Parallel Lives of Astronomers

Percival Lowell and Edward Emerson Barnard
2024
ISBN: 978-3-031-68799-0
Verlag: Springer Nature Switzerland

Buch, Englisch, 687 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 241 mm, Gewicht: 1335 g

Reihe: Springer Biographies

Using the "Parallel Lives" approach adopted by the Greek biographer Plutarch, noted historian of astronomy William Sheehan contrasts the lives and research careers of two famous astronomers, Percival Lowell and Edward Emerson Barnard.  Drawing on vast archival materials and hitherto unpublished source materials, Sheehan documents in detail the contributions of these two late 19th and early 20th astronomers. 

Living at a time when controversies about Mars peaked, when great observatories were being built, and when research increasingly turned away from the Solar System toward the stellar and extra-galactic universe, these observers made spectacular contributions to astronomy.  Their work still inspires, and continues in Perseverance rover's explorations of the surface of Mars carrying forward Lowell's dream of showing that Mars may once have been "the abode of life," and in Barnard's pioneering wide-angle photographs of the Milky Way which first showed the sweep, majesty and complexity of the Galaxy.

  The work of decades of research and writing, Sheehan has produced what is likely to become the definitive work on these two great astronomers.

 "Parallel Lives marks an important contribution to the history of astronomy. The book is masterful and inventive. William Sheehan could hardly have chosen two more compelling—or contrasting—personalities to analyze in this fascinating dual biography."

   - David Baron, author of  and , and former Chair in Astrobiology at the Library of Congress.

"Sheehan has united scientific acumen, detailed historical research, penetrating insight into character, and narrative virtuosity—and adapted it all to an ancient Greek model—a remarkable achievement!"

- Michael Armstrong, Assoc. Prof. Emeritus of Classics, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva NY

   William Sheehan's many books include the authoritative biography and (with Jim Bell) , which has been called the "gold standard of books on Mars" (Michio Kaku).  

Zielgruppe

Popular/general

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sheehan, William

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Physik Physik Allgemein
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften: Allgemeines Geschichte der Naturwissenschaften, Formalen Wissenschaften & Technik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: The Flower and the Bee.- Chapter 2: Astronomy from the Top Down: Percival Lowell.- Chapter 3: Astronomy from the Bottom Up: Edward Emerson Barnard.- Chapter 4: Rivals of Mars.- Chapter 5: A Tale of Two Telescopes.- Chapter 6: The Spokes of Venus.- Chapter 7: Adventures with the Bruce.- Chapter 8: Percival Returns.- Chapter 9: Canali! Canali!.- Chapter 10: Wisps, Tores, and Good and Bad Reviews.- Chapter 11: A Barnard Ally Ups the Ante.- Chapter 12: Vale Percival.- Chapter 13: Ad Astra Edward.- Chapter 14: Lowell and Barnard Compared.

Über Autor(innen)

William Sheehan retired after 30 years in practice as a psychiatrist, earned his MD degree (1987) and completed his psychiatric residency (1992) from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has been a lifelong amateur astronomer and a historian and author of books on astronomy and history of astronomy including (Tucson, 1988), (Tucson, 1992), (Cambridge, UK, 1995), (Tucson, 1996), (with Richard Baum) (New York, 1997),   (with Thomas A. Dobbins) (Richmond, VA, 2001), (with Stephen James O’Meara (Amherst, NY, 2001), (with John Westfall) (New York, 2004), (with Christopher Conselice) (Springer, 2015), (with John Westfall, 2015), (with Sir Patrick Moore) (Springer 2015), (with Dale P. Cruikshank) (Tucson, 2018), (Springer, 2021), (with Jim Bell) (Tucson, 2021). He has also written , (with Sanjay Limaye), (with Thomas A. Hockey), and for Reaktion Books’ Kosmos Series. He is a long-time contributing editor for , a frequent contributor to , the ,  and other journals, and a prolific contributor of essays to the Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers.  He is also a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2001), and a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Oriental AstronomicalAssociation (2004).  He is a past member of the IAU’s Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature, and asteroid Sheehan (16037) has been named in his honor.