Completely updated and highly illustrated, this second edition gives a broad review of astronomical photometry to provide an understanding of astrophysics from a data-based perspective. It is ideal for graduate students, academic researchers and advanced amateurs interested in practical and observational astronomy. Preface to first edition xi Preface to second edition xv Overview 1(10) Scope of the subject 1(1) Requirements 2(3) Participants 5(1) Targets 6(2) Bibliographical notes 8(3) References 10(1) Introduction 11(28) Optical photometry 11(3) Historical notes 14(13) Some basic terminology 27(5) Radiation: waves and photons 32(2) Bibliographical notes 34(5) References 37(2) Underlying essentials 39(33) Radiation field concepts 39(3) Black body radiation 42(2) The Sun seen as a star 44(5) The bolometric correction 49(2) Stellar fluxes and temperatures 51(5) Broadband filters: essential points 56(7) Surface flux and colour correlations 63(2) Absolute parameters of stars 65(3) Bibliographical notes 68(4) References 70(2) Themes of astronomical photometry 72(89) Extinction 72(8) Broadband filters: data and requirements 80(12) Photometry at intermediate bandwidths 92(11) Narrowband photometry 103(7) Fast photometry 110(6) Photometry of extended objects 116(22) Photopolarimetry 138(13) Bibliographical notes 151(10) References 157(4) Practicalities 161(43) Overview of basic instrumentation 161(9) Detectors 170(22) Conventional measurement methods 192(8) Bibliographical notes 200(4) References 202(2) Procedures 204(43) The standard stars experiment 204(17) Differential photometry 221(10) Application of CCD cameras 231(6) Light curves of variable stars 237(5) Bibliographical notes 242(5) References 245(2) Basic light curve analysis 247(32) Light curve analysis: general outline 247(2) Eclipsing binaries: basic facts 249(8) Hand solution of light curves 257(5) Computer-based analysis 262(10) Bibliographical notes 272(7) References 276(3) Period changes in variable stars 279(31) Variable stars and periodic effects 279(5) Complexities in O--C diagrams 284(4) Period changes: observational aspects 288(10) Period changes: theoretical aspects 298(3) Statistical data on Algol binaries 301(2) Bibliographical notes 303(7) References 307(3) Close binary systems 310(31) Coordinate transformation 310(2) Orbital eccentricity 312(4) Proximity effects 316(4) The 16-parameter curve fitter 320(5) Frequency domain analysis 325(2) Narrowband photometry of binaries 327(8) Bibliographical notes 335(6) References 338(3) Spotted stars 341(34) Introductory background 341(3) The photometric effects of starspots 344(4) Application to observations 348(10) Starspots in binary systems 358(3) Analysis of light curves of RS CVn-like stars 361(9) Bibliographical notes 370(5) References 373(2) Pulsating stars 375(36) Introductory background 375(8) The Baade--Wesselink procedure 383(5) Six-colour data on classical cepheids 388(12) Pulsational radii 400(6) Bibliographical notes 406(5) References 409(2) Appendix 411(2) Author index 413(8) Subject index 421