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Books > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Applied physics & special topics > Astrophysics
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Minding the Heavens - The Story of our Discovery of the Milky Way (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Loot Price: R1,194
Discovery Miles 11 940
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Minding the Heavens - The Story of our Discovery of the Milky Way (Paperback, 2nd edition)
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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Praise for the first edition: "A terrific blend of the science and
the history." Martha Haynes, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy,
Cornell University, New York, USA "The book is a treat... Highly
recommended for public and academic libraries." Peter Hepburn, now
Head Librarian, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California,
USA Today, we recognize that we live on a planet circling the sun,
that our sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy we call
the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is but one of billions born out
of the Big Bang. Yet, as recently as the early twentieth century,
the general public and even astronomers had vague and confused
notions about what lay beyond the visible stars. Can we see to the
edge of the universe? Do we live in a system that would look, from
a distance, like a spiral nebula? This fully updated second edition
of Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way
explores how we learned that we live in a galaxy, in a universe
composed of galaxies and unseen, mysterious dark matter. The story
unfolds through short biographies of seven astronomers: Thomas
Wright, William Herschel, and Wilhelm Struve of the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries; the transitional figure of William Huggins;
and Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble of the
modern, big-telescope era. Each contributed key insights to our
present understanding of where we live in the cosmos, and each was
directly inspired by the work of his predecessors to decipher "the
construction of the heavens." Along the way, the narrative weaves
in the contributions of those in supportive roles, including
Caroline Herschel-William's sister, and the first woman paid to do
astronomy-and Martha Shapley, a mathematician in her own right who
carried out calculations for her spouse. Through this historical
perspective, readers will gain a new appreciation of our
magnificent Milky Way galaxy and of the beauties of the night sky,
from ghostly nebulae to sparkling star clusters. Features: Fully
updated throughout to reflect the latest in our understanding of
the Milky Way, from our central supermassive black hole to the
prospect of future mergers with other galaxies in our Local Group.
Explains the significance of current research, including from the
Gaia mission mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail. Unique and
broadly appealing approach. A biographical framework and ample
illustrations lead the reader by easy, enjoyable steps to a
well-rounded understanding of the history of astronomy. Leila
Belkora (Ph.D., Astrophysics) is a science writer. She earned her
doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in
solar radio astronomy. She has previously taught university
physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers. She lives in
Southern California and enjoys local astronomy outreach activities.
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