The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy

The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy
Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Total Pages : 384
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781316342398
ISBN-13 : 1316342395
Rating : 4/5 (98 Downloads)

Synopsis The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy by : Michael Hoskin

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, and one which has repeatedly led to fundamental changes in our view of the world. This book covers the history of our study of the cosmos from prehistory through to a survey of modern astronomy and astrophysics (sure to be of interest to future historians of twentieth-century astronomy). It does not attempt to cover everything, but deliberately concentrates on the important themes and topics. These include stellar astronomy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, at the time subordinate to the study of the solar system, but the source of many important concepts in modern astronomy, and the Copernican revolution, which led to the challenge of ancient authorities in many areas, not just astronomy. This is an essential text for students of the history of science and for students of astronomy who require a historical background to their studies.

The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction

The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction
Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Total Pages : 136
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780191577734
ISBN-13 : 0191577731
Rating : 4/5 (34 Downloads)

Synopsis The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction by : Michael Hoskin

Astronomy, perhaps the first of the sciences, was already well developed by the time of Christ. Seventeen centuries later, after Newton showed that the movements of the planets could be explained in terms of gravitation, it became the paradigm for the mathematical sciences. In the nineteenth century the analysis of star-light allowed astrophysicists to determine both the chemical composition and the radial velocities of celestial bodies, while the development of photography enabled distant objects invisible to the human eye, to be studied and measured in comfort. Technical developments during and since the Second World War have greatly enlarged the scope of the science by permitting the study of radiation. This is a fascinating introduction to the history of Western astronomy, from prehistoric times to the origins of astrophysics in the mid-nineteenth century. Historical records are first found in Babylon and Egypt, and after two millennia the arithmetical astronomy of the Babylonians merged with the Greek geometrical approach to culminate in the Almagest of Ptolemy. This legacy was transmitted to the Latin West via Islam, and led to Copernicus's claim that the Earth is in motion. In justifying this Kepler converted astronomy into a branch of dynamics, leading to Newton's universal law of gravity. The book concludes with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century applications of Newton's law, and the first explorations of the universe of stars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 392
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0521411580
ISBN-13 : 9780521411585
Rating : 4/5 (80 Downloads)

Synopsis The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy by : Michael A. Hoskin

Traces the history of astronomy as a science from ancient times to the present and describes the discoveries that have contributed to current beliefs about space and the universe

A Concise History of Astronomy

A Concise History of Astronomy
Author :
Publisher :
Total Pages : 342
Release :
ISBN-10 : UOM:39015017145882
ISBN-13 :
Rating : 4/5 (82 Downloads)

Synopsis A Concise History of Astronomy by : Peter Doig

A Brief Introduction to Astronomy in the Middle East

A Brief Introduction to Astronomy in the Middle East
Author :
Publisher : Saqi
Total Pages : 115
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780863568961
ISBN-13 : 0863568963
Rating : 4/5 (61 Downloads)

Synopsis A Brief Introduction to Astronomy in the Middle East by : John M. Steele

The Middle East is the birthplace of astronomy and the centre for its development during the medieval period. In this brief introduction John Steele offers an intriguing insight into Middle Eastern achievements in astronomy and their profound influence on the rest of the world. Amongst other things, the book traces the Late Babylonians' ingenious schemes for modelling planetary motion. It also reveals how medieval Islamic advances in the study of the heavens, and the design of precise astronomical instruments, led to breakthroughs by Renaissance practitioners such as Copernicus and Kepler. An invaluable introduction to one of the oldest sciences in the world.

A Concise History of Solar and Stellar Physics

A Concise History of Solar and Stellar Physics
Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Total Pages : 299
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781400865390
ISBN-13 : 1400865395
Rating : 4/5 (90 Downloads)

Synopsis A Concise History of Solar and Stellar Physics by : Jean-Louis Tassoul

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of ideas about the sun and the stars, from antiquity to modern times. Two theoretical astrophysicists who have been active in the field since the early 1960s tell the story in fluent prose. About half of the book covers most of the theoretical research done from 1940 to the close of the twentieth century, a large body of work that has to date been little explored by historians. The first chapter, which outlines the period from about 3000 B.C. to 1700 A.D., shows that at every stage in history human beings have had a particular understanding of the sun and stars, and that this has continually evolved over the centuries. Next the authors systematically address the immense mass of observations astronomy accumulated from the early seventeenth century to the early twentieth. The remaining four chapters examine the history of the field from the physicists perspective, the emphasis being on theoretical work from the mid-1840s to the late 1990s--from thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, from nuclear physics and magnetohydrodynamics to the remarkable advances through to the late 1960s, and finally, to more recent theoretical work. Intended mainly for students and teachers of astronomy, this book will also be a useful reference for practicing astronomers and scientifically curious general readers.

A History of Astronomy

A History of Astronomy
Author :
Publisher : Courier Corporation
Total Pages : 562
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780486659947
ISBN-13 : 0486659941
Rating : 4/5 (47 Downloads)

Synopsis A History of Astronomy by : Anton Pannekoek

Well-balanced, carefully reasoned study covers such topics as Ptolemaic theory, work of Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, Eddington's work on stars, much more. Illustrated. References.

Concise History of Science & Invention

Concise History of Science & Invention
Author :
Publisher : National Geographic Books
Total Pages : 355
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781426205446
ISBN-13 : 1426205449
Rating : 4/5 (46 Downloads)

Synopsis Concise History of Science & Invention by : Jolyon Goddard

A global view of science and technology as it developed over the centuries.

Archives of the Universe

Archives of the Universe
Author :
Publisher : Vintage
Total Pages : 722
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780307513236
ISBN-13 : 0307513238
Rating : 4/5 (36 Downloads)

Synopsis Archives of the Universe by : Marcia Bartusiak

An unparalleled history of astronomy presented in the words of the scientists who made the discoveries. Here are the writings of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Halley, Hubble, and Einstein, as well as that of dozens of others who have significantly contributed to our picture of the universe. From Aristotle's proof that the Earth is round to the 1998 paper that posited an accelerating universe, this book contains 100 entries spanning the history of astronomy. Award-winning science writer Marcia Bartusiak provides enormously entertaining introductions, putting the material in context and explaining its place in the literature. Archives of the Universe is essential reading for professional astronomers, science history buffs, and backyard stargazers alike.

Seeing and Believing

Seeing and Believing
Author :
Publisher : Penguin Group
Total Pages : 212
Release :
ISBN-10 : 0140280618
ISBN-13 : 9780140280616
Rating : 4/5 (18 Downloads)

Synopsis Seeing and Believing by : Richard Panek

Tells the story, visionary by visionary and discovery by discovery, of the telescope, one of the few inventions that have revolutionized our view of the universe and how we fit into it.