Babylon to Voyager and Beyond

Erscheinungsjahr 2016
ISBN: 978-0-521-80840-8
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 568 Seiten, Format (B × H): 175 mm x 250 mm, Gewicht: 1150 g

Babylon to Voyager and Beyond covers planetary research from the time of the Babylonians and Ancient Greeks through those of Kepler, Galileo and Newton to the modern era of space exploration. It outlines the key observational discoveries and theoretical developments in their historical context, covering not only the numerous successes but also the main failures. Planetary astronomy has come a long way since the Babylonians used their extensive numerical skills to predict the positions of the moon and planets. That progress is the story of this book, ending, as it does, with the considerable discoveries of the space age, and the discoveries of planets around other stars. This account will appeal to both amateur and professional astronomers, as well as those with an interest in the history of science.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Leverington, David

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Astronomie Sonnensystem: Sonne und Planeten
• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein Geschichte der Physik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface; Introduction; 1. The ancients; 2. Copernicus and the new cosmology; 3. Kepler and Galileo - the fall of epicycles and the start of telescopic astronomy; 4. The mid and late seventeenth century; 5. Consolidation; 6. The solar system expands; 7. The inner solar system in the nineteenth century; 8. The outer solar system in the nineteenth century; 9. Quiet interlude - the twentieth century prior to the space age; 10. The space age - terrestrial planets; 11. The space age - the outer planets; Glossary; Bibliography; Units; Name index; Subject index.

Über Autor(innen)

Leverington, David
David Leverington held a variety of senior positions in the space industry, and is now retired.