The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Physics, Astronomy, Nature
Cover of the book The History of Astronomy: A Very Short Introduction by Michael Hoskin, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael Hoskin ISBN: 9780191577734
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: May 8, 2003
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Michael Hoskin
ISBN: 9780191577734
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: May 8, 2003
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Signal Crimes by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Work, Worklessness, and the Political Economy of Health by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book The Roman Law of Obligations by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book International Law by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book The Metaphysics of Truth by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book The Visual (Un)Conscious and Its (Dis)Contents by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Phenomenological Psychopathology by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Constitutions and the Classics by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book The Social Net by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Under the Hammer by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Euroscepticism and the Future of European Integration by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Hobson-Jobson by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Justice and Grace by Michael Hoskin
Cover of the book Hugo Grotius and the Century of Revolution, 1613-1718 by Michael Hoskin
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy