SAO Textbooks

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SAO Textbooks
Please read the general textbook information. Click on the subject code to view specific textbook information for that Unit: HET602 HET606 HET610 HET615 HET603 HET607 HET611 HET616 HET604 HET608 HET612 HET617 HET605 HET609 HET614 HET618

General Textbook Information

Note: Swinburne Astronomy Online does not supply textbooks. For local (Australian) students, many of the textbooks can be ordered from the Swinburne Student Bookshop Cooperative. Note that their quoted prices do not include postage - contact them by phone or fax to find out postage costs. Contact information for the Bookshop can be found on their webpage. For more distant students, we suggest you try your local university or college bookshop, or buy your textbooks online through amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. You may find cheaper books by searching DirectTextbooks and StudentMarket.com. Below we will list both textbooks required for each unit, plus some additional recommended reading. Note that the textbooks are required, while the recommended reading are optional references for further reading and are not required.

HET 602 Exploring the Solar System

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET602 is:
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Universe, Freedman & Kaufmann, 2007, 8th edition (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.). ISBN 0716795647. We strongly recommend that individuals enrolling in HET602 obtain Universe: it is a good introductory 'new-generation' astronomy text. It is accompanied by a CDROM which contains a number of animations which will complement those developed for this course, plus the shareware version of an excellent Planetarium software product called Starry Night. The 8th edition also has a very nice companion website at http://www.whfreeman.com/universe8e/. Note that Universe is also the prescribed text for HET603 and HET604. In Australia, Universe is distributed by Palgrave Macmillan Australia. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of W. H. Freeman, Palgrave Macmillan Australia and the Swinburne Student Bookshop Cooperative in obtaining Universe at a special price to help overcome the difficulties caused by the present $US to $AUD exchange rate.
Note that the 7th edition of "Universe" will also suffice.

Recommended Reading:

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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Optional reference for further reading:

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The New Solar System, editors Beatty, J. K., Petersen, C. C. & Chaikin, A., 1999, 4th edition (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521645875. The New Solar System is an excellent and very readable reference on our current state of knowledge of and theories about the Solar System. It is not a traditional introductory-level textbook, but contains a wealth of material which would be useful to those already familiar with the basics of physics and Solar System astronomy and overall covers topics in more depth than the Universe textbook does.

Physics & Chemistry of the Solar System, Lewis, J. S., 2004, 2nd edition (Elsevier Academic Press), ISBN 012446744X. As the title suggests, Lewis's text provides a more detailed study of both the physics and chemistry of the solar system studies. It is an excellent text for those who want to understand the fundamanetals of planetary science.

HET603 Exploring Stars and the Milky Way

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET603 is:
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Universe, Freedman & Kaufmann, 2007, 8th edition (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.). ISBN 0716795647. We strongly recommend that students enrolling in HET603 obtain Universe: it is a good introductory 'new-generation' astronomy text. It is accompanied by a CDROM which contains a number of animations which will complement those developed for this course, plus the shareware version of an excellent Planetarium software product called Starry Night. The 8th edition also has a very nice companion website at http://www.whfreeman.com/universe8e/. In Australia, Universe is distributed by Macmillan Australia. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of W. H. Freeman, Palgrave Macmillan Australia and the Swinburne Student Bookshop Cooperative in obtaining Universe at a special price to help overcome the difficulties caused by the present $US to $AUD exchange rate.
Note that the 7th edition of "Universe" will also suffice.

Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:

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Minding the Heavens, Leila Belkora, 2003 (London, UK: Institute of Physics Publishing), ISBN 0750307307 (pb). Belkora's book is a useful reference for students who want more detailed information about the astronomers and scientists (Wright, Herschel, Struve, Huggins, Kapteyn, Shapley and Hubble) who first mapped the stellar content of our Galaxy and estimated the scale of the Galaxy, ending with the discovery of external galaxies by Hubble and others.

HET604 Exploring Galaxies and the Cosmos

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET604 is:
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Universe, Freedman & Kaufmann, 2007, 8th edition (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.). ISBN 0716795647.

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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We strongly recommend that students enrolling in HET604 obtain Universe: it is a good introductory 'new-generation' astronomy text. It is accompanied by a CDROM which contains a number of animations which will complement those developed for this course, plus the shareware version of an excellent Planetarium software product called Starry Night. The 8th edition also h as a very nice companion website at http://www.whfreeman.com/universe8e/. In Australia, Universe is distributed by Palgrave Macmillan Australia. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of W. H. Freeman, Macmillan Australia and the Swinburne Student Bookshop Cooperative in obtaining Universe at a special price to help overcome the difficulties caused by the present $US to $AUD exchange rate.
Note that the 7th edition of "Universe" will also suffice.

Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:

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Galaxies in the Universe - An Introduction, Sparke & Gallagher, 2000 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521592410 (hc), 0521597404 (pb). Sparke & Gallagher is a useful reference for students who want to delve more deeply into both the physics and mathematics of galactic astronomy than the course material covers (and note that there is quite a bit of maths in this book). It is optional however, as the HET604 course material plus resource material on the internet are sufficient to cover the required course material for this unit.

Minding the Heavens, Leila Belkora, 2003 (London, UK: Institute of Physics Publishing), ISBN 0750307307 (pb). Belkora's book is a useful reference for students who want more detailed information about the astronomers and scientists (Wright, Herschel, Struve, Huggins, Kapteyn, Shapley and Hubble) who first mapped the stellar content of our Galaxy and estimated the scale of the Galaxy, ending with the discovery of external galaxies by Hubble and others.

HET605 Theories of Space and Time

Required Textbooks: There are two textbooks for HET605:
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For the Special Relativity and General Relativity sections: (1) Understanding Relativity: A Simplified Approach to Einstein's Theories, Leo Sartori, 1996 (University of California Press), ISBN: 0520200292 (pb), ASIN: 0520079868 (hc-1995 ed.) For the Cosmology section: (2) The State of the Universe: A Primer in Modern Cosmology, Pedro Ferreira, 2007 (Phoenix Press), ISBN 0753822563 (pb). We strongly recommend that participants in HET605 obtain copies of both text for this Unit. Unfortunately no single text covers the material (special relativity, general relativity, cosmology) in this Unit adequately and at the appropriate level, so we have chosen relatively inexpensive but comprehensive texts which will complement our course material well. (A recent search on amazon.com found that these two textbooks came to less than US$45.)

Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:

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Relativity: The Special and the General Theory, Albert Einstein, 1995 reprint ed. (Crown Publishing), ISBN: 0517884410 (pb)

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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Spacetime Physics, Taylor, E. F. & Wheeler, J. A., 1992 (New York: WH Freeman & Co.) ISBN 0716723271. Note that this optional reference text costs more that the two prescribed texts!

HET606 Tools of Modern Astronomy

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET606 is:
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Observational Astronomy, Birney, D. S., Gonzalez, G. and Oesper, D., 2006, 2nd edition (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521853702. We recommend that participants in HET606 obtain a copy of this text. It provides a thorough introduction to observational astronomy. While the text specifically focuses on optical telescopes, it discusses observational techniques across a range of wavelengths. Links to appropriate websites for other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum will also be provided. Some of the early sections of the course will include reading from the Universe textbook, which is the required text for HET602, HET603 and HET604.

HET607 History of Astronomy

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET607 is:
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The Cambridge Concise History Of Astronomy, editor Hoskin, M., 1999 (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521572916 (hc), 0521576008 (pb). We strongly recommend that participants in HET607 obtain a copy of the text which is very interesting and gives lively overviews of the history of astronomy and complements our course material well.

Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:

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Minding the Heavens, Leila Belkora, 2003, (London, UK: Institute of Physics Publishing), ISBN 0750307307 (pb). Belkora's book is a useful reference for students who want more detailed information about the astronomers and scientists (Wright, Herschel, Struve, Huggins, Kapteyn, Shapley and Hubble) who first mapped the stellar content of our Galaxy and estimated the scale of the Galaxy, ending with the discovery of external galaxies by Hubble and others.

HET608 Introductory Radio Astronomy & SETI

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET608 is:
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An Introduction to Radio Astronomy, Burke & Graham-Smith, 2nd edition, 2002, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521005175 (pb). We strongly recommend that participants in HET608 obtain a copy of this text. While it might seem to be an advanced text, we will step you through it and recommend appropriate sections. The Burke & Graham-Smith book is an excellent

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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reference for students who want to delve more deeply into radio astronomy techniques and science than does the course material, and are happy to do so at a higher mathematical level. However, HET608 students are not required to do the mathematics presented in the text, so please don't panic! Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:
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Sharing the Universe: The Quest for Extraterrestrial Life, Shostak, S., 1998, (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Hills Books or Lansdowne Publishing), ISBN 1863026290.
NOTE: this book is exactly the same as: Sharing the Universe: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life, Shostak, S. & Drake, F., 1998, (Beverly Hills Books), ISBN 0965377431)

This text is quite informally written, but contains an excellent discussion of issues central to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Note that this text is unfortunately now out of print, so may be difficult to source.

HET609 Astrophotography and CCD Imaging

Required Textbook: The textbooks for HET609 are:
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Astrophotography for the Amateur, Covington, M., 2nd edition, 1999, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521641330 (hc), 0521627400 (pb). Handbook of CCD Astronomy, Howell, S., 2000, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 052164058X (hc), 0521648343 (pb). We strongly recommend that participants in HET609 obtain a copy of both of these texts unless they are already familiar with much of the subject matter and own broadly equivalent books. These two textbooks are somewhat expensive, but cover the course material well. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts of Cambridge University Press and the Swinburne Student Bookshop Cooperative in offering this pair of books at a special price to help overcome the difficulties caused by the present $US to $AUD exchange rate.

HET610 Studies in Space Exploration

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET610 is:
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Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics, Sellers, J., 2nd edition, 2000, (New York: McGraw-Hill), ISBN 0072424680.
NOTE: amazon.com also have revised edition 2 of this textbook published in 2003 (ISBN 0072943645). Mcgraw-Hill also have a 3rd edition published in 2005 (ISBN 0073407755). Either of these versions are also fine.

We strongly recommend that participants in HET610 obtain a copy of this text. It covers the basics of astronautics well. Parts of the unit that are not covered by this textbook will use NASA & other website material as a prime reference. Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:
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Into the Final Frontier - the Human Exploration of Space, McNamara, B., 2001,

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(Harcourt College Publishers Philadelephia), ISBN 003032016X. McNamara's book includes a discussion on the early history of rocketry, the USSRUSA space race, and covers individual space missions in a detail.

HET611 Stellar Astrophysics

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET611 is:
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Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, Ostlie, B. W. & Carroll, D. A., (Second edition) 2007, (Reading, Massachussetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing), ISBN 0805304029. We strongly recommend that participants in HET611 obtain a copy of this text. While it goes into more detail that the course material in sections and can be quite mathematical in parts, it is an excellent graduate level text and compliments the course material well. You can also use the textbook Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, by Ostlie & Carroll, (Second edition) 2007 [ISBN 0321442849], as sections I and II are the same as the Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics book.

HET612 Major Project - History of Astronomy

There is no required textbook for HET612. Recommended Reading: However the following optional references can be useful:
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HET607 History of Astronomy CD-ROM The Cambridge Concise History Of Astronomy, Hoskin, M. (ed.), 1999, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521572916 (hc), 0521576008 (pb). The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy, Hoskin, M. (ed.), 1997, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521411580 (hc). These are the same textbooks that are used in HET607, a prerequisite for this Unit.

HET614 Introduction to Particle Physics and High Energy Astrophysics

Required Textbook: The textbook for HET614 is:
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The Particle Garden: Our Universe As Understood by Particle Physicists, Kane, G., 1996, (Reading, MA: Helix Books for Perseus Press), ISBN 0201407809 (hc), 0201408260 (pb). We strongly recommend that participants in HET614 obtain a copy of this inexpensive text.

Recommended Reading: Optional reference for further reading:

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Exploring the X-Ray Universe, Charles & Seward (ed.), 1995, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521261821 (hc), 0521437121 (pb).

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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Facts and Mysteries in Elementary Particle Physics, Veltman, M.G., 2003, (World Scientific Publishing ), ISBN 981238149X. Charles & Seward's book is a useful reference for students who want to delve more deeply into high energy astrophysics than does the course material, and are happy to do so at a higher mathematical level. It is optional, however, as it is fairly expensive. Furthermore, the 1995 edition is now somewhat outdated in places and it does not cover all the areas of high energy astrophysics discussed in this unit, but it is a good textbook all the same. The HET614 course material plus resource material on the Internet are sufficient to cover the high energy astrophysics part of this unit. The Veltman text was recommended by a HET614 student!

HET615 Major Project - Observational Astronomy

There is no required textbook for HET615. Recommended Reading: However the following optional references can be useful:
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Astrophotography for the Amateur, Covington, M., 2nd edition, 1999, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521641330 (hc), 0521627400 (pb). Handbook of CCD Astronomy, Howell, S., 2000, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 052164058X (hc), 0521648343 (pb). These are the same textbooks that are used in HET609, a prerequisite for this Unit.

HET616 Great Debates in Astronomy

There is no required textbook for this Unit. Links to relevant websites will be provided. Recommended Reading: Optional reference books for further reading include:
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The Cambridge Concise History Of Astronomy, Hoskin, M. (ed.), 1999, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521572916 (hc), 0521576008 (pb). Universe, Freedman & Kaufmann, 2004, 7 th edition (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.). ISBN 0-7167-9884-0. Minding the Heavens, Leila Belkora, 2003, (London, UK: Institute of Physics Publishing), ISBN 0 7503 0730 7 (pb). Belkora's book is a useful reference for students who want more detailed information about the astronomers and scientists (Wright, Herschel, Struve, Huggins, Kapteyn, Shapley and Hubble) who first mapped the stellar content of our Galaxy and estimated the scale of the Galaxy, ending with the discovery of external galaxies by Hubble and others.

HET617 Major Project - Computational Astrophysics

There is no required textbook for this Unit. Depending on which project you choose, relevant websites and scientific papers (all available online) will be provided.

HET618 Astrobiology and the Origins of Life

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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Required Textbook: The textbook for HET618 is:

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An Introduction to Astrobiology, Gilmour, I. and Sephton, M.A., 2003, (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521546214 (pb). We strongly recommend that participants in HET618 obtain a copy of this text.

Recommended Reading:
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Astrobiology - A Multidisciplinary Approach, Lunine, J.I., 2004, (AddisonWesley), ISBN 0805380426 (pb). A nice introduction to the multidisciplinary nature of astrobiology. Goes into a lot of detail, but have great introductory chapters on physics, chemistry and biology.

Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris, S, 2003, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521827043 (hc). Is the path to intelligent life inevitable on Earth, or is evolution random? Hence, the larger questions also arise - If intelligent life is inevitable where are our "cousins" in our Galaxy? And if we are alone what does this tell us about our Earth?

http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/sao/students/textbooks.xml

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