Written specially for practical amateur astronomers who not only want to observe, but want to know and understand the details of exactly what they are looking at.

Presents an up-to-date detailed description of the objects, their physics and their evolution (part one); and then (part two) to consider how to observe and record them successfully.

Delivers a wealth of information for all levels of amateur observers, from the beginner to the experienced; it is equally fascinating for practical astronomers, and also for those who simply want to find out more about these unusual star systems.

Supernovae and gamma-ray bursts are the strongest explosions in the Universe. Recent observations have shown that rather than being symmetrical, they are driven by strong jets of energy and other asymmetrical effects that reveal previously unknown physical properties. These observations have demanded new theories and computations that challenge the biggest computers. This volume marks the transition to a new paradigm in the study of stellar explosions. It highlights the burgeoning era of routine supernova polarimetry and the new insights into core collapse and thermonuclear explosions. With chapters by leading scientists, the book summarises the status of a rapidly developing new perspective on stellar explosions. It is a valuable resource for graduate students and research scientists.

This is a comprehensive account of RR Lyrae stars, and traces the story from their initial discovery a century ago, through to their present status. This book reviews our current understanding of RR Lyrae stars. It is a unique explanation of the multiple applications of these variable stars for a range of astrophysical problems. Horace A. Smith describes the use of RR Lyrae stars as probes of old stellar populations, both in the Milky Way and other galaxies, and as an outstanding testing ground for stellar evolution and pulsation theories. He stresses the significance of variable stars for our ultimate understanding of the history and scale of the Milky Way and nearer extragalactic systems. For advanced students and researchers of astronomy, this is a definitive account of the modern theories surrounding RR Lyrae stars.

Discs occur in a wide variety of astronomical contexts, ranging in size from planetary ring systems to galaxies. Because the dynamical problems posed by each type of disc are remarkably similar, the Astronomy Department of the University of Manchester decided to bring together experts in each area for a conference in December 1988. This book is a collection of the papers presented at the conference. It contains mainly review papers covering recent developments in both theory and observations of planetary ring systems, discs in star-forming regions, protoplanetary discs, accretion discs and galaxy discs presented by an expert in each field. The book also gives brief summaries of contributed papers outlining current research by many of the participants.

This book is a comprehensive survey of the current research in the field of cataclysmic variables and low-mass X-ray binaries. These compact binaries contain a Roche-lobe filling low-mass star and an accreting white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole. In the turbulent process of accretion, a broad and highly variable spectrum of radiation is produced. The interpretation of the behaviour of these binaries is the present work of hundreds of astronomers, many of whom contributed to this volume. Among the topics covered here are observations and theories of low-mass neutron star and black hole binaries, magnetic and non-magnetic white dwarf binaries, transient X-ray sources, novae, and binary pulsars, as well as theories of the evolution of these binaries. The book is based on material presented at the 11th North American Workshop on Cataclysmic Variables and Low Mass X-ray Binaries held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 1989. Each contribution contains sufficient in-depth information to be of use to the specialist, while the breadth of subjects covered will ensure a wide audience among advanced undergraduates and graduate students.

Current research on the origin and evolution of active galaxies is comprehensively surveyed in this collaborative volume. Both of the proposed types of central activity - active galactic nuclei and starbursts - are analysed with a particular emphasis on their relationship to the large-scale properties of the host galaxy. The crucial question is what triggers and fuels nuclear activity now and at earlier epochs? The topics covered here are gas flows near to massive black holes, the circumnuclear galactic regions, and the large-scale bars in disk galaxies. Aspects of nuclear bursts of star formation, and the relationship between central activity and the gas and stellar dynamics of the host galaxy are addressed as well. The contributors to this book for professionals and graduate students are world experts on galaxy evolution.

The study of cataclysmic variables - interacting binary stars containing a white dwarf accreting from an orbiting companion - is undergoing an exciting renaissance, as it embraces observations at all wavelengths. Cataclysmic variables allow, in particular, the direct and detailed study of equilibrium and non-equilibrium accretion discs; in turn these developments also help in our understanding of X-ray binaries, black holes and active galactic nuclei. This timely volume provides the first comprehensive survey of cataclysmic variable stars, integrating theory and observation into a single, synthesised text. An introductory chapter gives the historical background of studies of cataclysmic variables. The author then goes on to give an up-to-date review of both the observations (at all wavelengths, and over all time-scales), the theories, the models of the structures and accretion processes believed to be involved. A very detailed bibliography is also provided to guide the reader to pertinent primary literature.

The gravitational million-body problem is a model for understanding the dynamics of rich star clusters. This text describes the theory astronomers need for studying globular star clusters. After introducing the million-body problem from various view-points, the book systematically develops the tools needed for studying the million-body problems in nature, and introduces the most important theoretical models. Written for graduate students and researchers in astrophysics and astronomy, this text also has important applications in the fields of theoretical physics, computational science and mathematics.

This book provides a concise introduction to the mathematical aspects of the origin, structure and evolution of the universe. The book begins with a brief overview of observational and theoretical cosmology, along with a short introduction of general relativity. It then goes on to discuss Friedmann models, the Hubble constant and deceleration parameter, singularities, the early universe, inflation, quantum cosmology and the distant future of the universe. This new edition contains a rigorous derivation of the Robertson-Walker metric. It also discusses the limits to the parameter space through various theoretical and observational constraints, and presents a new inflationary solution for a sixth degree potential. This book is suitable as a textbook for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. It will also be of interest to cosmologists, astrophysicists, applied mathematicians and mathematical physicists.

This text presents numerous illustrations of the observed variability of cataclysmic variable stars. It provides a clear explanation and thorough up-to-date overview of this phenomena at a level accessible to the advanced amateur or undergraduate student.

The Local Group is a small cluster of galaxies of which thirty-five members are currently known, including the Milky Way. With characteristic clarity of expression, Sidney van den Bergh provides a complete overview of all that is known about the galaxies of the Local Group and their evolution. He also places this knowledge in the wider context of continuing studies of galaxy formation and evolution, the cosmic distance scale, and the conditions in the early Universe. This volume thoroughly details our current understanding of each of the thirty-five members of the Local Group, as well as those galaxies previously regarded as possible members. The book goes on to examine the mass, stability and evolution of the Local Group as a whole and includes many important, previously unpublished results and conclusions.

Understanding how stars rotate is central to modeling their structure, formation and evolution, as well as understanding how they interact with their environment and companion stars. This lucid introduction to stellar rotation combines theory and observation, and includes all the latest developments in the field. Jean-Louis Tassoul, a leading authority on the subject, comprehensively surveys how the rotation of stars affects the structure and evolution of the Sun, single stars, and close binaries. This volume will greatly interest graduate students and researchers studying solar and stellar rotation and close binary systems. It will also appeal to those with a more general interest in solar and stellar physics, star formation, binary stars, and the hydrodynamics of rotating fluids--including geophysicists, planetary scientists, and plasma physicists.

Contemporary astronomers continue to search for ways to understand the irregular distribution of galaxies in our Universe. This volume describes gravitational theory, computer simulations and observations related to galaxy distribution functions, which is a general method for measuring the distribution of galaxies and their motions. Coverage embeds distribution functions in a broader astronomical context, and includes other contemporary topics such as correlation functions, fractals, bound clusters, topology, percolation and minimal spanning trees. Throughout, theory, computer simulation and observation are carefully interwoven and critically compared, and key results are derived and the necessary gravitational physics provided. The book also shows how future observations can test the theoretical models for the evolution of galaxy clustering at early times in our Universe. This clear and authoritative volume is written at a level suitable for graduate students, and will be of key interest to astronomers, cosmologists, physicists and applied statisticians.

This long-awaited graduate textbook, written by two pioneers in the field, provides a comprehensive introduction to the observations, theories, and consequences of stellar winds. The rates of mass loss and the wind velocities are explained from basic physical principles. This textbook also includes chapters clearly explaining the formation and evolution of interstellar bubbles and the effects of mass loss on the evolution of high- and low-mass stars. Each topic is introduced simply to explain the basic processes and then developed to provide a solid foundation for understanding current research. This authoritative textbook is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and researchers seeking an understanding of stellar winds and, more generally, supersonic flows from astrophysical objects. It is based on courses taught in Europe and the United States over the past twenty years and includes seventy problems for coursework or self-study.

This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive account of quasars and active galactic nuclei (AGN). The latest observations and theoretical models are combined in this clear, pedagogic textbook for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Researchers will also find this wide-ranging and coherent review invaluable. Throughout, detailed derivations of important results are provided to ensure the book is self contained. And theories and models are critically compared with detailed and often puzzling observations from across the spectrum. We are led through all the key topics, including quasar surveys, continuum radiation, time variability, relativistic beaming, accretion disks, jet sidedness, gravitational lensing, unification and detailed, multi-wavelength studies of individual objects. Particular emphasis is placed on radio, X- and gamma-ray observations--not covered in depth in any previous book. All those entering into this exciting and dynamic area of astronomy research will find this book an ideal introduction.

In the past two decades, scientists have made remarkable progress in understanding stars. This graduate-level textbook provides a systematic, self-contained and lucid introduction to the physical processes and fundamental equations underlying all aspects of stellar astrophysics. The timely volume provides authoritative astronomical discussions as well as rigorous mathematical derivations and illuminating explanations of the physical concepts involved. In addition to traditional topics such as stellar interiors and atmospheres, the reader is introduced to stellar winds, mass accretion, nuclear astrophysics, weak interactions, novae, supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars and black holes. A concise introduction to general relativity is also included. At the end of each chapter, exercises and helpful hints are provided to test and develop the understanding of the student. As the first advanced textbook on stellar astrophysics for nearly three decades, this long-awaited volume provides a thorough introduction for graduate students and an up-to-date review for researchers.

Star-hopping--using easily seen bright stars to locate fainter celestial objects in the night sky--is a basic and essential technique for all star gazers, novice and veteran alike. Robert Garfinkle shows you how to locate the many stellar objects usually overlooked by the untrained eye. Two or more detailed star hops for each month of the year, which can be read in any order, take you on a trip through the night sky, opening new doors of discovery and reinforcing star-hopping methods and techniques. With Garfinkle's able guidance, learn to take the Messier Marathon--a night-long hop across the skies. Additional basic astronomy skills are carefully outlined, including reading star charts, finding celestial directions, understanding telescope types, and using light pollution filters. A lively history of the universe and the ancient myths and legends of the sky round out the text. This is an essential guide for sky gazers who want to get the most out of their evening sky explorations.

The study of AGN is one of the most dynamic areas of contemporary astronomy, involving one-fifth of all research astronomers. This textbook provides a systematic review of the observed properties of AGN across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, examines the underlying physics, and shows how the brightest AGN--quasars--can be used to probe the farthest reaches of the Universe. This timely textbook is a clear, comprehensive and self-contained introduction to active galactic nuclei (AGN)--for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in astronomy and physics.

X-ray binaries are stellar systems that combine one normal star (like our sun) and a smaller star, such as a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole. This timely text provides a comprehensive overview of the unique and varied behavior of these combinations. Fifteen specially-written chapters by a team of the world's foremost researchers in the field explore all aspects of the X-ray binaries, including the X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and radio properties of these violent systems, and address key issues such as how these systems formed and what their fate might be. They also discuss X-ray bursts and quasi-periodic oscillations, the connections between millisecond radio pulsars and low-mass X-ray binaries, and how the magnetic field of a neutron star decays. This long-awaited review provides graduate students and researchers with the standard reference on X-ray binaries for many years to come.

This timely review provides a self-contained introduction to the mathematical theory of stationary black holes and a self-consistent exposition of the corresponding uniqueness theorems. The opening chapters examine the general properties of space-times admitting Killing fields and derive the Kerr-Newman metric. Strong emphasis is given to the geometrical concepts. The general features of stationary black holes and the laws of black hole mechanics are then reviewed. Critical steps towards the proof of the 'no-hair' theorem are then discussed, including the methods used by Israel, the divergence formulae derived by Carter, Robinson and others, and finally the sigma model identities and the positive mass theorem. The book is rounded off with an extension of the electro-vacuum uniqueness theorem to self-gravitating scalar fields and harmonic mappings. This volume provides a rigorous textbook for graduate students in physics and mathematics. It also offers an invaluable, up-to-date reference for researchers in mathematical physics, general relativity and astrophysics.

Is the current state of our Galaxy primarily the result of its initial conditions or is it the product of a lifetime of complex interactions with its environment? Gathered in this volume are papers presented at an international meeting in Granada (Spain) dedicated to exploring this fundamental question. This timely review examines all the key physical processes involved in the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. A dozen invited review articles by international experts summarise our understanding to date; whilst more than 50 topical research papers present the latest results. Together, these papers provide a state-of-the-art view on topical issues such as disk instabilities, large-scale star formation, large-scale structure formation in our Galaxy, chemical evolution, disk-halo feedback, the galactic globular cluster system, stellar populations, and the formation of galaxies. Also included are three panel sessions identifying key routes for critical future research. For graduate students and researchers, this volume provides a valuable and pertinent review of our new vision of the formation and evolution of our Galaxy.

Constellations are not new to astronomy. Even before the era of printing, patterns of stars have been recognized by humans and their histories have been passed on from generation to generation, culture to culture. This book is the ultimate constellation reference book. Finally, a book exists that brings together a variety of information about constellations, including: the size, visibility, and relative brightness of all eighty-eight constellations; former locations of extinct constellations; the number of visible stars in each constellation; and more. Using tables, this information is presented in the first part of the book so that constellations can be readily compared and a general view of them developed. In the second part of the book, each constellation is taken in turn, with a star chart and map illustrating the associated celestial figure, supported by a comprehensive list of essential properties. This highly illustrated volume provides the most complete reference to date covering all aspects of the constellations and will be helpful for astronomers, both amateur and professional, educators and science writers.

The stars that comprise a halo around our Galaxy are the source of intrigue - they have abundances of elements that suggest they are old. The properties of these hot stars and similar stars in other galaxies challenge the current, well-established theory of stellar evolution in many ways. Studying the collective properties of these stars provides important input to many areas of astrophysics - including the formation of our Galaxy, the late phases of stellar evolution and the stellar populations of other galaxies. The study of hot stars in the halo of our Galaxy is undergoing a renaissance owing to new observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and ASTRO1 and to techniques recently developed for ground-based observations. Advances in computers have also recently led to a far more detailed and complete theoretical understanding of stellar evolution. A conference was held in Union College, New York, to gather experts in the field. This volume draws together their articles with the aim of providing an up-to-date and comprehensive review for graduate students and researchers.

This book offers an intimate guide to the Milky Way, taking readers on a grand tour of our home Galaxy's structure, genesis, and evolution, based on the latest astronomical findings. In engaging language, it tells how the Milky Way congealed from blobs of gas and dark matter into a spinning starry abode brimming with diverse planetary systems--some of which may be hosting myriad life forms and perhaps even other technologically communicative species. William Waller vividly describes the Milky Way as it appears in the night sky, acquainting readers with its key components and telling the history of our changing galactic perceptions. The ancients believed the Milky Way was a home for the gods. Today we know it is but one galaxy among billions of others in the observable universe. Within the Milky Way, ground-based and space-borne telescopes have revealed that our Solar System is not alone. Hundreds of other planetary systems share our tiny part of the vast Galaxy. We reside within a galactic ecosystem that is driven by the theatrics of the most massive stars as they blaze through their brilliant lives and dramatic deaths. Similarly effervescent ecosystems of hot young stars and fluorescing nebulae delineate the graceful spiral arms in our Galaxy's swirling disk. Beyond the disk, the spheroidal halo hosts the ponderous--and still mysterious--dark matter that outweighs everything else. Another dark mystery lurks deep in the heart of the Milky Way, where a supermassive black hole has produced bizarre phenomena seen at multiple wavelengths. Waller makes the case that our very existence is inextricably linked to the Galaxy that spawned us. Through this book, readers can become well-informed galactic "insiders"--ready to imagine humanity's next steps as fully engaged citizens of the Milky Way.

Dr. Jean-Pierre Luminet makes the subject of black holes accessible to any interested reader, who will need no mathematical background. The reader of this book will feel that the developments in modern astrophysics are as fascinating to discover and digest as the most fantastic science fiction novels. While answering such questions, the author takes us on a fabulous journey through space and time. We travel into the realms of supernovae, X-ray stars and quasars--a journey to the very edge of the universe and to the limits of contemporary physics.