Astronomical Almanac

Astronomical Almanac

Author: The Stationery Office

Publisher: Government Printing Office

Published: 2015-05-15

Total Pages: 628

ISBN-13: 9780707741581

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Prepared jointly with Her Majesty's Nautical Almanac Office, United Kingdom Hydrographic Office. Designed in consultation with other astronomers of many countries. Provides current, accurate astronomical data for use in the making and reduction of observations and for general purposes. The Astronomical Almanac Online extends the printed version by providing data best presented in machine-readable form. Online data are provided for several years. Contains data for astronomy, space sciences, geodesy, surveying, navigation, and other applications.


Reports on Astronomy 2006-2009 (IAU XXVIIA)

Reports on Astronomy 2006-2009 (IAU XXVIIA)

Author: Karel A. van der Hucht

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2009-03-23

Total Pages: 488

ISBN-13: 9780521856058

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The Transactions XXVIIA Reports on Astronomy 2006-2009 provides a comprehensive and authoritative review of what has been achieved in astronomy during the years 2006 to 2009. These insightful and up-to-date reviews have been written by the presidents and chairpersons of the IAU scientific bodies: the Divisions, the Commissions, and the Working Groups. Topics covered in this wide-ranging volume include: fundamental astronomy; the Sun and heliosphere; planetary sciences; stars; variable stars; interstellar matter; the Galactic system; galaxies and the Universe; optical and infrared techniques; radio astronomy; space and high-energy astrophysics; and other IAU activities. The reviews have been written at a level suitable for colleagues in the same fields, but will also be useful for students and researchers wishing to gain an overview of astronomical fields beyond their own research area.


Space-Time Reference Systems

Space-Time Reference Systems

Author: Michael Soffel

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-10-18

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 3642302254

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The high accuracy of modern astronomical spatial-temporal reference systems has made them considerably complex. This book offers a comprehensive overview of such systems. It begins with a discussion of ‘The Problem of Time’, including recent developments in the art of clock making (e.g., optical clocks) and various time scales. The authors address the definitions and realization of spatial coordinates by reference to remote celestial objects such as quasars. After an extensive treatment of classical equinox-based coordinates, new paradigms for setting up a celestial reference system are introduced that no longer refer to the translational and rotational motion of the Earth. The role of relativity in the definition and realization of such systems is clarified. The topics presented in this book are complemented by exercises (with solutions). The authors offer a series of files, written in Maple, a standard computer algebra system, to help readers get a feel for the various models and orders of magnitude. Beyond astrometry, the main fields of application of high-precision astronomical spatial-temporal reference systems and frames are navigation (GPS, interplanetary spacecraft navigation) and global geodynamics, which provide a high-precision Celestial Reference System and its link to any terrestrial spatial-temporal reference system. Mankind’s urgent environmental questions can only be answered in the context of appropriate reference systems in which both aspects, space and time, are realized with a sufficiently high level of accuracy. This book addresses all those interested in high-precision reference systems and the various techniques (GPS, Very Long Baseline Interferometry, Satellite Laser Ranging, Lunar Laser Ranging) necessary for their realization, including the production and dissemination of time signals.


The Exoplanet Handbook

The Exoplanet Handbook

Author: Michael Perryman

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2018-08-30

Total Pages: 973

ISBN-13: 1108329667

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With the discovery of planets beyond our solar system 25 years ago, exoplanet research has expanded dramatically, with new state-of-the-art ground-based and space-based missions dedicated to their discovery and characterisation. With more than 3,500 exoplanets now known, the complexity of the discovery techniques, observations and physical characterisation have grown exponentially. This Handbook ties all these avenues of research together across a broad range of exoplanet science. Planet formation, exoplanet interiors and atmospheres, and habitability are discussed, providing in-depth coverage of our knowledge to date. Comprehensively updated from the first edition, it includes instrumental and observational developments, in-depth treatment of the new Kepler mission results and hot Jupiter atmospheric studies, and major updates on models of exoplanet formation. With extensive references to the research literature and appendices covering all individual exoplanet discoveries, it is a valuable reference to this exciting field for both incoming and established researchers.


Relativistic Celestial Mechanics of the Solar System

Relativistic Celestial Mechanics of the Solar System

Author: Sergei Kopeikin

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2011-10-25

Total Pages: 897

ISBN-13: 3527634576

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This authoritative book presents the theoretical development of gravitational physics as it applies to the dynamics of celestial bodies and the analysis of precise astronomical observations. In so doing, it fills the need for a textbook that teaches modern dynamical astronomy with a strong emphasis on the relativistic aspects of the subject produced by the curved geometry of four-dimensional spacetime. The first three chapters review the fundamental principles of celestial mechanics and of special and general relativity. This background material forms the basis for understanding relativistic reference frames, the celestial mechanics of N-body systems, and high-precision astrometry, navigation, and geodesy, which are then treated in the following five chapters. The final chapter provides an overview of the new field of applied relativity, based on recent recommendations from the International Astronomical Union. The book is suitable for teaching advanced undergraduate honors programs and graduate courses, while equally serving as a reference for professional research scientists working in relativity and dynamical astronomy. The authors bring their extensive theoretical and practical experience to the subject. Sergei Kopeikin is a professor at the University of Missouri, while Michael Efroimsky and George Kaplan work at the United States Naval Observatory, one of the world?s premier institutions for expertise in astrometry, celestial mechanics, and timekeeping.


IAG 150 Years

IAG 150 Years

Author: Chris Rizos

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-08-08

Total Pages: 751

ISBN-13: 3319308955

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This proceedings contains a selection of peer-reviewed papers presented at the IAG Scientific Assembly, Postdam, Germany, 1-6 September, 2013. The scientific sessions were focussed on the definition, implementation and scientific applications of reference frames; gravity field determination and applications; the observation and assessment of earth hazards. It presents a collection of the contributions on the applications of earth rotations dynamics, on observation systems and services as well as on imaging and positioning techniques and its applications.