The authors of this undergraduate text focus on the oft-neglected field of radio astronomy and explain the workings of a range of observation instruments and the evidence they provide. They begin by describing the astronomical universe and basic techniques of radio astronomy, then explain the solar system, the origins of the sun and the solar system, the life cycle of stars, observation methods, solar eclipses, measurement of solar flux density and solar brightness distribution, measurement of polarization, the sun's sporadic radio emissions, unsolved problems of solar radio bursts, the life of stars in the main sequence and the post-main period, brilliant phenomena (black holes, pulsars, quasars, dark matter, galaxies and clusters), problems of radio interference and new developments. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).