Modern Astronomy: Textbook

This textbook is based on a course of lectures given at the Baku branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University. In 2018, the lectures were given by Professor M.V. Sazhin, and in 2019, by Professor V.E. Zharov. Both authors are recognized experts in astrometry and astrophysics, winners of Russian and international scientific awards. The main goal of the textbook is to teach students the fundamentals of astronomy and astrophysics.

The book presents the fundamentals of astrometry, celestial mechanics, and gravimetry. It covers time scales, astronomical databases, and astronomical constants in detail, as well as the design of telescopes for various ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to hard gamma rays. The structure of the solar system is described taking into account recent discoveries using space research methods.

Electromagnetic processes in astrophysics, the internal structure of stars and the physical processes within them, and galaxies are discussed. A basic introduction to modern cosmology is provided.