Measuring the Universe: The Cosmological Distance Ladder

About this book

A unified treatment of the various techniques used for distance determination. The text begins by describing methods to measure distances on Earth, then gradually climbs the "distance ladder" to enable us to estimate the distance to the farthest objects, ending with a discussion of particle horizons within an expanding and inflationary universe. Aimed at first-year astronomy and astrophysics undergraduates, the book emphasises general physical principles rather than mathematical detail, and is enhanced and complemented by many worked examples, questions and problem-solving exercises at the end of each chapter.