Practical Astronomy with your Calculator or Spreadsheet

The fourth edition of this handbook is ideal for anyone wanting to make astronomical calculations for themselves.

Peter Duffett-Smith (Author), Jonathan Zwart (Author)

9781108436076, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 6 July 2017

238 pages
25.5 x 20.5 x 1.3 cm, 0.54 kg

'This is a book replete with mathematical calculations but the opening pages to the various sections contain material of interest to the lay reader.' Spaceflight

Now in its fourth edition, this highly regarded book is ideal for those who wish to solve a variety of practical and recreational problems in astronomy using a scientific calculator or spreadsheet. Updated and extended, this new edition shows you how to use spreadsheets to predict, with greater accuracy, solar and lunar eclipses, the positions of the planets, and the times of sunrise and sunset. Suitable for worldwide use, this handbook covers orbits, transformations and general celestial phenomena, and is essential for anyone wanting to make astronomical calculations for themselves. With clear, easy-to-follow instructions for use with a pocket calculator, shown alongside worked examples, it can be enjoyed by anyone interested in astronomy, and will be a useful tool for software writers and students studying introductory astronomy. High-precision spreadsheet methods for greater accuracy are available at www.cambridge.org/practicalastronomy.

Time
Coordinate systems
The Sun
The planets, comets and binary stars
The Moon and eclipses
Index.

Subject Areas: Astronomy, space & time [PG], Mathematics & science [P]