1. Introduction -- 1.1 The Role of Astronomy -- 1.2 Astronomical Objects of Research -- 1.3 The Scale of the Universe -- 2. Spherical Astronomy -- 2.1 Spherical Trigonometry -- 2.2 The Earth -- 2.3 The Celestial Sphere -- 2.4 The Horizontal System -- 2.5 The Equatorial System -- 2.6 The Ecliptic System -- 2.7 The Galactic Coordinates -- 2.8 Perturbations of Coordinates -- 2.9 Constellations -- 2.10 Star Catalogues and Maps -- 2.11 Positional Astronomy -- 2.12 Time Reckoning -- 2.13 Astronomical Time Systems -- 2.14 Calendars -- 2.15 Exercises -- 3. Observations and Instruments -- 3.1 Observing Through the Atmosphere -- 3.2 Optical Telescopes -- 3.3 Detectors -- 3.4 Radio Telescopes -- 3.5 Other Wavelength Regions -- 3.6 Instruments of the Future -- 3.7 Other Forms of Energy -- 3.8 Exercises -- 4. Photometric Concepts and Magnitudes -- 4.1 Intensity, Flux Density and Luminosity -- 4.2 Apparent Magnitudes -- 4.3 Magnitude Systems -- 4.4 Absolute Magnitudes -- 4.5 Extinction and Optical Thickness -- 4.6 Exercises -- 5. Radiation Mechanisms -- 5.1 Radiation of Atoms and Molecules -- 5.2 The Hydrogen Atom -- 5.3 Quantum Numbers, Selection Rules, Population Numbers -- 5.4 Molecular Spectra -- 5.5 Continuous Spectra -- 5.6 Blackbody Radiation -- 5.7 Other Radiation Mechanisms -- 5.8 Radiative Transfer -- 5.9 Exercises -- 6. Temperatures -- 6.1 Exercises -- 7. Celestial Mechanics -- 7.1 Equations of Motion -- 7.2 Solution of the Equation of Motion -- 7.3 Equation of the Orbit and Kepler's First Law -- 7.4 Orbital Elements -- 7.5 Kepler's Second and Third Law -- 7.6 Orbit Determination -- 7.7 Position in the Orbit -- 7.8 Escape Velocity -- 7.9 Virial Theorem -- 7.10 The Jeans Limit -- 7.11 Exercises -- 8. The Solar System -- 8.1 An Overview -- 8.2 Planetary Configurations -- 8.3 Orbit of the Earth -- 8.4 Orbit of the Moon -- 8.5 Eclipses and Occultations -- 8.6 Albedos -- 8.7 Planetary Photometry, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy -- 8.8 Thermal Radiation of the Planets -- 8.9 The Structure of Planets -- 8.10 Planetary Surfaces -- 8.11 Atmospheres and Magnetospheres -- 8.12 Mercury -- 8.13 Venus -- 8.14 The Earth and the Moon -- 8.15 Mars -- 8.16 Asteroids -- 8.17 Jupiter -- 8.18 Saturn -- 8.19 Uranus, Neptune and Pluto -- 8.20 Minor Bodies of the Solar System -- 8.21 Cosmogony -- 8.22 Other Solar Systems -- 8.23 Exercises -- 9. Stellar Spectra -- 9.1 Measuring Spectra -- 9.2 The Harvard Spectral Classification -- 9.3 The Yerkes Spectral Classification -- 9.4 Peculiar Spectra -- 9.5 The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram -- 9.6 Model Atmospheres -- 9.7 What Do the Observations Tell Us -- 10. Binary Stars and Stellar Masses -- 10.1 Visual Binaries -- 10.2 Astrometric Binary Stars -- 10.3 Spectroscopic Binaries -- 10.4 Photometric Binary Stars -- 10.5 Exercises -- 11. Stellar Structure -- 11.1 Internal Equilibrium Conditions -- 11.2 Physical State of the Gas -- 11.3 Stellar Energy Sources -- 11.4 Stellar Models -- 11.5 Exercises -- 12. Stellar Evolution -- 12.1 Evolutionary Time Scales -- 12.2 The Contraction of Stars Towards the Main Sequence -- 12.3 The Main Sequence Phase -- 12.4 The Giant Phase -- 12.5 The Final Stages of Evolution -- 12.6 The Evolution of Close Binary Stars -- 12.7 Comparison with Observations -- 12.8 The Origin of the Elements -- 13. The Sun -- 13.1 Internal Structure -- 13.2 The Atmosphere -- 13.3 Solar Activity -- 14. Variable Stars -- 14.1 Classification -- 14.2 Pulsating Variables -- 14.3 Eruptive Variables -- 14.4 Exercises -- 15. Compact Stars -- 15.1 White Dwarfs -- 15.2 Neutron Stars -- 15.3 Black Holes -- 16. The Interstellar Medium -- 16.1 Interstellar Dust -- 16.2 Interstellar Gas -- 16.3 Interstellar Molecules -- 16.4 The Formation of Protostars -- 16.5 Planetary Nebulae -- 16.6 Supernova Remnants -- 16.7 The Hot Corona of the Milky Way -- 16.8 Cosmic Rays and the Interstellar Magnetic Field -- 17. Star Clusters and Associations -- 17.1 Associations -- 17.2 Open Star Clusters -- 17.3 Globular Star Clusters -- 18. The Milky Way -- 18.1 Methods of Distance Measurement -- 18.2 Stellar Statistics -- 18.3 The Rotation of the Milky Way -- 18.4 The Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way -- 18.5 Exercises -- 19. Galaxies -- 19.1 The Classification of Galaxies -- 19.2 Elliptical Galaxies -- 19.3 Spiral Galaxies -- 19.4 Lenticular Galaxies -- 19.5 Luminosities of Galaxies -- 19.6 Masses of Galaxies -- 19.7 Systems of Galaxies -- 19.8 Distances of Galaxies -- 19.9 Active Galaxies and Quasars -- 19.10 The Origin and Evolution of Galaxies -- 20. Cosmology -- 20.1 Cosmological Observations -- 20.2 The Cosmological Principle -- 20.3 Homogeneous and Isotropic Universes -- 20.4 The Friedmann Models -- 20.5 Cosmological Tests -- 20.6 History of the Universe -- 20.7 The Future of the Universe -- Appendices -- A. Mathematics -- A.1 Geometry -- A.2 Taylor Series -- A.3 Vector Calculus -- A.4 Conic Sections -- A.5 Multiple Integrals -- A.6 Numerical Solution of an Equation -- B. Quantum Mechanics -- B.1 Quantum Mechanical Model of Atoms. Quantum Numbers -- B.2 Selection Rules and Transition Probabilities -- B.3 Heisenberg' Uncertainty Principle -- B.4 Exclusion Principle -- C. Theory of Relativity -- C.1 Basic Concepts -- C.2 Lorentz Transformation. Minkowski Space -- C.3 General Relativity -- C.4 Tests of General Relativity -- D. Radio Astronomy Fundamentals -- D.1 Antenna Definitions -- D.2 Antenna Temperature and Flux Density -- E. Tables -- Further Reading -- Photograph Credits.