Astrophysical Techniques 4th Edition by Kitchin 978-0750309462 0750309466

Providing a comprehensive and clear account of the instruments and techniques used in modern astronomy and astrophysics, the fourth edition of Astrophysical Techniques continues to offer information on all astronomical observations. Retaining the aims of earlier editions, the author unifies the concepts through lucid language and cohesive organization of the book.

Revised and updated, this book encompasses an ever-diverging array of observational techniques using the detection-imaging-ancillary instruments pattern. The first several sections emphasize the detection of radiation or other information carrier as well as the instruments and techniques used to facilitate and optimize that detection. Later chapters discuss photometers and spectroscopes in detail while also examining the techniques of astrometry, polarimetry, and magnetometry.

New to the Fourth Edition:

• Many instruments and techniques included for the first time
  
• A section that supplies Web sites and online resources
  
• Elimination of archaic topics, providing the most up-to-date information available

  Astrophysical Techniques, Fourth Edition maintains comprehensive coverage of the instruments and techniques used in current astronomy and astrophysics, making it a superb reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students in astronomy, amateur astronomers, and professional astronomers.