Textbook on Spherical Astronomy
By: by W. M. Smart.
Contributors: Green, Robin Michael, 1937-
Edition: 6th ed. / rev. by R. M. Green.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 1977
Place of publication: Cambridge; New York
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 431
Subjects: Spherical astronomy
Description: This well-established textbook gives a general but comprehensive introduction to positional astronomy. Originally based on the author's lecture courses at Cambridge University, it is intended primarily for undergraduates, but, due to its comprehensive nature, it is a very useful reference text for research workers in many branches of astronomy and space physics. The author considers the night sky as the celestial sphere and powerfully exploits the methods of spherical geometry. Most problems in which the precise determination of a heavenly body's position in the sky is important are considered in theoretical detail, and the necessary formulae are derived to a precision that is sufficient for all but the most specialist purposes. The present revision has ensured that the terminology and treatment correspond precisely to current astronomical practice. A guiding principle has been to re-establish compatibility with the Astronomical Ephemeris and, to a lesser extent, with the fuller explanations of the Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Ephemeris and the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac. Fairly frequent comments added to the text indicate the sometimes modified relevance of the subject matter to modern astronomy. A number of additional exercises help to illustrate the new material.
Notes: Includes index.
Table of contents: label: Chapter I
title: Spherical Trigonometry; label: Chapter II
title: The Celestial Sphere; label: Chapter III
title: Refraction; label: Chapter IV
title: The Meridian Circle; label: Chapter V
title: Planetary Motions; label: Chapter VI
title: Time; label: Chapter VII
title: Planetary Phenomena and Heliographic Co-ordinates; label: Chapter VIII
title: Aberration; label: Chapter IX
title: Parallax; label: Chapter X
title: Precession and Nutation; label: Chapter XI
title: The Proper Motions of the Stars; label: Chapter XII
title: Astronomical Photography; label: Chapter XIII
title: Determination of Position at Sea; label: Chapter XIV
title: Binary Star Orbits; label: Chapter XV
title: Occultations and Eclipses; label: Appendix I.
title: The Method of Dependencies; label: Appendix II.
title: Stellar Magnitudes; label: Appendix III.
title: The Coelostat; label: Appendix A.
title: Astronomical Constants; label: Appendix B.
title: Dimensions of the Sun, Moon, and Planets; label: Appendix C.
title: Mean elements of the planetary orbits for the epoch 1975 January 0.5; label: Appendix D.
title: Elements and dimensions of the Satellites; label: Appendix E.
title: Ephemeris and Universal Time; title: Index