Astrophysics is often - with some justification - regarded as incomprehensible without at least degree-level mathematics. Consequently, many amateur astronomers skip the math, and miss out on the fascinating fundamentals of the subject. In Astrophysics Is Easy! Mike Inglis takes a quantitative approach to astrophysics that cuts through the incomprehensible mathematics, and explains the basics of astrophysics in accessible terms. The reader can view objects under discussion with commercial amateur equipment.
Author(s): Mike Inglis
Edition: 1st Edition.
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 218
1852338903......Page 1
Contents......Page 7
Preface and Thanks......Page 10
Acknowledgements......Page 12
Overview......Page 14
1.1 Distance......Page 17
1.2 Brightness and Luminosity......Page 22
1.3 Magnitudes......Page 24
1.4 Color......Page 31
1.5 Size and Mass......Page 35
1.6 Star Constituents......Page 38
1.7 Spectra and Spectroscopy......Page 39
1.8 Stellar Classification......Page 41
1.9 The Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram......Page 51
1.10 The H-R Diagram and Stellar Radius......Page 53
1.12 The H-R Diagram and Stellar Mass......Page 55
2.1 Introduction......Page 61
2.3 Emission Nebulae......Page 63
2.4 Dark Nebulae......Page 69
2.5 Reflection Nebulae......Page 72
2.6 Molecular Clouds......Page 73
2.7 Protostars......Page 74
2.8 The Jeans Criterion......Page 75
3.1 The Birth of a Star......Page 79
3.2 Pre-Main-Sequence Evolution and the Effect of Mass......Page 82
3.3 Mass Loss and Gain......Page 86
3.4 Clusters and Groups of Stars......Page 88
3.5 Star Formation Triggers......Page 100
3.6 The Sun—The Nearest Star......Page 102
3.7 Binary Stars and Stellar Mass......Page 108
3.8 Lifetimes of Main-Sequence Stars......Page 113
3.9 Red Giant Stars......Page 117
3.10 Helium-Burning and the Helium Flash......Page 120
3.11 Star Clusters, Red Giants, and the H-R Diagram......Page 123
3.12 Post-Main-Sequence Star Clusters: The Globular Clusters......Page 124
3.13 Pulsating Stars......Page 130
3.15 The Asymptotic Giant Branch......Page 138
3.16 Dredge-Ups......Page 140
3.18 Infrared Stars......Page 141
3.19 The End of an AGB Star's Life......Page 142
3.20 Planetary Nebulae......Page 144
3.21 White Dwarf Stars......Page 149
3.22 High-Mass Stars and Nuclear Burning......Page 154
3.23 Iron, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements......Page 157
3.24 The End Result of High-Mass Stars' Evolution: Pulsars, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes......Page 163
4.1 Introduction......Page 173
4.3 Galaxy Structure......Page 174
4.5 Hubble Classification of Galaxies......Page 175
4.6 Observing Galaxies......Page 177
4.7 Active Galaxies and AGNs......Page 193
4.8 Gravitational Lensing......Page 198
4.9 Redshift, Distance, and the Hubble Law......Page 200
4.10 Clusters of Galaxies......Page 201
4.11 Endnote......Page 204
Appendix 1: Degeneracy......Page 206
Star Atlases and Observing Guides......Page 208
Astronomy and Astrophysics Books......Page 209
Organizations......Page 210
E......Page 211
P......Page 212
S......Page 213
Z......Page 214
C......Page 215
I......Page 216
P......Page 217
Z......Page 218
