LibGuides: College of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) (OER Hub): ASTR 1020: Stellar Astronomy and Lab (ASTR 1021)

OER Materials for Stellar Astronomy

Astronomy 2e by Andrew Fraknoi
Publication Date: 2022
We invite you to come along on a series of voyages to explore the universe as astronomers understand it today. Beyond Earth are vast and magnificent realms full of objects that have no counterpart on our home planet. Nevertheless, we hope to show you that the evolution of the universe has been directly responsible for your presence on Earth today.

Kinematics and Dynamics of Galactic Stellar Populations by Rafael Cubarsi
ISBN: 9781527514805
Publication Date: 12-15-2017
Stellar dynamics is an interdisciplinary field where mathematics, statistics, physics, and astronomy overlap. The approaches to studying a stellar system include dealing with the collisionless Boltzmann equation, the Chandrasekhar equations, and stellar hydrodynamic equations, which are comparable to the equations of motion of a compressible viscous fluid. Their equivalence gives rise to the closure problem, connected with the higher-order moments of the stellar velocity distribution, which is explained and solved for maximum entropy distributions and for any velocity distribution function, depending on a polynomial function in the velocity variables. On the other hand, the Milky Way kinematics in the solar neighbourhood needs to be described as a mixture distribution accounting for the stellar populations composing the Galactic components. As such, the book offers a statistical study, according to the moments and cumulants of a population mixture, and a dynamical approach, according to a superposition of Chandrasekhar stellar systems, connected with the potential function and the symmetries of the model.

Practical Statistics for Astronomers by J. V. Wall; C. R. Jenkins
ISBN: 9780521519687
Publication Date: 2012-06-22
Astronomy needs statistical methods to interpret data, but statistics is a many-faceted subject that is difficult for non-specialists to access. This handbook helps astronomers analyze the complex data and models of modern astronomy. This second edition has been revised to feature many more examples using Monte Carlo simulations, and now also includes Bayesian inference, Bayes factors and Markov chain Monte Carlo integration. Chapters cover basic probability, correlation analysis, hypothesis testing, Bayesian modelling, time series analysis, luminosity functions and clustering. Exercises at the end of each chapter guide readers through the techniques and tests necessary for most observational investigations. The data tables, solutions to problems, and other resources are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521732499. Bringing together the most relevant statistical and probabilistic techniques for use in observational astronomy, this handbook is a practical manual for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and professional astronomers.

Challenges in Stellar Pulsation by L. A. Balona
ISBN: 9781608053667
Publication Date: 2010-07-30
"Ever since some stars were found to pulsate in the early 20th century, stellar pulsation has been a major topic in astronomy and astrophysics. The huge amount of data recently available from observational surveys, new discoveries from space missions and s"

Project Earth Science: Astronomy by Geoff Holt; Nancy W. West
ISBN: 9781936137336
Publication Date: 2011-01-30
Students explore concepts in 11 teacher-tested activities. Background materials, detailed and illustrated procedures, and supplemental resources provide students and teachers with tools to understand Earth as one planet among many in our solar system--and universe.

Peay Search logo

Many more eBooks are available to access through PeaySearch. Try this strategy that searches for the subject keyword "Astronomy" in books that are available online.

Astronomy by MDPI
Astronomy is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on observational astronomy, theoretical astronomy and other specific subfields published quarterly online by MDPI.

Experimental Astronomy by Editor-in-Chief Peter von Ballmoos
xperimental Astronomy is a medium for the publication of papers on astrophysical instrumentation and methods throughout all five channels of information: Electromagnetic Radiation Astronomy, Solar System Observation and Exploration, Cosmic-Ray Detection, Neutrino Astronomy, and Gravitational-Wave Astronomy.
Reports on astrophysical instrumentation and methods encompassing all astrophysical messengers.
Publishes full-length articles, research letters and reviews on detection techniques, instruments, and data analysis and image processing techniques.
Occasional special issues give an in-depth presentation of specific projects, such as satellite experiments, ground-based telescopes, or of specialized techniques.
Offers open access publishing at no cost to corresponding authors from participating institutions through Springer Nature Transformative agreements.
All papers published in the journal are subject to thorough and strict peer-reviewing.

Astronomy & Geophysics (online) by Royal Astronomical Society
Astronomy & Geophysics (A&G) is the RAS's bimonthly house magazine, distributed to all Fellows of the society. It publishes articles, news and reviews on topics in astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, planetary science, solar-terrestrial physics, global and regional geophysics, and the history of these subjects. A&G also publishes discussions of topical items, reports of meetings, scientific news reports, and acts as a forum for discussion of all matters of interest to professional astronomers and geophysicists.

Description: The Trappist-1 stellar system lies 4 light years beyond our sun. It’s home to seven Earth-like planets, and one of them could harbour life. Visionary pioneers across the globe are using data to extrapolate entire worlds, but what progress has been made on the search for life on another planet in the universe.

The video above is provided through Alexander Street and is available to students through a subscription provided by Woodward Library. A search for Stellar Astronomy results in access to thousands of videos with captions included. Students will need to authenticate with their library username and password when accessing these titles off-campus. A new tool from ASP called Video Interaction Functionality is now available to faculty members. This functionality promotes student engagement by allowing professors to embed assessment and pedagogical tools within the videos.

Over a thousand years ago, the stellar explosion known as supernova SN 1006 was observed. It was brighter than Venus, and visible during the day for weeks. The brightest supernova ever recorded on Earth, this spectacular light show was documented all around the world. Ancient observers were treated to this celestial firework display without understanding its cause. Astronomers now understand that SN 1006 was caused by a white dwarf star that captured mass from a companion star, became unstable and exploded. The explosion has left a blazing hot cloud of expanding debris. Because no material falls back into a neutron star or black hole after this type of supernova explosion, the expulsion of this star's contents is complete. Recent observations of the remnant of SN 1006 reveal the release of elements such as iron previously locked up inside the star. Is it the beginning of a process for the creation of a new world?

Activities for Stellar Astronomy by Richard Wagner, Andrea Goering
Publication Date: 08/01/2022
hese activities cover topics in Stellar Astronomy, aligned with the OpenStax Astronomy textbook. Topics cover chapters 1, 2, 5, 15-23, and sections of chapter 24 concerning black holes. All activities are designed to be done in small groups in the classroom, but most can be adapted for use as homework or projects. Quantitative and Hands-on activities may be used as labs.

Interactive Lecture Slides for Stellar Astronomy by Richard Wagner, Andrea Goering
Publication Date: 08/01/2022
The lecture slides linked below cover a 10-week course on Stellar Astronomy using the OpenStax Astronomy textbook. Topics cover chapters 1, 2, 5, 15-23, and sections of chapter 24 concerning black holes. While aligned with topics in the textbook, slides are not a 1-to-1 mapping of the textbook and contain additional content, ideas, and discussion.

Opportunities for active engagement and interaction using peer instruction techniques (think-pair-share and discussion questions) are built into the slides. References to related activities and labs are also included. Slides are provided as Google Slides documents for easy adaptation. Each chapter has a complete version of the slides along with separated slides for different topics in the chapter.

Stellar Parallax by Khan Academy
Publication Date: 07/11/2011
Another version of the stellar parallax introduction. Created by Sal Khan.

Stellar Brightness Formative Assessment by Nathan Windel
Publication Date: 11/21/2019
This resource provides a short reading section with a figure and data table and a few questions about the text. It was created with standardized assessment in mind and aligned with Next Generation Science Standards.

Astronomy Activities for Teachers on The Web by Andrew Fraknoi
Publication Date: July 26, 2008 Added to Merlot
An annotated list of some of the best hands-on activities for teaching astronomy that are available without charge on the web. Originally put together for Timothy Ferris PBS special "Seeing in the Dark", this listing remains available on the PBS web site and can be a good starting point for a K-12 teacher (or even a community college instructor) wishing to get started with some fun activities for helping students understand the sky and the objects in it.

ADS: The SAO / NASA Astrophysics Data System This link opens in a new window
Digital Library portal for researchers in Astronomy and Physics, operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) under a NASA grant.
Provides access to three databases containing more than 6 million abstracts: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics and Geophysics, and the arXiv.org preprints in Astronomy

The main body of data in the ADS consists of bibliographic records, which are searchable through our Abstract Service query forms, and full-text scans of much of the astronomical literature which can be browsed though our Browse Service

Click on the Journal Abbreviation List to see a full list of journals and their abbreviations.

The full-text scans available in the ADS can be browsed through the ADS Browse Service.