Distance determination - finding out how far away different astronomical objects are - is an essential and currently highly topical subject in astronomy. A great deal of progress has been made during the last part of the 20th century. Measuring the Universe provides a unified treatment of the various techniques used for distance determination. It begins by describing methods to measure distances on Earth then gradually climbs the "distance ladder" to enable us to estimate the distance to the farthest objects, ending with a discussion of particle horizons within an expanding and inflationary universe. Aimed at first-year undergraduates of astronomy and astrophysics, the book emphasises general physical principles rather than mathematical detail. The text is enhanced and complemented by the use of many worked examples, and questions and problem solving exercises at the end of each chapter.

Really up-to-date, using the Hubble Space Telescope and Hipparchos results Currently distance measurement is a "hot topic" in astronomy Many worked examples, questions, and problem solving exercises, along with a comprehensive bibliography, help students

Autorentext

Dr. Stephen Webb has a B.Sc. in Physics from Bristol University, and Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Manchester University. He was elected as a Member of Institute of Physics and awarded status of Chartered Physicist. Stephen has three previous books with Springer, including; "Measuring the Universe: The Cosmological Distance Ladder" (1999), "If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens...Where Is Everybody" (2002), and "Out of this World" (2004). All have been well received and reviewed. "If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens...Where is Everybody?" has won several awards and was shortlisted for the prestigious Aventis Prize for popular science writing. All three books deal with areas of astronomy and cosmology that have seen tremendous advances in recent years.

Inhalt
Introduction.- First Step: The Earth.- Second Step: The Solar System.- Third Step: Nearby Stars.- Mezzanine: The Nature of Stars.- Fourth Step: More Distant Stars.- Fifth Step: The Galaxy.- Sixth Step: The Local Group.- Seventh Step: More Distant Galaxies.- Mezzanine: Cosmic Expansion.- Eighth Step: The Universe.- Appendices: Name Index. Object Index. Subject Index.