Book Review - Astrophysics is easy

[AstroTiger]

This is another in the SPM series, takes the mathematics out of AstroPhysics.

I ordered it from amazon the other week, awaitng its delivery. Quiet eagerly as well as it looks to be able to help me understand a lot.

I wonder, does anyone else have this book? If so what do you think?

clearly one i recieve and have had time to review it myself i will also post my thoughts on here

[Doc]

Alastair any chance of a link as it would make a good birthday prezzie from one of the kids.

[AstroTiger]

sure Doc, try this :-) Astrophysics Is Easy!: An Introduction for the Amateur Astronomer Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series : An Introduction for the Amateur Astronomer Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series: Amazon.co.uk: Mike Inglis: Books

[Doc]

Cheers AT.

[GazOC]

I'd be interested in a review of this book if anyone has read it?

[MikeP]

I have a copy and have "read" quite a lot of it but not all. I'm not competent to review it, but for what it is worth, I thought it was reasonably easy going.

Mike

[AstroTiger]

I purchased the book a week ago, i believe its coming from the USA (for some reason)

I would expect delivery either today or early next week.

I'll quickly sum it up i think and place my pennies worth on here :-)

[Kai]

I would appreciate a nice in depth review to see if this book would be something i would read

[AstroTiger]

Will sure aim to do that Kai!

I am reading another nice little number at the moment called the "Endless universe"

Will post something on that as soon as i am completed :-)

[AstroTiger]

The book arrived today!

First indications are, it seems a fab read.

I have a few things to get out of the way first like the usual things a hubby and expectant father has to do then i will sit and give this a through looking over.

I have browsed the contents though, thus far the test i normally use to decide if the book leaves the bookshop shelf for my library has been passed!

However, i shall explore it further before i offer up a full review.

I will advise though to the mathematically shy, there are equations a bit beyond e=mc2 in this :-)

We shall see

[SteveL]

so, we will get to read a real book review from you, instead of a review of the purchase, delivery and arrival of the book? Fantastic

[Doc]

Can't wait for this

Would make a nice xmas prezzie.

[AstroTiger]

so, we will get to read a real book review from you, instead of a review of the purchase, delivery and arrival of the book? Fantastic

Oh come on now SteveL lol, i gots to build up the suspense a little

I mean it would just not be fun any other way now would it ;-)

EDIT

_________________

Oh, you wern't being sarky? hehehehe

No, seriously though i will have a good read, and advise all of what i learn from it.

First indications are though its a good read. Though it took a week or more to arrive from amazon.

It does look at the main tools of the astronomer, details of spectroscopy etc as you might expect.

I aim to have more than just a review of its purchase, arrival etc by middle of next week.

So keep your wallets in your pockets until then :-)

[AstroTiger]

Hi Guys

After some time of faffing around with work committments, i have finally had time to sit and have a read of this.

At first glance the book seems to provide an ideal introduction into graduate level astrophyics, without the pain of complex mathematics.

If i waited until i had read the entire book though i would never be writing this.

However with xmas coming i belief its an ace read.

For example, the text goes into great detail as to what supernovae are and their classes.

I read a little further, it then goes on to discuss the Roche radius, which defines everything which is gravitationally bound to a star.

I feel if nothing else other than to see the maths used for calculating the receding velocity of a galaxy or star based upon the Ha line, it for me was certainly worth the pennies just for that.

To add the icing on the cake though, the text even offers the definitions for calculating the distance of an object using hubbles constant.

I feel this is a fantastic text.

Perhaps ideal for anyone wanting to do one of the advanced OU courses in astrophysics.

The other great thing is examples are given of each thing the text discusses. Most of which is within the range of a medium amateur telescope.

For those who have not already purchased this, i hearliy recommend it.

[George Jones]

Looks (on google books) like a great book, but I found a small mistake on pages 151, 152 with respect to the radius-mass relation of black holes. The book gives this relation as r = 3M, but the correct expression is r = 2M, the radius of the even horizon, the point of "no return". The radius r = 3M is the radius at which light orbits (photon sphere) a black hole, but this is not the point of no return. Don't want to hijack the thread, but, if anyone wants, I could write a little more on the difference between these radii, and why I think the mistake was made.

Again, looks like a great book

[George Jones]

Looks (on google books) like a great book, but I found a small mistake on pages 151, 152 with respect to the radius-mass relation of black holes.

Looks like I was a little too hasty; everything is fine. I am too used to relativistic formulae in which the speed of light and Newton's gravitational constant are both set to unity.

The formula given in the text is R = 3M, where the 3 is actually 3 kilometres and M is the mass of the object in solar masses. This, correctly, gives a radius of 3 kilomtres for a black hole that has a mass the same as the Sun.

[AstroTiger]

No, please do George, the thread is about the book.

If you have anything to add which might help further beyond what i have written then please feel free.

Perhaps the error has already been sent to the publisher.

I willl be reading more on this tonight i think.

Thanks

AT

[Theninjagecko]

Astrophysics is easy!: an ... - Google Books