The History of Astronomy
- ISBN-10
- 1554073251
- ISBN-13
- 9781554073252
- Category
- Science / Space Science / Astronomy
- Pages
- 288
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2007
- Publisher
- Firefly Books
- Authors
- Nigel Henbest, Heather Couper
Description
Packed with color photographs, this compelling volume chronicles the history of astronomy.
This extraordinary book traces the stories of humans interacting with the endless wonders of the night sky, beginning with the earliest superstitions and continuing through to the birth and development of the science of astronomy.
The authors, both expert astronomers, researched 29 locations worldwide, from Beijing's ancient observatory to the observatory in Puerto Rico that searches for alien radio signals. They also interviewed 26 of the world's most esteemed astronomers, including Stephen Hawking.
Comprehensive in scope, The History of Astronomy covers such areas as:
- Australian Aborigines, Stonehenge, Polynesian navigators
- Egyptian, Chinese and Babylonian astronomers, the Star of Bethlehem
- Greek astronomers, early concepts of the Earth's shape and orbit
- Galileo, Copernicus, the far Universe
- The Solar System and the movements of the planets
- Newton, gravity, Halley
- Discovery of Uranus and Neptune, discovery and demotion of Pluto
- What stars are made of and why they shine
- Hubble, the Cosmos, new galaxies, the Big Bang
- Pulsars, quasars and black holes
- Are we alone?
Through its engaging narrative and stunning full-color photography, The History of Astronomy tells a remarkable story of a subject that continues to test the limits of imagination and exploration.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
A History of Astronomy
By Anton PannekoekWell-balanced, carefully reasoned study covers such topics as Ptolemaic theory, work of Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, Eddington's work on stars, much more. Illustrated. References.
-
A History of Astronomy: From 1890 to the Present
By David LeveringtonThe history of astronomy is, like most history, a multidimensional story, and when writing about a specific period, the author has to decide how to handle all the developments of...
-
A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler
By J. L. E. DreyerMasterpiece of historical insight and scientific accuracy and the definitive work on Greek astronomy and the Copernican Revolution. Includes surveys of European and Islamic cosmologies of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
-
Episodes From the Early History of Astronomy
By Asger AaboeThe astronomy of the ancients is thus of interest not only as history but also as the basis for much of what is known or believed about the heavens today. This book discusses important topics in Babylonian and Greek astronomy.
-
History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia
By John LankfordJohn Herschel is also known for his contributions to areas of science outside astronomy. ... In The Letters and Papers of Sir john Herschel: A Guide to the Manuscripts and Microfilm (in the series Collections/ram the Royal Society), ...
-
The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy
By James EvansThe hour lines theoretically ought not to be straight , even though the ancients always drew them so . Straight lines are a good approximation , especially for the hours near noon . 10. These measurements are from Gibbs ( 1976 ) , p .
-
The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy
By Michael HoskinThis is a textbook on the history of astronomy focusing on the topics of prime importance.
-
Encyclopedia of the History of Astronomy and Astrophysics
By David LeveringtonThese are followed by articles on tools and techniques, from the history of spectroscopy to adaptive optics.
-
Cosmos: An Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology
By John NorthAnother dwarf that has achieved a certain fame is Sirius B — the companion star mentioned above, which had first been seen in 1862 without its character being properly recognized at the time. Relatively few white dwarfs — a matter of ...
-
The History of the Telescope
By Henry C. King( 24402-4 ) AMATEUR ASTRONOMER'S HANDBOOK , J. B. Sidgwick . ( Available in U.S. only . ) ( 24034-7 ) STARS AND RELATIVITY , Ya B. Zel'dovich and I. D. Novikov . ( 69424-0 ) Paperbound unless otherwise indicated .