FUNDAMENTALS OF SOLAR ASTRONOMY
by Arvind Bhatnagar (Udaipur Solar Observatory, India) & William Livingston (National Solar Observatory, Arizona, USA)
There are several textbooks available on solar astronomy which deal with advanced astrophysical aspects of solar physics, and books which provide very elementary knowledge about the Sun. This book will help to bridge the gap. It aims to stimulate interest in solar astronomy, presenting at one place the basic methods and techniques used in the field, together with the latest findings and the excitement in solar physics. As solar astronomy is becoming very popular among amateur astronomers and laymen, the book provides the practical knowledge to build simple solar telescopes and other equipment for making solar observations. Amateur astronomers have made important contributions to solar astronomy, and this book will help to guide them in their endeavours. The book can also serve as a text for undergraduate and graduate students starting out on solar physics. Using it, graduate students can easily embark on specific topics of research in solar astronomy.
Contents:
- Ancient Solar Astronomy
- Modern Solar Observatories
- Structure of Solar Atmosphere
- The Quiet Sun
- The Active Sun
- Observational Techniques
- Solar Optical Instrumentation
- Solar Eclipses
- Solar Interior Through and Helioseismology
- On the Joy of Observing the Sun � A Personal Experience
View Full Text (40,801 KB)
Readership: Amateur astronomers; solar eclipse enthusiasts;
undergraduates and graduate students beginning on solar astronomy andrelated subjects.
"The book by Bhatnagar and Livingston presents an excellent and largely non-technical overview of solar astronomy, starting from the significance of the Sun in mythology and ancient history, leading up to the broad and well illustrated review of the methods and accomplishments of today's solar science. It provides an inspiring introduction to the study of the fascinating properties of our nearest star and is suited for a wide audience, from amateur astronomers to graduate students."
Professor Jan Stenflo
Institute of Astronomy
ETH Zentrum, Switzerland |
"The authors guide the reader from understanding solar interior to outer atmosphere with immensely visual materials which exhibit the intrinsic beauty and glory of the Sun and the Universe. By this the book serves as a good textbook for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as, for the younger solar astronomers who like to pursue studies about the Sun, a unique laboratory of cosmic plasma physics. Amateur astronomers will find the book instructive and useful for building up their own facilities of solar observations ... Advanced solar researchers can also use this book, starting from the fundamental knowledge contained in this book to the frontier areas of current solar studies."
Jingxiu Wang
Chinese Academy of Sciences |
"This book is mainly addressed to those who are starting to study the sun. It can serve as a text for undergraduate and graduate students, and it will help to guide amateur astronomers in their endeavours."
