Textbooks and Learning Resources

Note: Swinburne Astronomy Online does not supply textbooks.

SAO students have access to Swinburne University's extensive online library collection, including electronic books and journal subscriptions. Access information is provided through the Canvas SAO Community site, in which all students are automatically enrolled.

Many SAO units use one or more recommended textbooks to support the course material. Electronic editions may be less expensive and some may find it more convenient for online study.

For local (Australian) students, many of the textbooks can be ordered from the Swinburne Bookshop Cooperative.

Students may choose to purchase new or second-hand copies from a range of book suppliers. Used copies and previous editions are often suitable.

Below we will list both the recommended/required textbooks for each unit, plus some additional optional reading.

Textbooks by Unit

Introductory astronomy units

AST80004, AST80005 and AST80006 share the same introductory astronomy textbook:

  • Hardcopy: Universe, Geller, Freedman & Kaufmann, 11th edition, 2019 (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.).
    ISBN-10: 1-319-03944-8; ISBN-13: 978-1-319-03944-8
  • E-book: Universe, Geller, Freedman & Kaufmann, (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.).
    ISBN: 978-1-319-22797-5
  • Swinburne Library Access: Universe (for enrolled Swinburne students)

    • The Macmillan web site provides more information about hardcopy and (cheaper) E-book formats. We strongly recommend that students enrolling in these units obtain Universe: it is a good introductory astronomy text which covers a range of topics.

    The 10th and 9th editions of "Universe" is okay to use if you already have a copy.

AST80005 Exploring the Solar System

Required: Universe, Freedman, Geller & Kaufmann, 11th edition, 2019.

Optional further reading:

  • An Introduction to the Solar System 3rd Edition, Edited by: David A. Rothery, Neil McBride, Iain Gilmour 2018, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN: 9781108430845 (pb)
  • E-book: An Introduction to the Solar System 3rd Edition, Edited by: David A. Rothery, Neil McBride, Iain Gilmour 2018, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN: 9781108359788

    An Introduction to the Solar System is an excellent and very readable reference on our current state of knowledge of and theories about the Solar System.

AST80004 Exploring Stars and the Milky Way

Recommended: Universe, Freedman, Geller & Kaufmann, 11th edition, 2019.

Optional further reading:

  • Minding the Heavens, Leila Belkora, 2002, ISBN 9780750307307 (IoP) 1st edition
  • E-book, Minding the Heavens, Leila Belkora, 2017 (Taylor & Francis group), ISBN 9780429139994.

    Belkora's book is a useful reference for students who want more detailed information about the astronomers and scientists (Wright, Herschel, Struve, Huggins, Kapteyn, Shapley and Hubble) who first mapped the stellar content of our Galaxy and estimated the scale of the Galaxy, ending with the discovery of external galaxies by Hubble and others.

AST80006 Galaxies and Their Place in the Universe

Recommended: Universe, Freedman, Geller & Kaufmann, 11th edition, 2019.

Optional further reading:

AST80003 Cosmology and the Large-scale Structure of the Universe

Required Textbook:

  • Introduction to Cosmology, Barbara Ryden, 2nd edition, 2016 (Cambridge University Press), ISBN: 9781107154834
  • E-book: Introduction to Cosmology, Barbara Ryden, 2nd edition, 2016 (Cambridge University Press), ISBN: 9781316889848

    We strongly recommend that participants in this unit obtain a copy of this text. Ryden provides a solid foundation of the core physics involved in cosmology as well as an overview of recent astronomical observations. This book does contain equations.

Optional fuurther reading:

  • An Introduction to Modern Cosmology, Andrew Liddle, 2015, 3rd edition (Wiley), ISBN: 978-1-118-50214-3.

    • Liddle's book concerntrates on the physics rather than mathematics and has worked examples and problem sets.

AST80018 Professional Tools for Astronomical Observation

Recommended Textbook:

  • Observational Astronomy, Birney, D. S., Gonzalez, G. and Oesper, D., 2nd edition, 2006 (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 0521853702, 9780521853705, or equivalently the
  • e-book: Observational Astronomy, Birney, D. S., Gonzalez, G. and Oesper, D., 2nd edition, ISBN 9781316138311

    We recommend that participants in this unit obtain a copy of this textbook, or a later edition. It provides a thorough introduction to observational astronomy. While the text specifically focuses on optical telescopes, it does discuss observational techniques across a range of wavelengths.

Optional further reading:
  • Multimessenger Astronomy by John Etienne Beckman (2021, Springer Publishing).
    This book (or e-book) provides an outstanding and enjoyable overview of observational techniques covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum, cosmic particles, and gravitational radiation. It is a book for the general reader interested in astronomy. The author had in mind readers of New Scientist or Scientific American, and as such it does not include equations nor problem sets. It is, however, suitable for an introductory course for first year college or university students, or for those wanting to refresh their undergraduate knowledge.
  • Some of the early sections of this Unit will include reading from the Universe textbook, which is the required text for AST80004, AST80005 and AST80006.

AST80002 Astrophotography and CCD Imaging

Textbook(s):

Optional further reading:

  • Budget Astrophotography: Imaging with Your DSLR or Webcam, Jensen, Timothy J., 2015, Springer-Verlag New York, ISBN 978-1-4939-1772-3 (ebook: ISBN 978-1-4939-1773-0)

    Written for amateur astronomers interested in budget astrophotography – the deep sky, not just the Moon and planets – and for those who want to improve their imaging skills using DSLR and webcams.

AST80017 Studies in Space Exploration

Required Textbook:

  • Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics, Sellers, J. et al., 4th edition, 2015 (New York: McGraw-Hill), ISBN-10: 0990429946 ISBN-13: 978-0990429944
    • or
  • Understanding Space: An Introduction to Astronautics, Sellers, J., 3rd edition, 2007 (New York: McGraw-Hill), ISBN 0077230302 ISBN-13: 978-0073407753 ISBN-10: 0073407755.
      • NOTE: There is also a 2003 revised second edition (ISBN 0072943645).

    We strongly recommend that participants in this unit obtain a copy of this text. It covers the basics of astronautics well. Parts of the unit that are not covered by this textbook will use NASA & other website material as a prime reference.

Optional further reading:

  • Into the Final Frontier - the Human Exploration of Space, McNamara, B., 2001, (Harcourt College Publishers Philadelphia), ISBN 003032016X.

    McNamara's book includes a discussion on the early history of rocketry, the USSR-USA space race, and covers individual space missions in a detail.

  • Universe, Freedman, Geller & Kaufmann (New York: W.H. Freeman & Co.).

AST80016 Stellar Astrophysics

Required Textbook:

  • Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, Ostlie, D. A. & Carroll, B. W., 2nd edition, 2006/2007.

    There are a number of publications of this 2nd edition text including:

    Addison Wesley; 2 edition (18 July 2006) ISBN-10: 0805303480 ISBN-13: 978-0805303483

    Benjamin Cummings; 2 edition (July 28, 2006) ISBN-10: 0805303480 ISBN-13: 978-0805303483

    Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2007 Digitized 6 Apr 2011 ISBN 0805303480, 9780805303483

    Pearson; 2 edition (28 August 2013) Kindle, ISBN 9781292022932.

    Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (October 30, 2017) ISBN-10: 9781108422161 ISBN-13: 978-1108422161

    Optionally, one may prefer the electronic version of this book

  • E-book: Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics, Ostlie, D. A. & Carroll, B. W., 2nd edition, 2018 ISBN 9781108390248

    We strongly recommend that participants in this unit obtain a copy of this text. While it goes into more detail that the course material in sections and can be quite mathematical in parts, it is an excellent graduate level text and compliments the course material well.

    You can also use the textbook Introduction to Modern Astrophysics, by Carroll & Ostlie, 2nd edition, 2006/2007, and Pearson 2013/2014 edition as sections I and II are the same as the Introduction to Modern Stellar Astrophysics book.

AST80013 Major Project - Observational Astronomy

There is no required textbook for this unit.

Optional reading:

  • Digital SLR Astrophotography, Covington, M., 2007/2018, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press)

  • Handbook of CCD Astronomy, Howell, S., 2006 2nd edition, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press)

    • These two books are the same textbooks that are used in AST80002 (see above), a prerequisite for this Unit.

AST80011 Major Project - Computational Astrophysics

There is no required textbook for this Unit. Depending on which project you choose, relevant websites and scientific papers (all available online) will be provided.

AST80001 Astrobiology and the Origins of Life

Required Textbook:

  • An Introduction to Astrobiology, Rothery, D.A., Gilmour, I. and Sephton, M.A., 2018, 3rd edition (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 9781108430838 (pb).
  • E-book: An Introduction to Astrobiology, Rothery, D.A., Gilmour, I. and Sephton, M.A., 2018, 3rd edition (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 9781108359771.
  • Swinburne Library Access: An Introduction to Astrobiology

Optional further reading:

  • Frontiers of Astrobiology, Impey, C., Lunine, J. and Funes, J. (Editors) 2012, (Cambridge University Press) ISBN-13: 978-1107006416, ISBN-10: 1107006414

  • E-book: Frontiers of Astrobiology, Impey, C., Lunine, J. and Funes, J. (Editors) 2012, (Cambridge University Press) ISBN 9781139786225

    Numerous researchers discuss a wide variety of topics. Fourteen chapters are presented aimed at a broad readership.

  • Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris, S, 2004, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 9780521603256 (pb).
  • E-book: Life's Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe, Conway Morris, S, 2005, (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), ISBN 9780511075629

    Is the path to intelligent life inevitable on Earth, or is evolution random? Hence, the larger questions also arise - If intelligent life is inevitable where are our "cousins" in our Galaxy? And if we are alone what does this tell us about our Earth?

  • Astrobiology - A Multidisciplinary Approach, Lunine, J.I., 2004, (Addison-Wesley), ISBN 0805380426 (pb).

    A nice introduction to the multidisciplinary nature of astrobiology. Goes into a lot of detail, but have great introductory chapters on physics, chemistry and biology.

AST80015 Planetary Science

Required Textbook:

  • Planetary Sciences, Imke de Pater and Jack J. Lissauer, 2nd edition, 2015 (Cambridge University Press), ISBN: 9781107091610
  • E-book: Planetary Sciences, Imke de Pater and Jack J. Lissauer, 2nd edition, 2015 (Cambridge University Press), ISBN: 9781316191958
Optional further reading:

  • Solar System Evolution: A New Perspective, Stuart Ross Taylor, 2nd edition, 2005 (Cambridge University Press), ISBN 9780521675666.