Scientific astronomy

'How can we tell a star’s distance, age or temperature?' – 'How is it possible to explain the development of the universe?' Working as an astronomer we get regularly asked similar questions. Scientifi c Astronomy provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to selected important astrophysical topics. With more than 130 images and illustrations, many of them in colour, the book was written with the dedicated audience in mind who wishes to accomplish deeper insight into astronomical processes. Nevertheless, it is also an astrophysical textbook for those who study astronomy as major or as subsidiary subject. The reader will attain astrophysical background knowledge not only by learning the theoretical basis but also by performing practical project tasks. He or she will experience sort of 'hands-on-astronomy' in form of easy-to-understand astrophysical computer simulations which let them comprehend some of an astronomer‘s daily real world tasks. Nonetheless, the book also contains the essential physical and mathematical groundwork often enough omitted from other textbooks