An Introduction to Distance Measurement in Astronomy (ePub)

Distance determination is an essential technique in astronomy, and
is briefly covered in most textbooks on astrophysics and cosmology.
It is rarely covered as a coherent topic in its own right. When it
is discussed the approach is frequently very dry, splitting the
teaching into, for example, stars, galaxies and cosmologies, and as
a consequence, books lack depth and are rarely comprehensive.

Adopting a unique and engaging approach to the subject An
Introduction to distance Measurement in Astronomy will take the
reader on a journey from the solar neighbourhood to the edge of the
Universe, discussing the range of distance measurements methods on
the way. The book will focus on the physical processes
discussing properties that underlie each method, rather than just
presenting a collection of techniques.

As well as providing the most compressive account of distance
measurements to date, the book will use the common theme of
distance measurement to impart basic concepts relevant to a wide
variety of areas in astronomy/astrophysics.

The book will provide an updated account of the progress made in
a large number of subfields in astrophysics, leading to improved
distance estimates particularly focusing on the underlying
physics. Additionally it will illustrate the pitfalls in
these areas and discuss the impact of the remaining uncertainties
in the complete understanding of the Universes at large. As a
result the book will not only provide a comprehensive study of
distance measurement, but also include many recent advances in
astrophysics.