRAL CLASS CHARACTERISTICS 93 3.9 MOTIONS 93 3.10 OTHER PROPERTIES 95 3.11 DECODING A STAR’S SPECTRUM 96 3.12 LUMINOSITY 96 3.13 PROPAGATION OF LIGHT 97 3.14 APPARENT MAGNITUDE 98 3.15 ABSOLUTE MAGNITUDE 99 3.16 DISTANCES FROM MAGNITUDES 100 3.17 COMPARISONS 101 3.18 HERTZSPRUNG– RUSSELL DIAGRAM 102 3.19 MASS-LUMINOSITY RELATION 104 3.20 SIZES AND DENSITIES 105 3.21 DOUBLE STAR SYSTEMS 106 Chapter 4: THE SUN 113 4.1 SUN AND EARTH 114 4.2 DISTANCES AND SIZE 115 4.3 MAKEUP 117 4.4 THE SUN’S STRUCTURE 118 4.5 ROTATION 121 4.6 DATA 121 4.7 OBSERVATIONS 122 4.8 SEETHING SURFACE 125 4.9 SUNSPOTS 126 4.10 ACTIVITY CYCLES 128 4.11 MAGNETISM 129 4.12 FLARES AND CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS 130 4.13 HOW SOLAR ERUPTIONS AFFECT EARTH 132 4.14 SOLAR WIND 133 4.15 PROBING THE INTERIOR 134 4.16 COMMON FEATURES 134 4.17 MOTIONS IN SPACE 135 Chapter 5: STELLAR EVOLUTION 139 5.1 LIFE CYCLE OF STARS 140 5.2 BIRTHPLACES 140 5.3 BIRTH 141 5.4 LIFETIMES 143 5.5 WHY STARS SHINE 144 5.6 OLD AGE 145 5.7 RED GIANTS 146 5.8 SYNTHESIS OF HEAVIER ELEMENTS 147 5.9 VARIABLE STARS 148 5.10 DEATH 149 5.11 MASS LOSS 150 5.12 WHITE DWARFS 152 5.13 LIFE CYCLE OF SUNLIKE STARS 152 5.14 EXPLODING STARS 154 5.15 SUPERNOVA REMNANTS 154 5.16 SUPERDENSE STARS 156 5.17 BLACK HOLES 158 Chapter 6: GALAXIES 164 6.1 STAR SYSTEMS 165 6.2 MILKY WAY GALAXY 166 6.3 LOCATIONS OF STARS 168 6.4 THEORY CHECK 170 6.5 MASS 172 6.6 BETWEEN THE STARS 173 6.7 GREAT CLOUDS 173 6.8 MAPPING OUR GALAXY 174 6.9 STAR POPULATIONS 176 6.10 FORMATION OF OUR GALAXY 177 6.11 STRUCTURE OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY 178 6.12 BEYOND THE MILKY WAY GALAXY 178 6.13 CLASSIFICATION OF GALAXIES 181 6.14 GALACTIC PROPERTIES 182 6.15 GALACTIC EVOLUTION 184 6.16 GROUPINGS 185 6.17 EXTRAORDINARY ACTIVITY IN GALAXIES 186 6.18 RADIO GALAXIES 188 6.19 INFRARED GALAXIES 189 6.20 MYSTERIOUS QUASARS 190 Chapter 7: THE UNIVERSE 199 7.1 ETERNAL QUESTIONS 200 7.2 THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE 200 7.3 REDSHIFTS 201 7.4 VELOCITY-DISTANCE RELATION 203 7.5 PREMISE 204 7.6 STANDARD BIG BANG THEORY 205 7.7 BIG CRUNCH 206 7.8 STEADY STATE THEORY 207 7.9 OBSERVATIONAL TESTS 209 7.10 INCONSTANT HUBBLE CONSTANT 209 7.11 MATTER AND ENERGY 210 7.12 UNIVERSAL RADIATION 211 7.13 BIG BANG MODEL SUCCESSES 211 7.14 BIG BANG QUESTIONS 212 7.15 AGE 214 7.16 SHAPE AND SIZE 214 Chapter 8: EXPLORING THE SOLAR SYSTEM 219 8.1 INVENTORY 220 8.2 ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM 221 8.3 DAY NAMES 222 8.4 MOON PHASES 223 8.5 PLANET WATCHING 224 8.6 BRIEF HISTORY 226 8.7 FIRST TELESCOPIC DATA 227 8.8 LAWS OF PLANETARY MOTION 228 8.9 MOTION AND GRAVITY 230 8.10 MOON’S ORBITAL MOTION 232 8.11 SYZYGY 232 8.12 SPACEFLIGHT 233 8.13 PLANET SURVEY 235 8.14 DAYS AND YEARS 237 8.15 ASTEROIDS 238 8.16 MOON COMPARISONS 242 Chapter 9: THE PLANETS 247 9.1 PLANET MERCURY 248 9.2 VENUS: OBSERVING 250 9.3 VENUS: THE PLANET 252 9.4 PLANET EARTH 255 9.5 EARTH’S STRUCTURE 257 9.6 EARTH’S GEOLOGICAL ACTIVITY 258 9.7 EARTH’S MAGNETISM 259 9.8 EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE 260 9.9 MARS: OBSERVING 261 9.10 MARS: THE SURFACE 263 9.11 MARS: THE PLANET 265 9.12 MOONS OF MARS 268 9.13 JUPITER: OBSERVING 268 9.14 JUPITER: THE PLANET 269 9.15 JUPITER’S MOONS 270 9.16 PLANET SATURN 272 9.17 SATURN’S MOONS 275 9.18 PLANET URANUS 276 9.19 URANUS’S MOONS 278 9.20 PLANET NEPTUNE 279 9.21 NEPTUNE’S MOONS 281 9.22 DWARF PLANETS 282 Chapter 10: THE MOON 288 10.1 NEAREST NEIGHBOR 288 10.2 IN THE SKY 290 10.3 ROTATION 291 10.4 SPECIAL EFFECTS 292 10.5 SIZE 293 10.6 DENSITY 293 10.7 DATA 293 10.8 OBSERVING 294 10.9 CRATERS 295 10.10 EXPLORING 297 10.11 BOMBARDMENT 298 10.12 MOUNTAINS 298 10.13 HISTORY 300 10.14 INSIDE THE MOON 301 10.15 SURFACE CONDITIONS 302 10.16 ECLIPSE OF THE SUN 302 10.17 ECLIPSE OF THE MOON 304 10.18 ECLIPSE TIMES 306 10.19 OCCULTATIONS 307 Chapter 11: COMETS, METEORS, AND METEORITES 311 11.1 COMETS 311 11.2 SIGNIFICANCE OF COMETS 312 11.3 COMET STRUCTURE 313 11.4 THE NUCLEUS 314 11.5 THE COMA 315 11.6 THE TAILS 316 11.7 DISAPPEARANCE 318 11.8 ORIGIN OF COMETS 318 11.9 PERIODIC COMETS 319 11.10 COMET FATE 320 11.11 COMET HUNT 321 11.12 INTERPLANETARY REMAINS 321 11.13 SHOOTING STARS 322 11.14 METEOR SHOWERS 323 11.15 BEST METEOR DISPLAYS 323 11.16 ROCKY LANDINGS 324 11.17 MAKEUP OF METEORITES 325 11.18 IMPACTS ON EARTH 326 Chapter 12: LIFE ON OTHER WORLDS? 332 12.1 PROMISE 333 12.2 COSMIC ORIGINS 333 12.3 EVIDENCE 334 12.4 EVOLUTION 335 12.5 NEARBY PLANETS AND MOONS 336 12.6 THE ODDS 337 12.7 EXTRASOLAR PLANETARY SYSTEMS 338 12.8 SPACE TRAVEL 340 12.9 STAR PROBES 342 12.10 COMMUNICATION 344 12.11 A SERIOUS SEARCH 344 EPILOGUE 352 USEFUL RESOURCES AND WEB SITES 353 Appendix 1: THE CONSTELLATIONS 359 Appendix 2: PHYSICAL AND ASTRONOMICAL CONSTANTS 361 Appendix 3: MEASUREMENTS AND SYMBOLS 362 Appendix 4: PERIODIC TABLE OF THE ELEMENTS 364 Appendix 5: THE NEAREST STARS 366 Appendix 6: THE MESSIER OBJECTS 367 FAVORITES 369 INDEX 370 STAR AND MOON MAPS 381 Photo Insert 387 Discover The Wonders of the night sky with this bestselling Astronomy Guide

From stars, planets, and galaxies to black holes, the Big Bang, and life in space, Astronomy has introduced hundreds of thousands of people worldwide to the secrets of the universe. A unique, successful self-teaching format makes it easy for you to quickly grasp basic principles and keep up with contemporary discoveries. You can use this user-friendly book alone or with a textbook, modules, Internet-based or distance-learning course, computer software, telescope manual, or as a handy reference. Updated with the latest, most accurate information and more than 100 new graphics and photos, this Seventh Edition features:

• Web site addresses throughout for the best color images and astronomy resources online
• Technical ideas made simple without mathematics
• A beautiful new full-color, glossy insert with spectacular astro-images
• An interactive format with learning goals, reviews, self-tests, and answers for fast learning
• Five beginners Star and Moon maps for fun stargazing

Praise for previous editions of Astronomy:

"One of the best ways by which one can be introduced to the wonders of astronomy."
—The Strolling Astronomer

"Excellent . . . provides stimulating reading and actively involves the reader in astronomy."
—The Reflector

Here is the popular, self-instructional text that explains basic principles of astronomy and space exploration.

Discover the wonders of the night sky with this bestselling Astronomy Guide For a generation, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to the night sky. Now this classic beginner's guide has been completely revised to bring it up to date with the latest discoveries. Updated with the latest, most accurate information and more than 100 new graphics and photos, this Seventh Edition features: Web site addresses throughout for the best color images and astronomy resources online Technical ideas made simple without mathematics A beautiful new full-color, glossy insert with spectacular astro-images An interactive format with learning goals, reviews, self-tests, and answers for fast learning Five beginners'Star and Moon maps for fun stargazing Dinah L. Moché, Ph.D., is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the City University of New York. An award-winning author and lecturer, her books have sold over ten million copies in seven languages. "Discover the wonders of the night sky with this bestselling astronomy guide For a generation, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to the night sky. Now this classic beginner's guide has been completely revised to bring it up to date with the latest discoveries and graphics. Features over 80 new photos and illustrations, including a full-color insert Reviews the newest telescopes and spacecraft Includes an overview of the best astronomy Web sites Written by award-winning author Dinah Moch? Packed with valuable tables, charts, and star and moon maps, this user-friendly guide makes it easy for you to quickly grasp the basic principles of astronomy and start observing the night sky. The book includes objectives, reviews, and self-tests, and can be used on its own as a self-teaching guide or as a supplement to astronomy course materials"--Provided by publisher. "Discover the wonders of the night sky with this bestselling astronomy guide For a generation, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to the night sky. Now this classic beginner's guide has been completely revised to bring it up to date with the latest discoveries and graphics. Features over 80 new photos and illustrations, including a full-color insert Reviews the newest telescopes and spacecraft. Includes an overview of the best astronomy Web sites.Written by award-winning author Dinah Moch��e. Packed with valuable tables, charts, and star and moon maps, this user-friendly guide makes it easy for you to quickly grasp the basic principles of astronomy and start observing the night sky. The book includes objectives, reviews, and self-tests, and can be used on its own as a self-teaching guide or as a supplement to astronomy course materials"--Provided by publisher. "Discover the wonders of the night sky with this bestselling astronomy guide For a generation, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to the night sky. Now this classic beginner's guide has been completely revised to bring it up to date with the latest discoveries and graphics. Features over 80 new photos and illustrations, including a full-color insert Reviews the newest telescopes and spacecraft. Includes an overview of the best astronomy Web sites. Written by award-winning author Dinah Moché. Packed with valuable tables, charts, and star and moon maps, this user-friendly guide makes it easy for you to quickly grasp the basic principles of astronomy and start observing the night sky. The book includes objectives, reviews, and self-tests, and can be used on its own as a self-teaching guide or as a supplement to astronomy course materials"--Provided by publisher For a generation, Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to the night sky. Now this classic beginner's guide has been completely revised to bring it current with the latest discoveries. Updated with the latest, most accurate information, new online resources, and more than 100 new graphics and photos, the Eighth Edition features: website addresses throughout for the best color images and astronomy resources online; technical ideas made simple without mathematics; a beautiful updated full-color, glossy insert with spectacular images; and an interactive format with learning goals, reviews, self-tests, and answers for fast learning.--Adapted from Amazon.com summary of publisher description