Recreations in Astronomy

Book excerpt: This academic book explores the extraordinary advances made in astronomy over the past four hundred years, from Copernicus to the early 19th century. Unlike many other sciences, astronomy has never had to retreat, but instead rewrites itself to incorporate new discoveries. The book traces the evolution of astronomy from a study of tides, seasons, and telescopic observations, to an investigation of stars as suns, their age, size, color, chemical composition, and the revolution of their planets. The author shows how the invention and perfection of the telescope, and the discovery of the spectroscope, have each constituted a new era in astronomy.