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How Astronomers, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe
by Alan Hirshfeld
In 1929, Edwin Hubble announced the greatest discovery in the history of astronomy since Galileo first turned a telescope to the heavens. The galaxies, previously believed to float serenely in the void, are in fact hurtling apart at an incredible speed: the universe is expanding. This stunning discovery was the culmination of a decades-long arc of scientific and technical advancement. In its shadow lies an untold, yet equally fascinating, backstory whose cast of characters illuminates the gritty, hard-won nature of scientific progress.
The path to a broader mode of cosmic observation was blazed by a cadre of nineteenth-century amateur astronomers and inventors, galvanized by the advent of photography, spectral analysis, and innovative technology to create the entirely new field of astrophysics. From William Bond, who turned his home into a functional observatory, to John and Henry Draper, a father and son team who were trailblazers of astrophotography and spectroscopy, to geniuses of invention such as Léon Foucault, and George Hale, who founded the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hirshfeld reveals the incredible stories - and the ambitious dreamers - behind the birth of modern astronomy.
"Starred Review. Highly illuminating... A delightful, detailed chronicle of great men (and a rare woman) whose fascination with the night sky and the technology necessary to study it led to today's dramatic discoveries." - Kirkus
"A well-written and enjoyable title for astronomers - professional and amateur alike - as well as science history fans." - Library Journal
"A must-read for astronomy and history of science aficionados alike." - Marcia Bartusiak, author of The Day We Found the Universe and Archives of the Universe
"Hirshfeld documents how the practice of astronomy changed between 1840 and 1940... His riveting narrative brings to life their challenges, failures, and successes. It will captivate all who have observed the night sky." - Barbara J. Becker, author of Unravelling Starlight: William and Margaret Huggins and the Rise of the New Astronomy
"Writing this book would ideally require an author with an extensive knowledge of astronomy, including astronomical instruments, a deep understanding of the ways of thought of astronomers, a broad range of historical knowledge, and an exceptional skill at making astronomical ideas clear and engaging. Alan Hirshfeld possesses all of these skills." - Michael C Crowe, author of The Extraterrestrial Life Debate, 1750–1900
"A thrilling historical account of the rise of astrophysics, the early years of astronomical photography and spectroscopy, and the innovations that transformed the astronomical telescope in the nineteenth century." - Simon Mitton, co-author of Heart of Darkness: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Invisible Universe and author of Fred Hoyle: A Life in Science
"Starlight Detectives is just the sort of richly veined book I love to read - full of scientific history and discoveries, peopled by real heroes and rogues, and told with absolute authority." - Dava Soble, author of A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos and Longitude
This information about Starlight Detectives was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory, received his undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Princeton and his Ph.D. in astronomy from Yale. He is the author of Parallax: The Race to Measure the Cosmos, The Electric Life of Michael Faraday, and Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes. He is a regular book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal and has contributed to Sky & Telescope, the American Journal of Physics, BBC History Magazine, and American Scientist. He has made radio and television appearances on NPR, PBS, and C-SPAN and lectures nationwide about science history and discovery.
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