The most complete and up-to-date reference volume available on variable stars, their classification and properties.

The techniques of visual, photographic and photoelectric measurement of variable stars are accompanied by specific examples of the type of scientific results that can be and have been obtained.

In the two decades since the development of the first eclipsing-binary modeling code, new analytic techniques and the availability of powerful, sometimes dedicated computing facilities have made possible vastly improved determinations of fundamental and even transient stellar parameters. The scale of these developments, of course, raises questions about modeling tools, techniques, and philosophies, such as: Who will maintain and upgrade the codes? Will the codes be open to improvement by outsiders, and if so, how? And, indeed, what should be the goals of a modeling program? Such questions had not been aired for a long time and, for this reason alone, deserved to be discussed in as general a forum as the community provides. This volume contains material presented by Commission 42 (Close Binary Stars) during the International Astronomical Union's XXI General Assembly in Argentina, July 1991, and during IAU Colloquium 151, Cordoba, Argentina, August 1991. The techniques discussed include simulations of stellar bright and dark spots, streams, partial and complete stellar disks, prominences, and other features characterizing active stars; modeling of polarization parameters; models that use radial velocities as well as line profile simulations to model velocity field variation across stellar disks; the weighted effects of brightness asymmetries; and models for translucent eclipsing agents such as stellar winds.

Completely updated, this second Edition gives a broad review of astronomical photometry to provide an understanding of astrophysics from a data-based perspective. It explains the underlying principles of the instruments used, and the applications and inferences derived from measurements. Each chapter has been fully revised to account for the latest developments, including the uses of CCDs. Thoroughly illustrated, this book provides an overview and historical background of the subject before reviewing the main themes within astronomical photometry. The central chapters focus on the practical design of the instruments and methodology used. The book continues by discussing specialized topics in stellar astronomy, concentrating on the information that can be derived from the analysis of the light curves of variable stars and especially close binary systems. The new edition includes numerous bibliographic notes and a glossary of terms. It is ideal for graduate students, academic researchers and advanced amateurs interested in practical and observational astronomy. Book jacket.