Starlight An Introduction to Stellar Physics for Amateurs [Paperback]

This is a book about the physics of stars and starlight. The story of starlight is truly fascinating. Astronomers analyze and interpret the light from stars using photometry and spectroscopy, then inspirational detective work combines with the laws of physics to reveal the temperatures, masses, luminosities and outer structure of these far away points of light. The laws of physics themselves enable us to journey to the very center of a star and to understand its inner structure and source of energy!

Starlight provides an in-depth study of stellar astrophysics that requires only basic high school mathematics and physics, making it accessible to all amateur astronomers. Starlight teaches amateur astronomers about the physics of stars and starlight in a friendly, easy-to-read way. The reader will take away a profoundly deeper understanding of this truly fascinating subject  and find his practical observations more rewarding and fulfilling as a result.

This book tells the amazing story of the physics of stars and starlight. While it is an in-depth study of stellar astrophysics, at the same time it requires only basic high school mathematics and physics, making it accessible to almost all amateur astronomers.

Chapter 1: Introduction  The River of StarlightChapter 2: Starlight by NumbersChapter 3: From Light to StarlightChapter 4: Space  The Great Radiation FieldChapter 5: A Multitude of Magnitudes for the Colors of StarlightChapter 6: The Photons Must Get Through  Radiative TransferChapter 7: First Look Inside a Star  The AtmosphereChapter 8: Deep Inside a StarChapter 9: In the Space Between StarsChapter 10: A Star Story  10 Billion Years in the MakingAppendix 1: The Greek AlphabetAppendix 2: Astronomical and Physical Units and ConstantsAppendix 3: The Doppler EffectIndex

From the reviews:

Understanding stars without understanding maths (well, almost) is Robinsons aim and he succeeds lã!