Series:
Dover Books on Astronomy
Main description:
Well-balanced, carefully reasoned study relates astronomy to political, social conditions of the day. Part I covers ancient astronomy, including Ptolemaic theory; Part II discusses Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, laws of celestial mechanics. Part III covers modern developments up to work of Eddington. Author saw astronomy as an adventure of the mind. Illustrated.
Short description/annotation:
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.
Table of contents:
INTRODUCTION
PART ONE: ASTRONOMY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
1. Life and the Stars
2. Agriculture and the Calendar
3. Old Babylonian Sky-Lore
4. Assyrian Astrology
5. New-Babylonian Science
6. Chaldean Tables
7. Egypt
8. China
9. Greet Poets and Philosophers
10. Calendar and Geometry
11. Systems of World Structure
12 Hellenistic Astronomy
13. The Epicycle Theory
14. The Close of Antiquity
15. Arabian Astronomy
PART TWO: ASTRONOMY IN REVOLUTION
16. Dark Europe
17. The Renascence of Science
18. Copernicus
19. Astronomical Computing
20. Tycho Brahe
21. The Reform of the Calendar
22. The Struggle over the World System
23. Kepler
24. Mechanics and Philosophy
25. The Telescope
26. Newton
27. Practical Astronomy
28. Astronomers on the Move
29. Refined Practice
30. Refined Theory
PART THREE: ASTRONOMY SURVEYING THE UNIVERSE
31. The World Widens
32. The Technical Basis
33. Distances and Dimensions
34. Celestial Mechanics
35. Plurality of Worlds
36. Cosmogony and Evolution
37. The Sun
38. Passing Luminaries
39. Peculiar Stars
40. Common Stars
41. The Galactic System
42. Into Endless Space
43. The Life of the Stars
APPENDICES
REFERENCES
INDEX
