Hindsight and popular astronomy / Alan B. Whiting.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Whiting, Alan B.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astronomical literature--History and criticism.

Astronomical literature.

Communication in astronomy--History--19th century.

Communication in astronomy.

Communication in astronomy--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Singapore : World Scientific, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

There are many books that endeavor to bridge the gap between scientists and laymen, yet too many overemphasize the presentation of scientific findings as hard facts and end up alienating readers from the critical thinking processes involved in science. Whiting attempts to break away from the norm in this revolutionary review of popular astronomy books written from 1833 to 1944. He examines these important works by acknowledged authorities in the field to see how they have stood the test of time. Where the luminaries have failed, he looks for clues that the layman reader could have used to rais

Contents:

Preface; Contents; 1. One Question and Two Ironies; 2. Positions, Orbits and Calculations; 3. Sir John Herschel, Treatise on Astronomy, 1833; 4. Sir George Biddell Airy, Popular Astronomy, 1848; 5. Heat, Light and Three Bodies; 6. Sir John Herschel, Outlines of Astronomy, Tenth Edition, 1869; 7. Simon Newcomb, Popular Astronomy, 1878; 8. Sir Robert S. Ball, In the High Heavens, 1893; 9. Simon Newcomb, Astronomy for Everybody, 1902; 10. Things Get Strange: Quanta and Relativity; 11. Sir James Jeans, The Universe Around Us, First Edition, 1929

12. Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, Stars and Atoms, Third Impression, 192813. Sir James Jeans, The Universe Around Us, Fourth Edition, 1944; 14. In Summary: Reading the Astronomers, 1833-1944; Acknowledgments; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 261-262) and index.

ISBN:

9786613144621

9781283144629

128314462X

9789814307925

9814307920

OCLC:

740444821