Radio Astronomy [Spiral-bound]

John Daniel Kraus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1986 | ISBN-10: 1882484002 | ISBN-13: 978-1882484003 | Edition: 2

RADIO ASTRONOMY is the classic text and reference book which has served a generation of the world's radio astronomers, now in a much enlarged, updated edition. "Authoritative, encyclopedic, presented clearly and elegantly", Sky and Telescope. "The standard textbook on radio astronomy used by professionals and amateurs alike", Radio Astronomy Magazine. "A useful, up-to-date, clear and pedagogically often brilliant introduction to the subject", Scientific American.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author, John Kraus, is McDougal Professor of Electrical Engineering and Astronomy, Emeritus, The Ohio State University. He is a pioneer radio astronomer and a designer and builder of radio telescopes. He is author of Big Ear II and Our Cosmic Universe and with co-authors of Electromagnetics, 5th edition, and Antennas, 3rd edition. He has received many awards and medals including the Edison and Heinrich Hertz gold medals of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 719 pages
• Publisher: Cygnus-Quasar Books; 2 edition (June 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882484002
• ISBN-13: 978-1882484003
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #961,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Prof. John Kraus' RADIO ASTRONOMY 2nd ed., March 15, 2002

By 

Prof. Christopher K. Walker (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radio Astronomy (Spiral-bound)

Prof. Kraus' book RADIO ASTONOMY 2nd ed. is THE classic textbook
on radio astronomy. Radio astronomy is an exponentially growing
field of research through which we can gain insight into
everything from the origin of our solar system to the origin of
the Universe itself. Unlike the beginning of optical astronomy
which is lost in the midsts of time, radio astronomy can trace
its beginnings to 1931 with Karl Jansky's pioneering work at
Bell Laboratories. Dr. Kraus was also there at the beginning,
attending Jansky's first public lecture and contributing
technically, scientifically, and in education to this emerging
field ever since. This experience gives Dr. Kraus a unique
vantage point from which to write his book. In the book,
Dr. Kraus carefully and methodically covers the basics of radio
astronomy, wave polarization & propagation, radio telescope
antennas & receivers, and discusses radio observations of the
solar system, interstellar medium, pulsars, and external
galaxies. Dr. Kraus is an excellent technical writer. He provides
worked out examples and illustrations for many of the most
important problems one encounters in this field. Indeed, this
book serves as an important working reference for radio
astronomers as well as an introduction to new comers. The writing
is clear. Unlike with many textbooks, when one finishes reading a
chapter in RADIO ASTRONOMY, you will have enough practical
knowledge to actually solve real problems in radio astronomy
pertaining to the subject matter. For anyone interested in radio
astronomy as a hobby or career, I would say this book is a MUST.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good for physicists with engineering background, July 24, 2000

By 

srikanth (RRI, Bangalore, INDIA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radio Astronomy (Spiral-bound)

Perhaps referred as the BIBLE of radio-astronomy, this book has everything. Though the novice user may find it intimidating because of the technicality of the material, the book is still a reference book for many. This book has been designed as a course-work and the formal approach to teaching by means of worked out examples and exercises are clearly visible. The author is a Prof at Ohio state, has an absolute mastery of the subject and a strong historical background about the start and his involvement in this movement to boot. Though the starting of the chapters are very abrupt, this is passeable as the book is intended for graduate studies and it is implicit that one knows the basics. Ex: He directly jumps into "polarization" without explaining the term lucidly for a lay-man. Some new chapters have been added to make the book more upto date as possible.

On the whole, a good buy for a person with a technical bent of mind with a strong foundation of basics in this field.