The objectives of the website are as follows:

1)To provide updates on the material in fast moving areas of research - an obvious example is the chapter on Extra-Solar Planets where new planets are being discovered on a monthly basis - first examples are for Chapters 2 and 4.

2) To provide additional images to support the text - a first example for Chapter 8.

3) To provide additional worked examples to illustrate the concepts described in the text - a first example for Chapter 3.

4) To provide links to video lectures by the author which relate to aspects included within the book - an example is "Proving Einstein Right" which relates to work discussed in several chapters.  Twelve lectures are now available, and six more will be added over the next academic year starting in October 2009:

The Search for Planet X

400 years of the Telescope

Impact!

Wonder's of the Southern Skies

Life on Mars?

The Afterglow of Creation

5) To provide PDF's of lectures given by the author as he gave the course on which this book is based.  These, themselves, add many images, but could also act as suitable revision documents as they precis the concepts covered in the book's text. (All of these are now available.)

6) To list any corrections/ammendments that might be found in the first edition.   My colleagues have been of great help in trying to remove any errors, but I know only too well that some will still remain.  Please let me know of these - or of any comments that you might wish to make to:

im@jb.man.ac.uk.

[Note to prospective lecturers of a course based on this book: I will be willing to make the powerpoints from which the PDF's are derived available to you if this might prove of help.  I can also provide a number of suitable examination papers covering the material of the course. ]

This building of this website is a continuing process.   The initial content, as linked to above, gives much additional material.   This will be significantly enhanced by Easter 2009.   I then hope that the website will be essentially complete except for monthly updates of news and additional supporting material.

I very much hope that you will find this material of use!

Ian Morison

(Updated April 17th 2009)