The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy

The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy PDF Author: Michael Hoskin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316342395
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
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 Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy

The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy PDF Author: Michael Hoskin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316342395
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

Get Book Here

Book Description
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 Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy

The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy PDF Author: Michael Hoskin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521576000
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
This is a textbook on the history of astronomy focusing on the topics of prime importance.

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy PDF Author: Michael A. Hoskin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780521411585
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
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 History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler

A History of Astronomy from Thales to Kepler PDF Author: J. L. E. Dreyer
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486600793
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
Masterpiece 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.

A Concise History of Astronomy

A Concise History of Astronomy PDF Author: Peter Doig
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description


From Eudoxus to Einstein

From Eudoxus to Einstein PDF Author: C. M. Linton
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139453793
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 530

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Book Description
Since man first looked towards the heavens, a great deal of effort has been put into trying to predict and explain the motions of the sun, moon and planets. Developments in man's understanding have been closely linked to progress in the mathematical sciences. Whole new areas of mathematics, such as trigonometry, were developed to aid astronomical calculations, and on numerous occasions throughout history, breakthroughs in astronomy have only been possible because of progress in mathematics. This book describes the theories of planetary motion that have been developed through the ages, beginning with the homocentric spheres of Eudoxus and ending with Einstein's general theory of relativity. It emphasizes the interaction between progress in astronomy and in mathematics, showing how the two have been inextricably linked since Babylonian times. This valuable text is accessible to a wide audience, from amateur astronomers to professional historians of astronomy.

The Cambridge Guide to the Constellations

The Cambridge Guide to the Constellations PDF Author: Michael E. Bakich
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521449212
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
What figures do the constellations of the night sky represent? What are the properties of the stars that they comprise? And which constellations are 'new', and which have become extinct? This unique reference book gathers together more information on the constellations than any other single work to date. The constellations can be readily compared, and a general view of them developed, using the tables that make up the first part of the book. These tables provide a wealth of information, covering all the essential properties of the constellations. In the second part of the book, each constellation is taken in turn, with a star chart and map illustrating the associated celestial figure and supported by a comprehensive list of essential properties. This highly illustrated volume provides the most complete reference to date, covering all factual aspects of the constellations for astronomers, both amateur and professional, educators and science writers.The author: Michael Bakich is currently the Planetarium Director for Kansas City Museum. He is an experienced writer and regularly writes columns for newspapers and the astronomy magazine Sky and Telescope.

The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction

The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Michael Hoskin
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191577731
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Book Description
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 History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy

The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy PDF Author: James Evans
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019987445X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 495

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Book Description
The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy combines new scholarship with hands-on science to bring readers into direct contact with the work of ancient astronomers. While tracing ideas from ancient Babylon to sixteenth-century Europe, the book places its greatest emphasis on the Greek period, when astronomers developed the geometric and philosophical ideas that have determined the subsequent character of Western astronomy. The author approaches this history through the concrete details of ancient astronomical practice. Carefully organized and generously illustrated, the book can teach readers how to do real astronomy using the methods of ancient astronomers. For example, readers will learn to predict the next retrograde motion of Jupiter using either the arithmetical methods of the Babylonians or the geometric methods of Ptolemy. They will learn how to use an astrolabe and how to design sundials using Greek and Roman techniques. The book also contains supplementary exercises and patterns for making some working astronomical instruments, including an astrolabe and an equatorium. More than a presentation of astronomical methods, the book provides a critical look at the evidence used to reconstruct ancient astronomy. It includes extensive excerpts from ancient texts, meticulous documentation, and lively discussions of the role of astronomy in the various cultures. Accessible to a wide audience, this book will appeal to anyone interested in how our understanding of our place in the universe has changed and developed, from ancient times through the Renaissance.

Astronomical Spectrographs and Their History

Astronomical Spectrographs and Their History PDF Author: John Hearnshaw
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521882575
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Astronomical spectrographs analyse light emitted by the Sun, stars, galaxies and other objects in the Universe, and have been used in astronomy since the early nineteenth century. This book provides a comprehensive account of spectrographs from an historical perspective, from their theory and development over the last two hundred years, to the recent advances of the early twenty-first century. The author combines the theoretical principles behind astronomical spectrograph design with their historical development. Spectrographs of all types are considered, with prism, grating or grism dispersing elements. Included are Cassegrain, coudé, prime focus, échelle, fibre-fed, ultraviolet, nebular, objective prism, multi-object instruments and those which are ground-based, on rockets and balloons or in space. The book contains several tables listing the most significant instruments, around 900 references, and over 150 images, making it an indispensable reference for professional astronomers, graduate students, advanced amateur astronomers, and historians of science.