This is the definitive treatment of the phenomenology
of galaxies - a clear and comprehensive volume that
takes full account of the extraordinary recent advances
in the field. The book supersedes the classic text
''Galactic Astronomy'' that James Binney wrote with
Dimitri Mihalas, and complements ''Galactic Dynamics''
by Binney and Scott Tremaine. It will be invaluable to
researchers and is accessible to any student who has a
background in undergraduate physics. The book draws on
observations both of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and
of external galaxies. The two sources are complementary,
since the former tends to be highly detailed but
difficult to interpret, while the latter is typically
poorer in quality but conceptually simpler to
understand. Binney and Merrifield introduce all
astronomical concepts necessary to understand the
properties of galaxies, including coordinate systems,
magnitudes and colors, the phenomenology of stars, the
theory of stellar and chemical evolution, and the
measurement of astronomical distances.The book's core
covers the phenomenology of external galaxies, star
clusters in the Milky Way, the interstellar media of
external galaxies, gas in the Milky Way, the structure
and kinematics of the stellar components of the Milky
Way, and the kinematics of external galaxies.
Throughout, the book emphasizes the observational basis
for current understanding of galactic astronomy, with
references to the original literature. Offering both new
information and a comprehensive view of its subject, it
will be an indispensable source for professionals, as
well as for graduate students and advanced
undergraduates. |
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