Title:
Astronomy : from plotting the stars to pulsars and black holes
Author:
ISBN:
9781788888905
9781784286613
9781784284503
Physical Description:
208 pages : illustrations (chiefly colour), portraits ; 23 cm.
Series:
General Note:
Includes index.
Contents:
Introduction: Reaching for the stars -- 1. The first astronomers (From seeing to observing ; Space and time ; From prehistory to history ; Astronomy and astrology ; Counting the days ; Place and navigation ; And so to science) -- 2. The great scheme of things (Life, the universe and everything ; Space for thought ; Our place in space ; The centre of all things ; The Copernican revolution ; The threshold of the modern age) -- 3. Tools of the trade (Line of sight ; Modelling the celestial globe ; In the service of Allah ; A new way of looking ; Lines in the dark and light ; Darkness visible ; Going there) -- 4. Earth, Moon and Sun (The Earth in space ; Our companion the Moon ; The Sun)
5. The Solar System revealed (Exploring the planets ; How many planets? ; Visitors with a bad reputation) -- 6. Mapping the stars (Tracking stars ; Fuzzy stars ; Galaxies disputed) -- 7. Remaking the Universe (Celestial mechanics ; The bigger picture ; Beginning and being ; The size of the Universe ; The end of everything ; Other worlds, other universes) -- 8. The final frontier (Asking 'Is there anybody there?' ; 'Where is everybody?' ; Somewhere to live)
Summary:
For thousands of years, the stars, planets, Moon and Sun were central to rel;igious and superstitious belieds. Astronomy had its origins in the context of those beliefs. From this starting point, scientific thinking emerged as humans began to seek explanations for the existence of celestial bodies that did not rely on the supernatural. In the 17th century, the invention of the telescope marked a watershed, opening the heavens to scrutiny and revealing that the planets are other worlds. The wonders of space have multiplied ever since, puzzling and enthralling us. [This book] charts our fascination with the stars, from before Stonehenge to the search for exoplanets and extra-terrestrial life.
