Astronomical Formulae for Calculators

by Jean Meeus

4th ed., 1988. (1st ed. 1979), Belgium; 219 pp

Paperback

First published December 1, 1988

About the author

Jean Meeus obtained a Master's degree in mathematics ("licentiaat") from the university of Leuven in 1953. He worked as a meteorologist at Brussels Airport until his retirement. As an amateur astronomer he has authored books, articles and almanacs that generated and continue to generate significant interest among a broad audience including laypersons as well as professional scientists. Much of his work is characterised by the combination of elementary, low-threshold explanations with a high degree of precision and completeness. He has also taken a sharply critical position against astrology, ufology and other forms of pseudoscience.

Reviews

[Harrison Dohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Functional, but difficult to read and use. I found that the author made a number of assumptions about the reader that made it difficult to follow. Although a number of symbols and abbreviations explained on page 7, reading through the text, not all are included leaving the reader hunting down explanations that leave unnecessary doubts. Although a technical text, it does not present the subject matter in a way that flows making reading and using a laborious task. I would recommend the subsequent version of this text, Astronomical Algorithms.