Kepler's witch : an astronomer's discovery of cosmic order amid religious war, political intrigue, and the heresy trial of his mother / James A. Connor.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Connor, James A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kepler, Johannes, 1571-1630.

Kepler, Johannes.

Astronomers--Germany--Biography.

Astronomers.

Germany.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiii, 402 pages : illustrations, map ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : HarperSanFrancisco, [2004]

Summary:

Set against the backdrop of the witchcraft trial of his mother, this fascinating biography of Johannes Kepler, "the Protestant Galileo" and 16the century mathematician and astronomer who discovered the three basic laws of planetary motion, reveals the surprisingly spiritual nature of the quest of early modern science.

Contents:

With Thanks xiii

Introduction: So Why Kepler? 1

Letter from Kepler to the Senate of Leonberg, January 1, 1616 7

I With Unspeakable Sadness 13

Testimony of Donatus Gultlinger, Citizen of Leonberg, Given to Luther Einhorn, Magistrate of Leonberg, 1620 19

Testimony of Benedict Beutelsbacher, German Schoolmaster of Leonberg, 1620 20

II Appeired a Terrible Comet 23

Kepler's Horoscope for Himself, November 1597 31

III Born with a Destiny 35

From Kepler's Astronomia Nova, 1609 47

IV Taken by a Forceful Passion 49

Letter from Kepler to the Theology Faculty at Tubingen, February 28, 1594 69

V In Many Respects So Honorable 71

Letter from Kepler to Michael Mastlin, February 10, 1597 85

VI Married under Pernicious Skies 87

Letter from Kepler to Michael Mastlin, June 11, 1598 101

Letter from Kepler to Herwart von Hohenberg, December 9, 1598 102

VII An Archimedean Calculation of Motion 107

From Kepler's Eulogy on the Death of Tycho Brahe, October 24, 1601 141

VIII When in Heaven the Flock of Secret Movers 145

Letters from Kepler to Johann Georg Brengger, October 4, 1607; November 30, 1607 167

IX Living Creatures on the Stars 169

Letter from Kepler to Tobias Scultetus, April 13, 1612 189

X Who with Tender Fragrance 193

Letter from Kepler to an Unknown Nobleman October 23, 1613 227

From Kepler's Journal, 1614 229

XI To Quiet the Gossip 231

Letter from Luther Einhorn, Magistrate of Leonberg, to the Duke of Wurttemberg, October 22, 1616 255

XII If One Practices the Fiend's Trade 259

Letter from Kepler to Herzog Johann Friedrich von Wurttemberg, November 1620 271

XIII With Present Maladies of Body and Soul 275

From Kepler's Harmonice Mundi, Book V, 1619 307

XIV To Examine the Secrets of Nature 311

Letter from Kepler to Johann Matthias Bernegger, February 15, 1621

From Kepler's Journal, 1623 339

XV My Duty under Danger 341.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 365-384) and index.

ISBN:

0060522550

OCLC:

53796910