Seeing in the dark : how amateur astronomers are discovering the wonders of the universe / Timothy Ferris.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ferris, Timothy.

Contributor:

Gotham Book Mart Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astronomers.

Astronomy--Amateurs' manuals.

Astronomy.

Ferris, Timothy.

Local Subjects:

Ferris, Timothy.

Astronomy.

Genre:

Handbooks and manuals.

Biographies.

Penn Provenance:

Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copy)

Physical Description:

xvii, 379 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

regular print

Edition:

First Simon and Schuster trade paperback edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Simon & Schuster, 2003.

Summary:

In Seeing in the Dark, a poetic love letter to science and to the skies, Timothy Ferris invites us all to become stargazers. He recounts his own experiences as an enthralled lifelong amateur astronomer and reports from around the globe -- from England and Italy to the Florida Keys and the Chilean Andes -- on the revolution that's putting millions in touch with the night sky. In addition, Ferris offers an authoritative and engaging report on what's out there to be seen -- what Saturn, the Ring nebula, the Silver Coin galaxy, and the Virgo supercluster really are and how to find them. The appendix includes star charts, observing lists, and a guide on how to get involved in astronomy. Ferris takes us inside a major revolution sweeping astronomy, as lone amateur astronomers, in global networks linked by the Internet, make important discoveries that are the envy of the professionals. His ability to describe the wonders of the universe is simply magical, and his enthusiasm for his subject is irresistible.

Contents:

I. The shore: From the observatory log, a primate at dusk ; Beginnings ; Spaceflight ; The ozone ; Standing watch, a visit with Mr. White Man ; Amateurs ; How much can you see? A visit with Stephen James O'Meara ; Professionals ; Picturing the universe, a visit with Jack Newton ; Rocky Hill ; Farsighted, a visit with Barbara Wilson

II. Blue water: The realm of the sun ; Rock music of the spheres, a talk with Brian May ; The morning and evening star ; Founding father, a visit with Patrick Moore ; Moon dance ; The telescope and the tomb, a visit with Percival Lowell ; Mars ; Light at the edge of darkness, a visit with James Turrell ; Stones from the sky ; Comet trails, a visit with David Levy ; Vermin of the skies ; The camera's eye, a visit with Don Parker ; Jupiter ; Storms on Saturn, a visit with Stuart Wilber ; The outer giants ; From the observatory log, chimes at midnight

III. The depths: The night sky ; Digital universe, a virtual visit to a robotic telescope ; The Milky Way ; Blue lines, a visit with John Henry's ghost ; Galaxies ; Big science, a visit with Edgar O. Smith ; The dark ages ; From the observatory log, Minerva at dawn

Appendixes: Observing techniques ; Notable periodic meteor showers ; Representative bright stars ; Messier objects by season ; Planets and their satellites ; Further reading ; Star maps.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 323-340) and index.

ISBN:

0684865807

9780684865805

OCLC:

52573915