FUNDAMENTALS OF ASTROPHYSICS

Fundamentals of Astrophysics is a self-contained textbook designed for the Major Elective course E1(B): Astrophysics. Written with the undergraduate student in mind, it develops the subject from first principles using only the mathematics expected of those who have completed introductory physics and calculus.

The book covers the four units prescribed in the syllabus: the fundamentals of positional and observational astronomy, the Solar family, astronomical techniques, and the Sun as a star. Each chapter includes worked examples wherever a numerical technique is introduced, and every chapter closes with Review Questions—divided into short-answer, long-answer, and numerical/problem categories—ideal for self-study, tutorials, or examination preparation.

Rather than treating astronomy as a collection of facts, this text emphasises the physical reasoning and mathematical relationships that allow us to convert what we observe—points of light in the sky—into physical knowledge about distant worlds, stars, and our own Solar System. Students will come away not only knowing the key facts of astronomy, but understanding why those facts are as they are, and how astronomers came to know them.