Astronomy, space and time Books

Book SynopsisInformative text filled with STEM highlights teaches readers about Saturn, including recent discoveries made by the Cassini spacecraft and information about how scientists'' ideas about the planet have changed over time.

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Book SynopsisWith interviews from Chris Hadfield and Marc Garneau, the tale of Canada's involvement in international space exploration from the 1960s to the present day.

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How did the atom bomb help save the elephant? Have we found the secret to eternal youth? Could a parasite be manipulating you right now? This dazzling collection of stories reveals the key recent breakthroughs in science, across all fields. Inside you will meet the killers lurking in Earth's ice, the super-coral that could save our seas and the neuroscientists hunting ghosts. You will travel beyond our galaxy to worlds where the sun sets twice, and beyond our time to a future where the Internet is unhackable and chickenosaurs roam the land. Divided into sections covering physics, space, humanity, the brain, plants and animals, and linking stories from different fields, Cutting-Edge Science offers a boundless journey of discovery for anyone with a passion for the world around them. Prepare to be shocked and amazed on every page.

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Book SynopsisLunar explorers will love this matching game to the moon and back again!Mission Control: we're going back to the moon with Artemis! Imagery from NASA's most iconic moon mission is on display in this lunar-themed matching game, perfect for honing memory skills. Marvel at the moon phases, lunar exploration spacecraft, the Artemis mission logo, and more. Just remember where you last spotted each moon memento to make the most matches and win the game!Perfect for: Moon lovers Anyone interested in space, astronomy, science, and NASA Starry-eyed kids developing their memory Gift-givers looking for a fun, educational, and beautiful present

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Book SynopsisAn examination of Neolithic timber circles in the east of England with reference to Alexander Thom's work on the geometrical setting out and astronomical alignments of stone circles in the west of Britain

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Book SynopsisAstronomie mit dem PC vermittelt dem Leser eine fundierte Einführung in die Welt der himmelsmechanischen Berechnungen, die für die astronomische Beobachtungspraxis von besonderer Bedeutung sind.Von den theoretischen Grundlagen der Astronomie und Numerik bis zur Erstellung schneller und präziser Anwendungsprogramme vermittelt das Buch die notwendigen Kenntnisse und Softwarelösungen für die Bestimmung und Vorhersage von:- Positionen der Sonne, des Mondes und der Planeten- Auf- und Untergangszeiten- physischen Ephemeriden der Sonne und der großen Planeten- Kometen- und Kleinplanetenpositionen (mit Störungen)- Mondphasen- Zentrallinie und lokalen Umständen von Sonnenfinsternissen - Sternbedeckungen durch den Mond- Bahnelementen aus drei Beobachtungen (auch mehrere Lösungen)- Koordinaten aus Himmelsaufnahmen. Die Verwendung der weitverbreiteten objektorientierten Programmiersprache CC++ ermöglicht die effiziente Realisierung eigener Anwendungen auf der Basis einer leistungsfähigen Modul-Bibliothek. Die Begleit-CD enthält neben den vollständigen, ausgiebig dokumentierten und kommentierten Quelltexten auch die ausführbaren Programme - damit können Leser ohne Programmierkenntnisse alle im Buch beschriebenen Programme ebenfalls nutzen. Zusätzlich befinden sich zwei Sternkataloge (Position und Proper Motion Katalog und Zodialkatalog) sowie die Lowell-Datenbank aktueller Kleinplaneten-Bahnelemente auf der CD, die den Nutzwert der entsprechenden Programme weiter erhöhen. Die vorliegende 4. Auflage stellt, neben einigen Überarbeitungen der Texte und Bilder, die ausführbaren Programme für die Betriebssysteme Windows 98/2000/XP und LINUX sowie die akualisierten Kataloge und Datenbanken zur Verfügung.Table of ContentsEinführung.- Koordinatensysteme.- Auf- und Untergangsrechnung.- Kometenbahnen.- Störungsrechnung.- Planetenbahnen.- Physische Planetenephemeriden.- Die Mondbahn.- Sonnenfinsternisse.- Sternbedeckungen.- Bahnbestimmung.- Astrometrie.

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Book SynopsisAls im Jahre 1995 die Schweizer Astronomen Michel Mayor und Didier Queloz die Entdeckung des ersten extrasolaren Planeten um einen sonnenähnlichen Stern bekanntgaben, konnte noch niemand ahnen, daß sich daraus in den folgenden knapp zwei Jahrzehnten eine neue, nicht nur in ihrer Entwicklung atemberaubende neue Disziplin der Astronomie entwickeln würde. Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt (2013) findet man in den Katalogen der Astronomen mittlerweile fast 1000 bestätigte und über 3500 „Exoplanetenkandidaten“ – insbesondere Dank der unerwartet erfolgreichen Mission des leider im Frühjahr 2013 ausgefallenen Kepler-Weltraumteleskops. Es zeigt sich immer mehr, daß Planetensysteme im Kosmos etwas ganz normales sind, die ihrer Natur gemäß eine riesige Formenvielfalt aufweisen. „Heiße Jupiter“, Super-Erden und Pulsarplaneten benennen Objekte, die in unserem Sonnensystem völlig unbekannt sind. Diese exotischen Welten, von denen man meist nur ein paar wenige Parameter kennt, regen nicht nur die Phantasie an, sondern sie befeuern auch die Hoffnung, über kurz oder lang in den Weiten der Milchstraße auch einmal einen Pendanten unseres blauen Planeten zu finden.In diesem Buch werden die wichtigsten Methoden und Erkenntnisse der Exoplanetenforschung so vorgestellt, daß der Leser einen profunden Überblick über diesen neuen Zweig der astronomischen Forschung erhält und in die Lage versetzt wird, die entsprechende Fachliteratur mit Gewinn zu verfolgen. Themen sind die verschiedenen Nachweis- und Beobachtungsmethoden von Exoplaneten, ihre Statistik und Klassifizierung, ihr physischer Aufbau sowie ihre Entstehung, wie er sich den Astronomen aus Beobachtungen und theoretischen Überlegungen erschließt.Das Buch wendet sich an interessierte Studenten der Natur- und Ingenieurwissenschaften, an Abiturienten, Dozenten, Lehrer und nicht zuletzt an Amateurastronomen, die das Wissen über diesen faszinierenden Gegenstand der Forschung mit großer Begeisterung vielen Menschen nahebringen.Mathias Scholz, 1981-1986 Studium der Physik an der Universität Rostock, danach Berechnungsingenieur und ab 1990 freiberuflich auf dem Gebiet der Umweltsimulation sowie im IT-Bereich tätig; Amateurastronom.Trade ReviewAus den Rezensionen:“… richtet sich an Oberstufenschüler, Lehrer, Studenten und interessierte Amateure, die sich auf durchaus anspruchsvollem Niveau mit diesem Themengebiet auseinandersetzen wollen ...” (Carolin Liefke, in: Sterne Und Weltraum, Heft 4, 2015) "... ein wirklich gelungenes Lehrbuch über den relativ jungen Forschungsbereich der Entdeckung und Erforschung von Exoplaneten. Mit seinen aussagekräftigen Grafiken, dem guten, interessanten Bildmaterial und dem flüssig lesbaren und vor allem gut verständlichen Text ..." (Michael Bahner, in: Buchrezicenter.de, 5. Januar 2015)Table of ContentsVorwort.- 1. Eine kurze Geschichte der Exoplanetenforschung.- 2. Was ist ein Planet?- 3. Nachweismethoden von Exoplaneten.- 4. Statistik, Klassifikation und Diversität von Exoplaneten.- 5. Physischer Aufbau extrasolarer Planeten.- 6. Epilog: SETI – die Suche nach außerirdischen Zivilisationen.- Literatur.- Index.

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Book SynopsisSie begeistern sich für Astronomie und Astrophysik? Tauchen Sie mit diesem Buch in die atemberaubenden Welten unserer kosmischen Nachbarschaft ein: Lassen Sie sich auf faszinierende Monde entführen, erfahren Sie, welche geologischen Mechanismen die Planeten unserer Nachbarschaft formen, finden Sie heraus, mit welchen Kräften Jupiter seine Monde durchknetet, wie Saturns Ringe gespeist werden und welche Geheimnisse die Zwergplaneten in unserem Sonnensystem bergen. Das Buch verfolgt das Sonnensystem vom Zentrum zu den äußersten Körpern, gibt dem Leser Einblicke in den aktuellen Stand der Sonnensystemforschung und verrät, welche heute nochungeklärten Rätsel unserer nächsten Nachbarn umgeben. Beschreibungen der wichtigsten Missionen und ihrer Ziele legen dar, wie man zum heutigen Bild unseres Sonnensystems gelangt. Überblickskästen veranschaulichen dem Leser wissenschaftliche Methoden wie die Spektroskopie ferner Welten oder der Altersbestimmung durch Kraterzählen. „Expedition zu fremden Welten“ fasziniert den Leser durch seine unglaubliche Detailfülle, atemberaubenden Fotos und informativen Abbildungen und eine allgemeinverständliche Darstellung der schwierigen Mechanismen, die in unserem Sonnensystem wirken. Ein Muss für alle Astrofans und solche die es werden wollen!Trade Review“... Es ist ein systematisches Buch mit aktuellsten Informationen ...” (Raumfahrt-Wirtschaft, Jg. 34, Heft 4, 15. Februar 2019)“... ist ein tolles Buch zum Schmökern, aber auch zum Nachschlagen, mit vielen interessanten Informationen und gut verständlichen Texten zu Planeten, Monden, Asterioden und anderen Objekten unseres Sonnensystems. Die Aufmachung ist sehr ansprechend und übersichtlich, mit reichlich farbigem Grafik- und Bildmaterial, das mitunter sehr zur Veranschaulichung und zum Verständnis beiträgt. Geeignet ist es für alle, die Spaß und Interesse an unserem Heimatplaneten und dessen Nachbarschaft haben.” (Michael Bahner, in: buchrezicenter.de, 2018)“… ein lesenswertes Buch gelungen. Es dürfte insbesondere für vorgebildete Laien oder Studenten in verwandten Fächern wertvoll sein.” (Thorsten Dambeck, in: Spektrum.de, 19. Januar 2018)“... die Stärke des Buchs sind ... deren kundige Analyse und die umfassende Schilderung des aktuellen Forschungsstands. In diesem Sinn ist den Autoren ein lesenwertes Buch gelungen. Es dürfte insbesondere für vorlegebildete Laien oder Studenten in verwandeten Fächern wertvoll sein.” (Thorsten Dambeck, in: Spektrum der Wissenschaft, Heft 3, 2018)Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisUsing no math beyond high school algebra, the authors lay out an approachable explanation of Einstein's special relativity, then move through the fundamental differences between traveling forward and backward in time and the surprising theoretical connection between going back in time and traveling faster than the speed of light.Trade Review"Marvelously accessible." (Chicago Tribune) "Relying only minimally on technical jargon and formulas, the authors open to view the exciting conceptual prospects for designing a time machine capable of slipping backward through the centuries and of riding faster-than-light warp bubbles through the cosmos.... Armchair scientists share the thrill of peeking into the universe's deepest secrets. Penetrating science illuminates humankind's most audacious dreams." (Booklist)"

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Book SynopsisImperial expansion necessitated changes in the way scientific knowledge was gathered. This book shows how this cosmographic knowledge had considerable strategic, defensive, and monetary value that royal scientists were charged with safeguarding from foreign and internal enemies.

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Book SynopsisGalileo''s trial in 1633 before the Roman Inquisition is one of the most frequently mentioned topics in the history of science. Galileo''s encounter with the Catholic Church was not only a major turning point in the history of western culture; it is the paradigm case of the clash between the institutional authority of religion and the authority of scientific reason, a clash that has helped to define the modern era. Blackwell''s new contribution to the Galileo affair concerns the official theological position against Galileo. The centerpiece of his project is the treatise entitled Tractatus syllepticus, written by Melchior Inchofer, S.J., whose judgment of the orthodoxy of Galileo''s Dialogue had been requested earlier by the Holy Office and was then incorporated into the proceedings of the trial. At the time, Inchofer''s judgment against Galileo''s book was both detailed and harsh. That judgment formed the basis for Inchofer''s subsequent Tractatus, the fTrade Review“Though the conduct of Galileo's trial was probably less sinister than Blackwell has suggested, with these two defenses of the Church's condemnation of Copernicanism we have a new, intriguing glimpse behind the scenes.” —The Renaissance Quarterly"Blackwell exposes details of the infamous trial that are not universally known: Galileo's explanation in the first session that he did not know there was a warning against writing the book that brought him to the Inquisition, his premature admission of guilt in the second session, and the misreporting of court proceedings to the cardinal in terms that would resonate with them. . . . Recommended." —Choice“Richard Blackwell’s latest foray into scholarship on the Galileo affair contains detective history, careful scholarship, theological ruminations, and excellent translation work. The most tantalizing piece is chapter 1, titled ‘The Legal Case at Galileo’s Trial: Impasse and Perfidy,’ which pushes a thesis that involves plea bargains, mysterious saboteur(s), and a miscarriage of justice.” —The Sixteenth Century Journal“If the evidence does not support a plot in Galileo’s sense, Blackwell’s account provides a scenario for a spellbinding novel. The story leaves enough latitude for the reader to draw his own conclusions. Although scholars both acquit and condemn the Church, the underlying issue remains: what constitutes a demonstration?” — The Review of Metaphysics“There are many reasons why this 'Galileo affair' is uniquely important in modern history. One is that it is instructive for understanding the interaction between science and religion. Blackwell adds some nuances to the conflictualist thesis. . . . The main theme of Blackwell's book is that of exploring 'behind the scenes at Galileo's trial.'. . . This trial is one of the best-documented episodes emblematic of modernity . . . this book makes a valuable contribution and provides a model for this type of inquiry.” —Journal of Modern History“It was faith against reason, entrenched religious orthodoxy against radically new scientific fact. Richard J. Blackwell (St. Louis, emeritus) is an expert on philosophy but here he diligently presents the complex religious and scientific details of the matter within the historical context of Galileo’s time.” — Bibliotheque d’Humanisme et Renaissance

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Book SynopsisThe Galileo Affair has been the locus of various and opposing appraisals for centuries: some view it as an historical event emblematic of the obscurantism of the Catholic Church, opposed a priori to the progress of science; others consider it a tragic reciprocal misunderstanding between Galileo, an arrogant and troublesome defender of the Copernican theory, and his theologian adversaries, who were prisoners of a narrow interpretation of scripture. In The Case of Galileo: A Closed Question? Annibale Fantoli presents a wide range of scientific, philosophical, and theological factors that played an important role in Galileo's trial, all set within the historical progression of Galileo's writing and personal interactions with his contemporaries. Fantoli traces the growth in Galileo Galilei's thought and actions as he embraced the new worldview presented in On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, the epoch-making work of the great Polish astronomer Nicolaus CoperTrade Review“This book is an excellent account of the trial and condemnation of Galileo by the Inquisition in 1633. It is a simplified and streamlined version adapted from the erudite book on the topic for which Fantoli is well known and highly respected among scholars. But like the erudite book, this one is well balanced with respect to the contrasts of science vs. religion, Galileo vs. the Catholic Church, history vs. philosophy, and factual detail vs. contemporary relevance.” —Maurice A. Finocchiaro, University of Nevada Las Vegas"Annibale Fantoli has justly earned an international reputation as the outstanding expert on the condemnation of Galileo by the Catholic Church for heresy in 1633, after the publication of his work promoting the concept of terrestrial motions. Among the significant factors Fantoli has explored are differences on philosophical, religious, and political issues among factions within the Church. Yet, for centuries the Catholic Church maintained that contradiction of the validity of certain passages in Scripture was unacceptable, if not heretical. However, as Fantoli notes in The Case of Galileo, the Church slowly began to modify its official stance in the centuries after Galileo. The most significant on the issue of the condemnation of Galileo occurred with a speech by Pope John Paul II several decades ago, in which he celebrated Galileo's achievements and acknowledged the need to further study the errors made by the Church. As Fantoli rightly states, that has not yet been done, and issues on relationships between faith and science may continue to remain significant. This book is an important contribution to discussion of those issues." —Wilbur Applebaum, Illinois Institute of Technology“For readers with a desire to uncover more than the familiar, but inaccurate, narrative of the Galileo case as one of science versus faith, Fantoli thoroughly examines the exact issues Galileo, his allies, and his critics confronted.” —U.S. Catholic“George Coyne has beautifully rendered into English Annibale Fantoli’s original Italian text.” —Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly“Using original documents, Annibale Fantoli masterfully reconstructs the events in Italy and Catholic Europe at the beginning of the seventeenth century that led to the confrontation between the church and Galileo, a devout Catholic. . . . His book gives a highly-nuanced reading of the cultural and academic environment of the time, including the interwoven issue of the relationship between theology and the newly emerging modern concept of science as a separate academic discipline.” —New Catholic Books and Media“Fantoli provides a simplified version of his scholarly Galileo: For Copernicanism and for the Church . . . for the general reader. . . . Fantoli’s analysis of the ‘burdensome inheritance of the Galileo affair’ is more extensive than his earlier work and pertinent to the continuing struggle between science and religion. The excellence of the prose is a product of the author’s ideas and the translator’s skill.” —Choice“Fantoli, already well-published on Galileo (1564-1642), traces both the complexities of Galileo’s dealings with and condemnation by the Catholic Church of his day, and the successes and failures of more recent papal efforts to finally move beyond what for most people today remains a notorious case of religion attempting to stifle scientific progress. . . . Though books on the Galileo case are extraordinarily abundant, this volume merits attention both by historians and by anyone concerned with how papal bureaucracy may be functional and/or dysfunctional.” —Theological Studies “Annibale Fantoli is the distinguished author of Galileo: For Copernicanism and for the Church (Notre Dame, 1994), and this new book is a revised and abridged edition for the general public. It is one of the best accounts of the life and achievements of Galileo, and it is excellently translated by George V. Coyne, who played a major role in the rehabilitation of Galileo in recent years.” —The Catholic Historical Review“The Case of Galileo offers an accessible overview of the controversy in its time. Written for a popular audience, and based on a more scholarly earlier book (Galileo For Copernicanism and for the Church), Fantoli’s overview of the evidence here will offer interested readers a useful point of entry into the early modern controversy.” —Comitatus“Fantoli’s account is thorough and suitable for those without specific expertise in the history of science . . . [and] his conclusions offer larger lessons. While the Inquisition no longer exists, the Catholic Church’s intransigence on issues such as birth control, for which its official doctrine runs counter to the practices of millions who consider themselves to be Catholic, suggests, for Fantoli, that the Catholic Church must embark on greater dialogue with the whole of contemporary religious and secular thought in order to avoid the same failings that it created in 1616 and 1633.” —European Historical Quarterly

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Book SynopsisSetting Aside All Authority is an important account and analysis of seventeenth-century scientific arguments against the Copernican system. Christopher M. Graney challenges the long-standing ideas that opponents of the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus and Galileo were primarily motivated by religion or devotion to an outdated intellectual tradition, and that they were in continual retreat in the face of telescopic discoveries. Graney calls on newly translated works by anti-Copernican writers of the time to demonstrate that science, not religion, played an important, and arguably predominant, role in the opposition to the Copernican system. Anti-Copernicans, building on the work of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, were in fact able to build an increasingly strong scientific case against the heliocentric system at least through the middle of the seventeenth century, several decades after the advent of the telescope. The scientific case reached its apogee, Graney arguesTrade Review"The most exciting history of science book so far this century, Graney’s brilliant portrait of Riccioli and his science—amiable but punchy, rigorous but accessible—ought to stimulate a complete revision of what we thought we knew about the Copernican Revolution. Rarely have scientific analysis, historical scholarship, and writerly flair come together with such force." —Dennis Danielson, author of Paradise Lost and the Cosmological Revolution“Christopher Graney’s recent monograph is best described by one word: scientific. It is a book about knowledge, process, and context. If only more history was like this.” —Paragon"Graney's book is a first-class addition to the literature on the history of astronomy in the seventeenth century and an absolute must read for anyone claiming serious interest in the topic." —The Renaissance Mathematicus blog“Christopher Graney relates this story of the testing of a profoundly important scientific theory in a uniquely engaging style. This accessible presentation of science and history makes this book ideal for undergraduates and recommended for academic libraries.” —Catholic Library World“Though Riccioli was one of the most important and widely-known astronomers in the Society of Jesus of the seventeenth century, he has received relatively little attention from historians of science. . . . Ultimately, he [Graney] has managed a rare feat: taking his own expertise and passion for physics and applying them to sources and contents rarely encountered in the college classroom.” —Journal of Jesuit Studies“[A] valuable contribution to the current debate about the science and religion conflict thesis. . . . Graney’s analysis of New Amalgest, aided by his (and Christina Graney’s) careful reading and translation of Riccioli’s difficult Latin prose, stunningly disproves Riccioli’s critics. . . . Graney’s writing is also clear and succinct and is accompanied by some effective illustrations and diagrams, all helping to make the book accessible and enjoyable for undergraduate students of all levels.” —European History Quarterly“Graney’s lucid account of Riccioli’s arguments in their historical context complemented by ample helpful diagrams will inform and entertain specialist and nonspecialist alike. A scientist turned energetic historian, Graney offers compelling grounds for a complete revision of what we thought we knew about the Copernican Revolution." —The Historian“Graney’s deep knowledge of the era’s astronomical debates partly derives from his own translations of writings by Riccioli and others from their original Latin, which highlight some of the technical discussions among astronomers at the time. The Latin and English translations of these writings are included as appendices, making Setting Aside All Authority a valuable read for scholars and armchair historians alike.” —Earth Magazine“Christopher M. Graney’s Setting Aside All Authority makes a fine contribution to the history of science and especially the history of astronomy. The case Graney presents for the rationality of denying Copernicanism, as late as the mid seventeenth century, is cogent, and he presents a good deal of novel historical material that urges a reevaluation of a major figure—Riccioli. The book will interest not only historians but also philosophers of science, and scientists in the relevant specialties (astronomy, physics) together with their students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.” —Peter Barker, University of Oklahoma“Graney’s snapshot of anti-Copernican science proves false the anachronistic claim that religion and science have always been enemies in an uncomplicated sense, and he invites those who think they know the truth of Galileo’s travails and secular martyrdom to rethink.” – The Journal of Religion“Setting Aside All Authority is a fascinating book that outlines the strength of opposing arguments at the time of gravity problem’s emergence and the scientific limitations of all sides. It makes the victory of heliocentrism far more scientifically interesting than the conventional history suggests.” – America Magazine

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Book SynopsisMathematical Disquisitions:The Booklet of Theses Immortalized by Galileo offers a new English translation of the 1614 Disquisitiones Mathematicae, which Johann Georg Locher wrote under the guidance of the German Jesuit astronomer Christoph Scheiner. The booklet, an anti-Copernican astronomical work, is of interest in large part because Galileo Galilei, who came into conflict with Scheiner over the discovery of sunspots, devoted numerous pages within his famous 1632 Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World SystemsPtolemaic and Copernican to ridiculing Disquisitiones. The brief text (the original was approximately one hundred pages) is heavily illustrated with dozens of original figures, making it an accessible example of geocentric astronomy in the wake of the telescope.Trade Review"Christopher Graney has translated foreign terms and concepts in efficient, modern ways, often trimming from them the complicated metaphysical and rhetorical context. Many of Graney's notes explain mathematical concepts and astronomical phenomena in reference to what astronomers understand today, which will make the text more digestible to an audience familiar with and interested in modern astronomy. The text offers a nice counterbalance to the standard canon of Galileo readings students encounter." —Darin Hayton, Haverford College“In this accessible and engaging translation, Graney makes a strong case for the value of studying the anti-Copernicans. . .The recovery of Locher’s treatise demonstrates that ‘Science’s history matters’ because it shows that true and honest debates within the scientific community have been part of the practice of modern science since its inception.” —Seventeenth-Century News“With this translation, Graney makes available to a wider range of readers Locher’s ideas in a manner unmediated by the thoughts or the agenda of Galileo. It allows them to explore and assess on their own merits the arguments advanced by critics of Copernicanism in the early seventeenth century. This in turn makes it possible to understand contemporary cosmological debates in new ways.” — European History Quarterly"There is much here for Professor Graney’s intended student audience as well as for other interested readers. His efforts will make the understanding of this Copernican debate richer for all." —Renaissance QuarterlyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Translator’s Note The Structure of the Disquisitions Mathematical Disquisitions, Concerning Astronomical Controversies and Novelties Letter of Dedication Poem and Letter to the Reader Disquisitions 1-44 Approvals and Two Laudatory Poems Notes to the Translation Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisSetting Aside All Authority is an important account and analysis of seventeenth-century scientific arguments against the Copernican system. Christopher M. Graney challenges the long-standing ideas that opponents of the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus and Galileo were primarily motivated by religion or devotion to an outdated intellectual tradition, and that they were in continual retreat in the face of telescopic discoveries. Graney calls on newly translated works by anti-Copernican writers of the time to demonstrate that science, not religion, played an important, and arguably predominant, role in the opposition to the Copernican system. Anti-Copernicans, building on the work of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, were in fact able to build an increasingly strong scientific case against the heliocentric system at least through the middle of the seventeenth century, several decades after the advent of the telescope. The scientific case reached its apogee, Graney arguesTrade Review"The most exciting history of science book so far this century, Graney’s brilliant portrait of Riccioli and his science—amiable but punchy, rigorous but accessible—ought to stimulate a complete revision of what we thought we knew about the Copernican Revolution. Rarely have scientific analysis, historical scholarship, and writerly flair come together with such force." —Dennis Danielson, author of Paradise Lost and the Cosmological Revolution“Christopher Graney’s recent monograph is best described by one word: scientific. It is a book about knowledge, process, and context. If only more history was like this.” —Paragon"Graney's book is a first-class addition to the literature on the history of astronomy in the seventeenth century and an absolute must read for anyone claiming serious interest in the topic." —The Renaissance Mathematicus blog“Christopher Graney relates this story of the testing of a profoundly important scientific theory in a uniquely engaging style. This accessible presentation of science and history makes this book ideal for undergraduates and recommended for academic libraries.” —Catholic Library World“Though Riccioli was one of the most important and widely-known astronomers in the Society of Jesus of the seventeenth century, he has received relatively little attention from historians of science. . . . Ultimately, he [Graney] has managed a rare feat: taking his own expertise and passion for physics and applying them to sources and contents rarely encountered in the college classroom.” —Journal of Jesuit Studies“[A] valuable contribution to the current debate about the science and religion conflict thesis. . . . Graney’s analysis of New Amalgest, aided by his (and Christina Graney’s) careful reading and translation of Riccioli’s difficult Latin prose, stunningly disproves Riccioli’s critics. . . . Graney’s writing is also clear and succinct and is accompanied by some effective illustrations and diagrams, all helping to make the book accessible and enjoyable for undergraduate students of all levels.” —European History Quarterly“Graney’s lucid account of Riccioli’s arguments in their historical context complemented by ample helpful diagrams will inform and entertain specialist and nonspecialist alike. A scientist turned energetic historian, Graney offers compelling grounds for a complete revision of what we thought we knew about the Copernican Revolution." —The Historian“Graney’s deep knowledge of the era’s astronomical debates partly derives from his own translations of writings by Riccioli and others from their original Latin, which highlight some of the technical discussions among astronomers at the time. The Latin and English translations of these writings are included as appendices, making Setting Aside All Authority a valuable read for scholars and armchair historians alike.” —Earth Magazine“Christopher M. Graney’s Setting Aside All Authority makes a fine contribution to the history of science and especially the history of astronomy. The case Graney presents for the rationality of denying Copernicanism, as late as the mid seventeenth century, is cogent, and he presents a good deal of novel historical material that urges a reevaluation of a major figure—Riccioli. The book will interest not only historians but also philosophers of science, and scientists in the relevant specialties (astronomy, physics) together with their students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.” —Peter Barker, University of Oklahoma“Graney’s snapshot of anti-Copernican science proves false the anachronistic claim that religion and science have always been enemies in an uncomplicated sense, and he invites those who think they know the truth of Galileo’s travails and secular martyrdom to rethink.” – The Journal of Religion“Setting Aside All Authority is a fascinating book that outlines the strength of opposing arguments at the time of gravity problem’s emergence and the scientific limitations of all sides. It makes the victory of heliocentrism far more scientifically interesting than the conventional history suggests.” – America Magazine

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Book SynopsisThe Case of Galileo presents the scientific, philosophical, and theological factors that impacted Galileo’s trial, all set within the historical progression of Galileo’s writing and personal interactions with his contemporaries.Trade Review“This book is an excellent account of the trial and condemnation of Galileo by the Inquisition in 1633. It is a simplified and streamlined version adapted from the erudite book on the topic for which Fantoli is well known and highly respected among scholars. But like the erudite book, this one is well balanced with respect to the contrasts of science vs. religion, Galileo vs. the Catholic Church, history vs. philosophy, and factual detail vs. contemporary relevance.” —Maurice A. Finocchiaro, University of Nevada Las Vegas"Annibale Fantoli has justly earned an international reputation as the outstanding expert on the condemnation of Galileo by the Catholic Church for heresy in 1633, after the publication of his work promoting the concept of terrestrial motions. Among the significant factors Fantoli has explored are differences on philosophical, religious, and political issues among factions within the Church. Yet, for centuries the Catholic Church maintained that contradiction of the validity of certain passages in Scripture was unacceptable, if not heretical. However, as Fantoli notes in The Case of Galileo, the Church slowly began to modify its official stance in the centuries after Galileo. The most significant on the issue of the condemnation of Galileo occurred with a speech by Pope John Paul II several decades ago, in which he celebrated Galileo's achievements and acknowledged the need to further study the errors made by the Church. As Fantoli rightly states, that has not yet been done, and issues on relationships between faith and science may continue to remain significant. This book is an important contribution to discussion of those issues." —Wilbur Applebaum, Illinois Institute of Technology“For readers with a desire to uncover more than the familiar, but inaccurate, narrative of the Galileo case as one of science versus faith, Fantoli thoroughly examines the exact issues Galileo, his allies, and his critics confronted.” —U.S. Catholic“George Coyne has beautifully rendered into English Annibale Fantoli’s original Italian text.” —Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly“Using original documents, Annibale Fantoli masterfully reconstructs the events in Italy and Catholic Europe at the beginning of the seventeenth century that led to the confrontation between the church and Galileo, a devout Catholic. . . . His book gives a highly-nuanced reading of the cultural and academic environment of the time, including the interwoven issue of the relationship between theology and the newly emerging modern concept of science as a separate academic discipline.” —New Catholic Books and Media“Fantoli provides a simplified version of his scholarly Galileo: For Copernicanism and for the Church . . . for the general reader. . . . Fantoli’s analysis of the ‘burdensome inheritance of the Galileo affair’ is more extensive than his earlier work and pertinent to the continuing struggle between science and religion. The excellence of the prose is a product of the author’s ideas and the translator’s skill.” —Choice“Fantoli, already well-published on Galileo (1564-1642), traces both the complexities of Galileo’s dealings with and condemnation by the Catholic Church of his day, and the successes and failures of more recent papal efforts to finally move beyond what for most people today remains a notorious case of religion attempting to stifle scientific progress. . . . Though books on the Galileo case are extraordinarily abundant, this volume merits attention both by historians and by anyone concerned with how papal bureaucracy may be functional and/or dysfunctional.” —Theological Studies “Annibale Fantoli is the distinguished author of Galileo: For Copernicanism and for the Church (Notre Dame, 1994), and this new book is a revised and abridged edition for the general public. It is one of the best accounts of the life and achievements of Galileo, and it is excellently translated by George V. Coyne, who played a major role in the rehabilitation of Galileo in recent years.” —The Catholic Historical Review“The Case of Galileo offers an accessible overview of the controversy in its time. Written for a popular audience, and based on a more scholarly earlier book (Galileo For Copernicanism and for the Church), Fantoli’s overview of the evidence here will offer interested readers a useful point of entry into the early modern controversy.” —Comitatus“Fantoli’s account is thorough and suitable for those without specific expertise in the history of science . . . [and] his conclusions offer larger lessons. While the Inquisition no longer exists, the Catholic Church’s intransigence on issues such as birth control, for which its official doctrine runs counter to the practices of millions who consider themselves to be Catholic, suggests, for Fantoli, that the Catholic Church must embark on greater dialogue with the whole of contemporary religious and secular thought in order to avoid the same failings that it created in 1616 and 1633.” —European Historical Quarterly

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Book SynopsisA unique, wide-ranging examination of asteroid exploration and our future in spaceTrade Review“A fascinating and at times surprising read, packed with useful information and benefitting from Elvis’s personal accounts throughout. . . . Written in an engaging and entertaining style, readers will find it hard to put down.”—BBC Sky at Night“Elvis gives us a lot of food for thought. It’s not what I expected but a whole lot more and is highly recommended.”—Kevin J Kilburn, Astronomy NowCHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2022“Martin Elvis gives a fascinating survey of all the reasons why asteroids are interesting. He’s not only an expert, but a fluent and entertaining writer.”—Martin Rees, author of On the Future and Just Six Numbers“A lively and engaging writer, Martin Elvis shows us why it will take much more than drilling equipment and spaceships to mine asteroids—and to do it the right way.”—Frank White, author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution“A delightful trip around the solar system’s most dangerous and useful objects, leftovers from the beginning, causes of mass extinctions, and a chance for space trillionaires. Well done!”—John Mather, author of The Very First Light; Nobel Prize laureate (physics), 2006“A lively, comprehensive vision of future knowledge, technologies and wealth creation in our solar system. A great read for lovers of astronomy and astronautics, long-term investors, and venture capitalists with nerves of steel.”—Sir Philip Campbell, editor-in-chief, Springer Nature“Asteroids is a unique and compelling read, exploring the science of asteroids, space travel, and astronomy, and providing a fascinating study of the practical and financial benefits of asteroid research.”—Gregory J. Gbur, author of Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics

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Book SynopsisAn all-new collection of first-rate science experiments! Are you having a hard time coming up with a good idea for the science fair? Do you want to earn extra credit in your science class? Or do you just want to learn more about how the universe really works? Janice VanCleave''s A+ Projects in Astronomy can help you, and the best part is it won''t involve any complicated or expensive equipment. This step-by-step guide explores 30 different topics and offers dozens of experiment ideas. The book also includes charts, diagrams, and illustrations. Here are just a few of the subjects you''ll be investigating: * The size and rotation of celestial bodies * Eclipses and the true movements of the sun * The apparent magnitude of the stars * Orbital eccentricity * Meteors and artificial satellites You''ll be amazed at how easy it is to turn your own ideas into winning science fair projects! Also availableTable of ContentsIntroduction. PART I. MEASUREMENTS. Apparent Diameter: Observed. Angular Separation: Angular Distance Between Celestial Bodies. Altitude: Vertical Coordinate. Azimuth: Horizontal Coordinate. PART II. OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS. Apertures: The Gathering of Light. Diffraction: The Spreading of Light. PART III. THE SUN. Sunspots: Cooler Surface Regions. True Sun: How the Sun Appears to Move. Seasons: Four Times of the Year. PART IV. THE PLANETS. Solar System Scale: Miniature Model. Barycenter: The Balancing Point. Orbital Eccentricity: How Circular a Celestial Body's Path Is. Planetary Phenomean: Planetary Movement Relative to Earth. Orbital Period: Time of Revolution. Spheroids: Bulging Bodies. Rotation: The Spinning of Celestial Bodies. Phases of Venus: Changes in Shape and Size. PART V. MOONS. Moon Phase: The Moon's Visible Lighted Surface. Eclipses: Shadows of the Earth and Moon. Craters, Maria, and Highlands: The Moon's Surface Features. Galilean Satellites: Jupiters Largest Moons. PART VI. STARS. Celestial Sphere: Sky Globe. Zodiac Band: Background for the Ecliptic. Cirumpolar: Stars above the Horizon. Star Clock: Star Positions Indicate Time. Star Systems: Multiple Stars. Apparent Magnitude: Apparent Star Brightness. Parallax: Apparent Shift of an Object. PART VII. METEORS AND ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES. Meteors: Streaks of Light in the Sky. Artificial Satellites: Man-Made Orbiters. Appendix 1: Random Error of Measurements. Appendix 2: Relative Error: Percentage Error. Appendix 3: Planet Facts and Figures. Appendix 4: Tangent Table. Appendix 5: Sources of Scientific Supplies. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom the first proposal for a large X-ray telescope in 1970 to the deployment of Chandra by the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999, this book chronicles the technical feats, political struggles, and personal dramas that transformed an inspired vision into the world's supreme X-ray observatory.Trade ReviewThe Tuckers do indeed reveal a universe we have not seen, with an insider's savvy and an artistic eye. The picture of the glorious Crab Nebula alone, a tornado of wound-up magnetic field lines, lit by x-ray fire, is worth the price of the book. -- Gregory Benford, author of Deep TimeIn this fast-paced, eminently readable technical history, [the authors] go behind the scenes with NASA decision-makers amid the vicissitudes of one of the largest astrophysics projects since the Hubble telescope. Deft storytellers, the Tuckers convey the monumental accomplishments of our current generation of space scientists and never let highly technical subject matter overshadow their tale of promethean curiosity and scientific daring. * Publishers Weekly *[Revealing the Universe] is a fascinating history of the discovery of X-rays from deep space and the uses of these emitted X-rays as a means for solving complex questions of astronomy involving quasars, pulsars, black holes, dark matter and other stellar enigmas...Revealing the Universe is a fun book and interesting book. But it is also a very challenging book, as the concepts involving X-ray astronomy and quantum physics are not easily grasped by lay people. [Tucker and Tucker], who are involved in the Chandra project, do a really outstanding job explaining tough concepts. [They] are also superb storytellers, and have crafted a suspenseful cliffhanger of a story. Of course we all know how the story ends (Chandra did end up funded, built and launched), but this just emphasizes how good the Tuckers are at crafting their story; we know how it ends, but we still bite our nails when things do not go well. -- Rob Meltzer * Daily News *The Tuckers, who participated in almost every aspect of the [Chandra X-ray] project, begin with the initial conception of the project in the late 1970s, taking readers through the planning, construction, and launch of the observatory. Revealing the Universe provides a very real look at what it took to complete this project--the unavoidable hassles of the weather, the challenges the high-tech companies...the role of NASA, and political and monetary struggles. * techdirections *This highly readable book charts the immense 30-year undertaking that led to the launch of the Chandra X-ray observatory on 1999 July 23. The husband-and-wife team of Wallace and Karen Tucker takes us behind the scenes, from the early pioneering days of X-ray astronomy through to the conception, development, and launch of Chandra on board the Space Shuttle…The descriptions of the immense technical and engineering challenges that had to be overcome will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in astronomical technology, all told with the clarity and pace of a gripping novel. -- Omar Almaini * The Observatory *

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Book SynopsisIn tracing this story of discovery, astronomer and physicist Harrison explores the concept of infinite space, the structure and age of the universe, the nature of light, and other subjects that once were so perplexing.Trade ReviewBeguiling… A veritable Cook’s tour through the history of astronomy. -- Owen Gingerich * Nature *The night sky is dark. The question is why… Mr. Harrison has an answer, but to state it here seems as unfair as giving away the final chapter of a mystery story. Better to read his book. -- Timothy Ferris * New York Times Book Review *Harrison…does a rare thing here: he manages to combine history and real science… A remarkable book. * New Yorker *From his years of contemplation of the riddle of the dark sky, Harrison has now distilled a truly wonderful book. Darkness at Night is superbly written [and] excellently illustrated. -- Michael Rowan-Robinson * New Scientist *Darkness at Night is a very elegantly written history… I think Harrison has written a beautiful book, the best available on Olber’s paradox… Be sure not to miss this one. -- Frank Tipler * Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. Why Is the Sky Dark at Night? I The Riddle Begins 2. Three Rival Systems 3. Celestial Light 4. The Starry Message II The Riddle Develops 5. The Cartesian System 6. Newton's Needles and Halley's Shells 7. A Forest of Stars 8. The Misty Forest 9. Worlds on Worlds 10. Revelations of Chaos III The Riddle Continues 11. The Fractal Universe 12. The Visible Universe 13. The Golden Walls of Edgar Allan Poe 14. Lord Kelvin Sees the Light 15. Ether Voids, Curved Space, and a Midnight Sun 16. The Expanding Universe 17. The Cosmic Redshift 18. Energy in the Universe Epilogue Proposed Solutions to the Riddle of Darkness at Night Appendixes 1. Digges on the Infinity of the Universe 2. Halley on the Infinity of the Sphere of Stars 3. Chéseaux Explains the Riddle of Darkness 4. Olbers Revives the Riddle of Darkness 5. Kelvin on an Old and Celebrated Hypothesis Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAward-winning science writer Goldsmith clearly lays out what we currently know about the universe as a whole. Richly illustrated with photographs taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, this book puts the biggest subject of all—the story of the universe as scientists understand it—within the grasp of English-speaking earthlings.Trade ReviewIt is not until you are well into the middle of the book, enthralled by galaxies and looking forward to the mystery of the missing mass, that you realize that you have been absorbed and that everybody else has gone to bed. Here is a first-class work, one of the best accounts of the successes of intellectual curiosity and observation about the universe and of how much more there is to find out. Exciting stuff. -- Roy Herbert * New Scientist *Donald Goldsmith is one of the world's great astronomy writers, and he shows why in his new book...The cosmological constant skewed Einstein's equations and prevented him from foreseeing one of the grandest discoveries ever: The cosmos is expanding. Goldsmith discusses this and many other cosmological topics in his typically wry style. -- Keay Davidson * San Francisco Examiner *[Goldsmith's] first eight chapters, which are enough to make the book worthwhile, trace the development of astronomy from Copernicus to its modern form. The lucid text holds the readers' hand through four centuries of astronomy...Then Goldsmith delves into current conundrums in cosmology...Fascinating...Because of its lively account of the history and physics of astronomy, the book will stand as an engaging account of what astronomers do and how the universe works--as far as we know. -- Katherine M. Reynolds * Boston Book Review *For those seeking to know more about what scientists today think about the universe and why they think it, this well-illustrated book is an excellent place to start. -- Robert W. Smith * Air & Space *A witty and succinct work on the problems of modern cosmology...In a rapidly changing field, this book captures the excitement and uncertainty of the science. * Choice *Goldsmith...tells us about the problems that cosmology is having thanks to the numerous discoveries made by the latest astronomical satellites...These contradictions usually find a fast reflection in the press and other broadcasting media, yet they are rarely treated in a coherent, precise way. Goldsmith not only makes us realise what appears to be not quite all right, but also he explains why and what could be, in some cases, the solution to the problem. Being an expert science writer, the author makes a wonderful job, while showing us everything we need to know about the question with great clarity. * The Space Book Board (Barcelona-based web site) *

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Book SynopsisAstronomers have recently discovered thousands of exotic planets that orbit stars throughout our Milky Way galaxy. With his characteristic wit and style, Donald Goldsmith shows how these observations have already broadened our planetary horizons, and tells us what may come next, including the ultimate discovery: life beyond our home planet.Trade ReviewIn terms of what’s out there, how we discovered it, and how that’s changed our view and understanding of the planets out there in the Universe, Exoplanets by Donald Goldsmith does a remarkable job of covering what we know, how we learned it, what it means and what comes next. We are closer than we’ve ever been for discovering the first evidence of life in another Solar System. Come learn where we are on that quest with this book. -- Ethan Siegel * Forbes *How do alien, faraway worlds reveal their existence to Earthlings? Let Donald Goldsmith count the ways. As an experienced astronomer and a gifted storyteller, he is the perfect person to chronicle the ongoing hunt for planets of other stars. Notwithstanding the grandeur of his subject—an age-old human question now become an active quest—Goldsmith treats the search for other worlds with wisdom, wit, and an often thrilling choice of words. -- Dava Sobel, author of The Glass UniverseWere you fortunate enough to have a favorite aunt, or a particularly great teacher, who could explain complicated ideas in a way that helped you understand them, and made you want to know more? That's the role Donald Goldsmith plays in his delightful new book. In the past few decades, scientists have discovered myriad worlds that are like and unlike those we are familiar with. Goldsmith brings the reader up close and personal, inviting us to explore many of these systems and their discoverers. He helps us understand what we know and what we have yet to uncover, how we came to be here, and what the chances are for life beyond Earth. -- Jill Tarter, Chair Emeritus for SETI Research, SETI InstituteFor centuries humans have speculated about worlds beyond our solar system and life beyond Earth. In just the last few decades astronomers have discovered that most stars have planets, and that many of these planets could be habitable. Goldsmith recounts this stunning transformation in our cosmic understanding in a book that is comprehensive yet concise, and that prepares readers for the breakthroughs to come, including—perhaps within our lifetime—the discovery of credible evidence that we are not alone. -- Richard Tresch Fienberg, Press Officer, American Astronomical Society[Goldsmith] recounts early efforts to detect planets outside our solar system and explains the breakthroughs in detection methods that enabled astronomers to find the first exoplanets. He also gives an informative account of where known exoplanets are and what they might be like, along with a tantalizing glimpse at what might come next for astronomers as they search beyond the solar system’s bounds. -- Melinda Baldwin * Physics Today *

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive treatment of the phenomenology of galaxies--a clear and comprehensive volume that takes full account of the extraordinary recent advances in the field. The book supersedes the classic text Galactic Astronomy that James Binney wrote with Dimitri Mihalas, and complements Galactic Dynamics by Binney and Scott Tremaine. It will be invaluable to researchers and is accessible to any student who has a background in undergraduate physics. The book draws on observations both of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, and of external galaxies. The two sources are complementary, since the former tends to be highly detailed but difficult to interpret, while the latter is typically poorer in quality but conceptually simpler to understand. Binney and Merrifield introduce all astronomical concepts necessary to understand the properties of galaxies, including coordinate systems, magnitudes and colors, the phenomenology of stars, the theory of stellar and chemical evolution, and the measurement of astronomical distances. The book''s core covers the phenomenology of external galaxies, star clusters in the Milky Way, the interstellar media of external galaxies, gas in the Milky Way, the structure and kinematics of the stellar components of the Milky Way, and the kinematics of external galaxies. Throughout, the book emphasizes the observational basis for current understanding of galactic astronomy, with references to the original literature. Offering both new information and a comprehensive view of its subject, it will be an indispensable source for professionals, as well as for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.Trade ReviewJames Binney, Winner of the 2013 Eddington Medal, Royal Astronomical SocietyTable of ContentsPreface 1Galaxies: an overview 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 A brief history of galactic astronomy 2 Photometric models of the Milky Way 5 The nature of the spiral nebulae 10 Kinematic models of the Milky Way 15 Stellar populations 20 More recent developments 21 2Astronomical Measurements 2.1 Positions, motions and coordinate systems 27 The equatorial system 27 Galactic coordinates 30 Parallax 31 Proper motions 34 Precession and nutation 35 Astrometric systems 37 2.2 Distances determined from velocities 38 Radial velocities 39 Distances from the movingcluster method 40 Secular parallaxes 42 Statistical parallaxes 45 2.3 Magnitudes and colors 46 Apparent magnitudes 47 Colors 52 Absolute magnitudes 56 Absolute energy distributions and bolometric magnitudes 58 Mass-to-light ratios 60 Surface brightness and isophotal radii 61 2.4 Gravitational lensing 62 2.5 Archival data and catalogs 67 On-line resources 71 Problems 74 3The Properties of Stars 3.1 The masses of stars 76 The Mass of the Sun 77 Masses of binary stars 78 Visual binaries 78 Spectroscopic binaries 79 3.2 The radii of stars 82 Phase interferometry 82 Intensity interferometry 83 Speckle interferometry 83 Lunar occultations 84 Eclipsing binaries 84 Astrophysical estimates 86 3.3 Classification of stars 87 Novae 87 Pulsars 87 Classification of stellar spectra 88 The MK system 90 3.4 Physical interpretation of stellar spectra 94 3.5 Color-magnitude diagrams 102 Observed CM-diagrams 103 Luminosity and color as functions of spectral class 104 The physical properties of stars on the MS and RGB 109 3.6 The stellar luminosity function 109 Malmquist bias 111 Lutz-Kelker Bias 115 The general luminosity function 119 Cluster luminosity functions 119 Photometrically complete surveys 119 Proper-motion selected surveys 120 The luminosity function of a given MK spectral class 127 Catalogs of the nearby stars 130 3.7 Interstellar dust 131 Extinction and reddening 133 Reddening-free indices 138 Polarization of starlight by dust 140 Extinction of sightlines out of the Galaxy 140 Problems 143 4Morphology of Galaxies 4.1 Morphological classification of galaxies 146 The Hubble sequence 149 Effects of environment 157 The galaxy luminosity function 162 The field galaxy luminosity function 162 The cluster galaxy luminosity function 165 The luminosity function divided by morphological type 167 The Local Group 169 4.2 Surface Photometry of Galaxies 172 The night sky 173 Effect of seeing 176 Deprojecting galaxy images 179 4.3 Photometry of Elliptical Galaxies 185 Radial surface-brightness profiles of elliptical galaxies 185 cD galaxies 186 Dwarf elliptical galaxies 190 Centers of elliptical galaxies 191 Color and line-strength gradients in elliptical galaxies 193 Shapes of elliptical galaxies 194 Ellipticity 194 Deviations from ellipses 199 Fine structure 201 Correlations among global parameters of elliptical galaxies 204 The Dn - [Sigma]0 correlation 209 Dwarf elliptical galaxies 209 4.4 Photometry of Disk Galaxies 210 Photometric effects of dust 211 Overall shapes of disk galaxies 212 Bulge-disk decomposition 214 Shapes of bulges 222 Color and metallicity gradients in disk galaxies 223 Spiral structure in disk galaxies 224 Barred galaxies 228 Vertical structure of bars 231 Rings in SB galaxies 233 Dust lanes in SB galaxies 234 Lop-sidedness in SB galaxies 234 4.5 Globular cluster systems 235 Globular cluster luminosity function 236 Specific frequency of globular clusters 237 Radial density profiles and shapes 238 Color distributions 239 4.6 Abnormal galaxies 241 Starbursting systems 241 Systems with active galactic nuclei 244 Host galaxies of AGN 250 The unified model of AGN 251 Problems 255 5Evolution of Stars and Stellar Populations 5.1 Stellar evolution and the CM diagram 259 Placing models in the CM diagram 262 Features in the CM diagram 263 Characteristic initial masses 267 Bounding curves in the CM diagram 274 Dependence of CM diagrams upon metallicity 276 The cosmic helium abundance 279 Simple numerical relations 279 Star formation 281 The initial mass function 283 Pulsating stars 287 Classical Cepheid variables 289 Mira variables 292 W Virginis stars 293 RR Lyrae stars 293 5.2 Synthesis of the chemical elements 296 Basic nuclear physics 296 Metal production at Mi < Mup 301 Supernovae 302 Metal production by core-collapse supernovae 303 Metal production by type Ia supernovae 305 5.3 Models of chemical enrichment 306 The closed-box model 306 The leaky-box model 308 The accreting-box model 313 5.4 Evolution of stellar populations 314 Analytical results 315 Numerical models of population evolution 317 Problems 324 6Star clusters 6.1 Globular clusters 327 Globular cluster stellar photometry 332 Color-magnitude diagrams 334 The main sequence and subgiant branch 335 The horizontal branch 337 Comparison with Theoretical CM diagrams 339 Globular cluster ages 344 Turnoff point ages 344 Isochrone fitting 345 The [Delta]V method 346 The [Delta](B-V) 347 Comparison with the age of the Universe 348 Variations in age 349 Metallicities of globular clusters 350 [Omega] Cen 351 The third parameter problem 352 Variations in helium abundance 353 Variations in other element abundances 353 Other candidates 354 Luminosity functions 354 Binary stars 359 Stellar remnants 361 White dwarfs 361 Neutron stars 362 Radial profiles 363 Large-scale properties 365 Luminosity segregation 367 Central cusps 369 Kinematics 371 Velocities of individual stars 371 Integrated-light kinematics 374 Proper motions 375 6.2 Open clusters 377 Color-magnitude diagrams 381 The ages and demise of open clusters 384 Structure and kinematics 386 Luminosity function 389 Problems 392 7The Cosmic Distance Scale 7.1 An introduction to cosmology 396 7.2 Absolute distance estimators 399 The Baade-Wesselink method 399 Application to supernovae 402 The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect 403 Distances from time delays 405 The ring around Supernova 1987A 406 Gravitational lens time delays 407 Water-maser proper-motions by VLBI 410 7.3 Relative distance estimators 414 Luminosities of variable stars 415 Luminosity functions 415 Globular clusters 416 Planetary nebulae 417 Novae and supernovae 419 Novae 419 Type Ia supernovae 420 Distances from galaxy kinematics 422 Spiral galaxies 422 Elliptical galaxies 425 Surface brightness fluctuations 426 7.4 Results 429 Distances within the Local Group 432 Distance to the Galactic center 432 Distance to the Large Magellanic Cloud 434 Distance to M31 435 Distances beyond the Local Group 437 Distance to the Virgo Cluster 437 Peculiar velocity field 439 The asymptotic Hubble constant 441 The deceleration parameter and cosmic density 444 Standard candles and rulers 444 Peculiar velocity field 447 Problems 449 8The Interstellar Media of Galaxies 8.1 How interstellar matter is detected 452 Absorption of starlight 452 Extreme UV and Xray observations 459 Optical emission lines 463 Hydrogen lines 463 Metal lines 464 Radio observations 468 The 21-cm line of atomic hydrogen 471 Rotation transitions of heteronuclear molecules 474 Synchrotron radiation 478 Radio-frequency bremsstrahlung and recombination lines 480 Dispersion and Rotation Measures 481 Gamma-ray emission 482 Radiation by dust 483 8.2 The ISM in Disk Galaxies 488 Global measures 493 HI and H2 in disk galaxies 493 Radio-continuum and IR luminosities 496 Radial density profiles 498 Azimuthal distributions 500 Bars and oval distortions 500 Spiral structure 500 Lop-sidedness 502 Velocity fields of disks 505 Circular-speed curves 507 Kinematic warps 510 Oval distortions 512 S0 galaxies 513 Metallicities of disk galaxies 516 Magnetic fields 520 Star formation in disk galaxies 522 8.3 The ISM in elliptical galaxies 525 X-ray emitting plasma 525 Cool gas in ellipticals 527 8.4 Intergalactic gas 530 The Magellanic Stream 530 Problems 533 9The Milky Way's ISM 9.1 The kinematics of differential rotation 536 The naive (l,v) plot 536 Radii and distances from the (l,v) plot 540 Non-circular motion and the (l,v) plot 541 Axisymmetric expansion 541 Oval distortions 542 Spiral structure 544 Random motions 546 9.2 The large-scale distribution of HI and CO 549 The 21-cm line in emission 549 Measuring the spin temperature 553 CO lines in emission 554 The Milky Way's circular-speed curve 555 Radial distributions of HI and CO 559 Evidence for spiral structure 561 Vertical distributions of HI and CO 562 The middle disk 563 The outer disk 565 9.3 Other tracers of the ISM 570 Diffuse infrared emission 570 Pulsars and the Galactic magnetic field 574 Diffuse H[Alpha] radiation 576 Diffuse synchrotron and Gamma-radiation 577 Diffuse X-rays 579 9.4 The central disk 580 21-cm observations 580 Observations in lines of CO and CS 586 A dynamical model of the central disk 588 9.5 The nucleus 594 9.6 Small-scale structure of the ISM 597 Molecular gas in the Galaxy 598 X from virial masses 601 X from Gamma-rays 601 X from Av 602 Problems 603 10Components of the Milky Way 10.1 Gross Structure from Surface Photometry 609 The Galaxy at optical wavelengths 614 10.2 The bulge 616 Integrated surface photometry 616 Evidence for a bar from individual stars 619 Age and metallicity of the bulge 621 Bulge kinematics 622 10.3 Kinematics of stars near the Sun 624 The solar motion 624 Random velocities of stars 629 Vertex deviation 630 The Schwarzschild distribution 632 Star streams 634 Causes of vertex deviation 636 The Oort constants 637 Estimating the Oort constants 641 10.4 The structure of the stellar disk 643 Ages and metallicities of nearby stars 643 Correlations between abundances 643 Correlations between age and abundance 644 The old disk clusters 651 Star counts and the thick disk 651 The thick disk 654 The local mass density of the disk 656 Distribution of the youngest stars 664 10.5 The halo 666 The globular cluster system 666 Field halo stars 670 Kinematically selected samples 673 10.6 Galaxy models 678 The local circular speed 679 Mass models 680 Starcount models 682 Kinematic models 683 Dynamical models 683 10.7 Formation and evolution of the Milky Way 684 Formation scenarios 684 Models of the chemical evolution of the Milky Way 688 Chemical evolution of the halo 688 Pre-enrichment 688 Problems 690 11Stellar Kinematics in External Galaxies 11.1 Measuring the kinematics of external galaxies 694 Mean velocities and velocity dispersions 697 Analysis of line profiles 700 Position-velocity diagrams and data cubes 705 11.2 The stellar kinematics of elliptical galaxies 707 Large-scale properties 707 Major-axis kinematics 707 Detection of dark halos 712 Kinematic mapping 713 Core properties 716 Decoupled cores 716 Detection of central black holes 717 11.3 The stellar kinematics of disk galaxies 722 Bulge kinematics 723 Disk kinematics 724 Rotational motion 725 Random motions 727 Problems 730 Appendices A. Gravitational deflection of light 732 B. Important astronomical catalogs 736 C. Richardson-Lucy deconvolution 743 D. Useful numbers 744 References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Onstott so beautifully conveys his excitement that laypeople and scientists alike will find [Deep Life] a worthwhile read."--Publishers Weekly "Deep Life tackles one of the most mysterious, sexiest questions in science today: Is there life beyond Earth? ... Onstott's argument is both profound--we can't understand life on other planets without understanding life on our own--and surprising, pleasing any amateur extraterrestrial beep hunter."--Sarah Sloat, Inverse "Extreme environments beneath Earth's surface could well be the crucible where life was forged, and studying the weird creatures that live in such locales could well shed light on how life could endure in Mars' deep crust or Europa's hidden ocean. Geoscientist Tullis C. Onstott brings you along on the hunt."--Alan Boyle, GeekWire "Life can thrive in the most inhospitable places. And finding out just how inhospitable has been the life's work of Tullis Onstott... While rooted in the earth, the study may also help in the quest to find life in the solar system and beyond. This amazing journey takes us from deep in a South African gold mine, to the ancient seabed below a desert floor to travel deep beneath the frozen Arctic tundra."--Cosmos MagazineTable of ContentsFOREWORD ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii ABBREVIATIONS xv INTRODUCTION 1 1 Triassic Park 12 2 The Treasure of Cerro Negro 56 3 Bikers, Bombs, and the Death-o-Meter 103 4 Microbes in Meteorites! 126 5 Life in Deepest, Darkest Africa 143 6 Hunting for Water and Carbon 172 7 The Subterranauts 198 8 A Lot of Breaks and One Lucky Strike 234 9 Life beneath the Ice 265 10 The Worm from Hell 333 EPILOGUE 357 APPENDIX A: Chronology of the Exploration of Subsurface Life 365 APPENDIX B: Chronology of the Meeting of the U.S. DOE's SSP Meetings 377 NOTES 381 REFERENCES 463 INDEX 473

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe Earth's climate system depends entirely on the Sun for its energy. Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and is fundamental to atmospheric composition, while the distribution of solar heating across the planet produces global wind patterns and contributes to the formation of clouds, storms, and rainfall. The Sun's Influence on Climate provides aTrade Review"Increasing understanding of how the sun affects climate will deepen human understanding of future trajectories of climate change."--ChoiceTable of Contents1 Introduction 1 2 The Earth's Climate System 12 3 The Sun 40 4 Solar Radiation at the Earth 66 5 Solar Variability 92 6 Solar Signals in Surface Climate 109 7 Solar Influence through the Atmosphere 129 8 Space Weather 154 9 Summary 166 Appendix: Detection of Solar Signals in Climate and Weather Records 171 Glossary 175 Suggestions for Further Reading 185 Bibliography 189 Index 199

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Book SynopsisThe Earth's climate system depends entirely on the Sun for its energy. Solar radiation warms the atmosphere and is fundamental to atmospheric composition, while the distribution of solar heating across the planet produces global wind patterns and contributes to the formation of clouds, storms, and rainfall. The Sun's Influence on Climate provides aTrade Review"Increasing understanding of how the sun affects climate will deepen human understanding of future trajectories of climate change."--ChoiceTable of Contents1 Introduction 1 2 The Earth's Climate System 12 3 The Sun 40 4 Solar Radiation at the Earth 66 5 Solar Variability 92 6 Solar Signals in Surface Climate 109 7 Solar Influence through the Atmosphere 129 8 Space Weather 154 9 Summary 166 Appendix: Detection of Solar Signals in Climate and Weather Records 171 Glossary 175 Suggestions for Further Reading 185 Bibliography 189 Index 199

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Book SynopsisDeep within galaxies like the Milky Way, astronomers have found a fascinating legacy of Einstein's general theory of relativity: supermassive black holes. Connected to the evolution of the galaxies that contain these black holes, galactic nuclei are the sites of uniquely energetic events, including quasars, stellar tidal disruptions, and the generaTrade Review"[T]his is a book that would be useful to anybody interested in the astrophysics of galaxies... I can recommend this book enthusiastically."--Anvar Shukurov, Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid DynamicsTable of ContentsPreface ix Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW 1 Chapter 2 OBSERVATIONS OF GALACTIC NUCLEI AND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES 11 2.1 Structure of galaxies and galactic nuclei 11 2.2 Techniques for weighing black holes 18 2.3 Supermassive black holes in the Local Group 29 2.4 Phenomenology 33 2.5 Evidence for intermediate-mass black holes 45 2.6 Evidence for binary and multiple supermassive black holes 47 2.7 Gravitational waves 52 Chapter 3 COLLISIONLESS EQUILIBRIA 57 3.1 Orbits, integrals, and steady states 59 3.2 Spherical nuclei 72 3.3 The adiabatic growth model 90 3.4 Axisymmetric nuclei 93 3.5 Triaxial nuclei 100 Chapter 4 MOTION NEAR SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES 117 4.1 Keplerian orbits 120 4.2 Perturbed orbits 125 4.3 The post-Newtonian approximation 131 4.4 Newtonian perturbations 135 4.5 Relativistic orbits 157 4.6 Capture 176 4.7 Relativistic motion in the presence of a distributed mass 183 4.8 Motion in the presence of a second massive body 192 4.9 Stellar motions at the center of the Milky Way 203 Chapter 5 THEORY OF GRAVITATIONAL ENCOUNTERS 213 5.1 Basic concepts and time of relaxation 213 5.2 Diffusion coefficients 216 5.3 Fokker-Planck equation 236 5.4 Gravitational Brownian motion 246 5.5 Orbit-averaged Fokker-Planck equation 251 5.6 Gravitational encounters near a supermassive black hole 264 5.7 Encounters with a spinning supermassive black hole 277 Chapter 6 LOSS-CONE DYNAMICS 289 6.1 Spherical symmetry 297 6.2 Nonspherical nuclei 326 6.3 Binary and hypervelocity stars 341 6.4 Relativistic loss cones and extreme-mass-ratio inspirals 350 Chapter 7 COLLISIONAL EVOLUTION OF NUCLEI 361 7.1 Evolution of the stellar distribution around a supermassive black hole 366 7.2 Cusp (re)generation 383 7.3 Black-hole-driven expansion 390 7.4 Massive perturbers 391 7.5 Evolution of nuclei lacking massive black holes 395 Chapter 8 BINARY AND MULTIPLE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES 415 8.1 Interaction of a massive binary with field stars 417 8.2 Massive binary at the center of a galaxy: I. Early evolution 432 8.3 Massive binary at the center of a galaxy: II. Late evolution 446 8.4 Interaction of binary supermassive black holes with gas 462 8.5 Simulations of galaxy mergers 467 8.6 Dynamics of intermediate-mass black holes 468 8.7 Triple supermassive black holes and the final-parsec problem 483 Suggestions for Further Reading 489 References 493 Index 535

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Book SynopsisIncludes brief chapter bibliographies and index.Trade Review"Asteroseismology is a new, essential part of the stellar astronomy toolkit. Areas such as exoplanetary systems and galactic archaeology often employ asteroseismic analysis alongside traditional methods. This book is a comprehensive `how-to' for working with asteroseismic data—appropriate for all those who want to try asteroseismology for themselves."—Steve Kawaler, Iowa State University"The study of stellar properties using asteroseismology, based on observations of stellar oscillations, has exploded over the past decade thanks to a flood of space-based data. In this book, Basu and Chaplin provide a comprehensive and pedagogical overview of the field, emphasizing the required techniques. This is a valuable resource and a good introduction for those new to this revolution in stellar astrophysics."—Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard, Aarhus University"This excellent book represents a milestone in the study of stellar physics. Encyclopedic in scope and approachable to readers who may know little of the subject, Asteroseismic Data Analysis fills a genuine need."—David Soderblom, Space Telescope Science Institute"The data from the Kepler mission have completely transformed the field of asteroseismology. With extensive coverage, Asteroseismic Data Analysis presents a thorough and systematic treatment of the topic. The great strength of this book is that it uses Kepler data to illustrate many of the techniques."—Tim Bedding, University of Sydney

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a comprehensive overview of the history of ideas about the sun and the stars, from antiquity to modern times. Two theoretical astrophysicists who have been active in the field since the early 1960s tell the story in fluent prose. About half of the book covers most of the theoretical research done from 1940 to the close of the tweTrade Review"This is a fascinating story well told. A host of brief biographies, portraits and figures brings the text to life."--David Hughes, New Scientist "The authors have compressed an amazing amount of information into a relatively slender book, and I expect that it will be a standard reference for many years."--William R. Green, The Leading Edge "Appendices and an index round out this excellent resource especially recommended for college library astrophysics shelves."--James A. Cox, Midwest Book ReviewTable of ContentsList of Figures vii Preface xi Chapter 1. The Age o Myths and Speculations 1 1.1 Ancient Egypt and the Middle East 2 1.2 Ionia: The Eastern Greek School 4 1.3 Southern Italy: The Western Greek School 6 1.4 The Athenian Period 7 1.5 The Alexandrian Period 12 1.6 From the Dark Age to the Renaissance 16 1.7 The Emergence of Modern Astronomy 22 Chapter 2. Three Centuries of Optical Discoveries: 1610-1910 29 2.1 Distances to the Sun and the Stars 30 2.2 The Beginnings of Spectroscopy 33 2.3 The Sun as a Star 40 2.4 Solar Activity and Rotation 43 2.5 Intrinsic Properties of Stars 47 2.6 Binary Stars and Stellar Masses 56 2.7 Variable and Unusual Stars 59 2.8 The Rise of Astrophysics 64 Chapter 3. The Time of Pioneers: 1840-1910 66 3.1 The Puzzle of the Sun's Energy 67 3.2 The First Solar Models 73 3.3 The Pulsation Theory of Variable Stars (I) 79 3.4 The Double-Star Problem 81 3.5 Early Views of Stellar Evolution 84 3.6 Outline of Solar Activity and Rotation 88 3.7 Retrospect: The Nineteenth-Century Advances 91 Chapter 4. The Formative Years: 1910-1940 94 4.1 The Beginnings of Quantitative Astrophysics 96 4.2 The Stellar-Energy Problem 100 4.3 The Internal Structure of Stars 103 4.4 Pre-1938 Views of Stellar Evolution 110 4.5 White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars 114 4.6 The Pulsation Theory of Variable Stars (II) 120 4.7 The Early Studies of Stellar Rotation 123 4.8 Solar and Stellar Hydrodynamics 128 Chapter 5. The Golden Age: 1940-1970 133 5.1 Nuclear Reactions and Energy Production in Stars 135 5.2 Calculation of Stellar Structure 143 5.3 A Brief Survey of Stellar Evolution 147 5.4 Postgiant Evolution and Stellar Remnants 156 5.5 Evolution of Close Binary Stars 166 5.6 The Pulsation Theory of Variable Stars (III) 173 5.7 Stellar Rotation and Magnetic Fields 177 5.8 The Maturing of Solar Physics 183 Chapter 6. The Era of Specialization: 1970-192 6.1 Single, Double, and Multiple Stars 193 6.2 Early-Type Stars 202 6.3 The Sun 210 6.4 Late-Type Stars 220 6.5 The Pulsation Theory of Variable Stars (IV) 228 6.6 Final Stages of Stellar Evolution 234 Epilogue 247 Appendix A. Lane's Fully Convective Gas Spheres 250 Appendix B. Ritter's Polytropic Gas Spheres 251 Appendix C. Ritter's Theory o Pulsating Stars 252 Appendix D. Radial and Nonradial Stellar Pulsations 254 Appendix E. Bohr's Model of the Atom 257 Appendix F. Einstein's Mass-Energy Relation 260 Appendix G. Three Important Nuclear Reactions 263 General Bibliography 265 Index of Names 269 Index of Subjects 277

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"It is to be hoped that . . . generations of geophysicists will derive great benefit from this book."---K. Alan Shore, Contemporary PhysicsTable of ContentsPreface ix 1 Mathematical Preliminaries 1 1.1 Vectors, Indicial Notation, and Vector Operators 1 1.2 Cylindrical and Spherical Geometry 6 1.3 Theorems of Gauss, Green, and Stokes 10 1.4 Rotation and Matrix Representation 11 1.5 Tensors, Eigenvalues, and Eigenvectors 15 1.6 Ramp, Heaviside, and Dirac delta Functions 19 1.7 Exercises 20 2 Ordinary Differential Equations 23 2.1 Linear First-Order Ordinary Differential Equations 25 2.2 Second-Order Ordinary Differential Equations 30 2.2.1 Linear Second-Order Differential Equations 33 2.2.2 Green's Functions 34 2.2.3 LRC Circuits and Visco-Elastic Solids 38 2.2.4 Driven Oscillators, Resonance, and Variation of Constants 39 2.2.5 JWKB Method, Riccati Equation, and Adiabatic Invariants 43 2.2.6 Nonlinearity and Perturbation Theory 47 2.3 Special Functions, Laplacians, and Separation of Variables 52 2.3.1 Cartesian Coordinates and Separation of Variables 53 2.3.2 Polar and Cylindrical Coordinates and Separation of Variables; Bessel and Generating Functions 54 2.3.3 Spherical Coordinates and Separation of Variables; Green's and Generating Function; Spherical Harmonics 59 2.4 Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations 69 2.4.1 Bullard's Homopolar Dynamo 69 2.4.2 Poincare-Bendixson Theorem and the Van der Pol Oscillator 71 2.4.3 Lorenz Attractor, Perturbation Theory, and Chaos 74 2.4.4 Fractals 78 2.4.5 Maps and Period Doubling 82 2.5 Exercises 89 3 Evaluation of Integrals and Integral Transform Methods 96 3.1 Integration Methods, Approximations, and Special Cases 97 3.1.1 Elementary Methods and Asymptotic Methods 97 3.1.2 Steepest Descent Methods 101 3.1.3 Special Problems in Geophysics; Elliptic Integrals 103 3.2 Complex Analysis and Elementary Contour Integration 104 3.3 Fourier Transforms and Analysis Methods 113 3.3.1 Fourier Series, Transforms, and Convolutions 113 3.3.2 Illustrative Examples of Fourier Transform Pairs 115 3.3.3 Multidimensional and Other Fourier Transform Pairs 119 3.3.4 Sampling Theorem, Aliasing, and Approximation Methods 126 3.3.5 Fast Fourier Transform 131 3.4 Inverse Theory, Calculus of Variations, and Integral Equations 134 3.4.1 Linear Inverse Theory 135 3.4.2 Abel Transform 136 3.4.3 Radon Transform 138 3.4.4 Calculus of Variations 139 3.4.5 Herglotz-Wiechert Travel-Time Transform 140 3.5 Exercises 146 4 Partial Differential Equations of Mathematical Geophysics 151 4.1 Introduction to Partial Differential Equations 151 4.1.1 Classification of Partial Differential Equations and Boundary Condition Types 151 4.1.2 Wave Equation in One Dimension 155 4.1.3 Elements of Fluid Flow 159 4.2 Three-Dimensional Applications 164 4.2.1 Diffusion Equation in Three Dimensions 165 4.2.2 Wave Equation in Three Dimensions 166 4.2.3 Gravitational Potential and Green's Function Methods 170 4.3 Diffusion, Dispersion, Perturbation Methods, and Nonlinearity 172 4.3.1 Diffusion and Dispersion 172 4.3.2 Sound Waves and Perturbation Theory 180 4.3.3 Burgers's Equation and Solitary Waves 182 4.3.4 Korteweg-de Vries Equation and Solitons 184 4.3.5 Self-Similarity, Scaling, and Kolmogorov Turbulence 191 4.4 Exercises 193 5 Probability, Statistics, and Computational Methods 202 5.1 Binomial, Poisson, and Gaussian Distributions 203 5.1.1 Binomial Distribution 208 5.1.2 Poisson Distribution 209 5.1.3 Normal Distribution 211 5.2 Central Limit Theorem 214 5.3 Randomness in Data and in Simulations 217 5.3.1 Regression and Fitting of Experimental Data 217 5.3.2 Random Number Generation and Monte Carlo Simulation 219 5.4 Computational Geophysics 221 5.4.1 Computation, Round-off Error, and Seminumerical Algorithms 221 5.4.2 Roots of Equations 223 5.4.3 Numerical Solution of Ordinary Differential Equations 226 5.4.4 General Issues in the Numerical Solution of Partial Differential Equations 233 5.4.5 Numerical Solution of Parabolic Partial Differential Equations 234 5.4.6 Numerical Solution of Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations 236 5.5 Exercises 238 References 241 Index 247

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"In this impressively detailed yet readable scholarly work, Jeffrey Crelinsten examines the history of early attempts by astronomers to put Einstein's theory to the test... As well as casting new light on a neglected aspect of relativity studies, Einstein's Jury provides a fascinating analysis of science in action: the scrupulous weighing of evidence to assay--as far as is humanly possible--the truth of the matter."--Peter D. Smith, Times Literary Supplement "By focusing on astronomers rather than the theoretical physicists more often associated with Einstein, Jeffrey Crelinsten offers new insights... He uses the introduction of the theory of relativity to present a case study of how innovative scientific ideas enter both the scientific community and the consciousness of the general public."--Publishers Weekly "Jeffrey Crelinsten's fascinating Einstein's Jury: The Race to Test Relativity tracks the ways in which one particular community, astronomers, handled Einstein's relativity theories, roughly between 1910 and 1925... Crelinsten has done a great service and deserves our thanks for tracking so beautifully the American astronomical response to relativity between the wars."--Peter Galison, Science "Crisply written and impressively researched... [T]wo elements make Einstein's Jury stand out: First, it looks at astronomers, rather than physicists or mathematicians, providing a focus that comparatively offer a genuinely novel perspective on the question of relativity's reception... It belongs to that rare breed of works that will be of genuine interest and enjoyment to the casual reader while at the same time being required reading for the specialist."--Suman Seth, American Scientist "Einstein's Jury tells a fascinating and largely unknown story of how Einstein's revolutionary ideas on the nature of space and time were received, understood, misunderstood, tested and finally confirmed by astronomers of the day, giving birth to relativistic cosmology."--Alan S.McRae, Mathematical Reviews "Einstein's Jury is a story of true scientific effort and petty human weaknesses and eventualities. It is hard to put down this tale of how American astronomers, equipped with the best instruments in the world, struggled for or against the observational evidence for three experimental consequences of Einstein's theory of general relativity."--Jozsef Illy, Isis "Einstein's Jury is an extremely well researched and readable account of how Einstein's innovative theories were received in the early decades of the twentieth century. The book follows the birth of modern astrophysics from the first trickles off Einstein's pen in 1905 to the emergence of relativistic cosmology in the mid-1930s... Crelinsten's account of Relativity's twenty-year struggle for acceptance by the scientific community is told with all the tension of a well-paced thriller. I have no doubt that professional historians and popular science readers alike will thoroughly enjoy Einstein's Jury."--Gerard McMahon, Astronomy and Space "Crelinsten charts an important but understudied episode in the history of modern physics: the empirical tests of general relativity... Crelinsten is a believer in details. He diligently documents exchanges of ideas, conducts of experiments, and steps of arguments. He utilizes two kinds of sources. Regarding Einstein and other European physicists, Crelinsten relies on published documents and the secondary literatures. To delineate American astronomers' activities, he uses a lot of unpublished archival substances."--Chen-Pang Yeang, University of Toronto Quarterly "Crelinsten is to be congratulated on having made a substantial contribution to our understanding of the reception of general relativity by American astronomers, and the central role they played in placing the theory's astronomical predictions beyond doubt."--Andrew Warwick, British Journal for the History of Science "Crelinsten ... is a good writer, who, without repeating himself, periodically sums up his discussion and sets things up for the next section so that we always know what to look forward to and are reminded of what we have just learned... I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in how revolutionary scientific ideas find acceptance within the scientific community."--Naomi Pasachoff, MetascienceTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi List of Tables xv Preface xvii Introduction xxi Notation Convention for Angular Measure xxv Abbreviations xxvii PART ONE: 1905-1911 Early Encounters with Relativity 1 CHAPTER ONE: Einstein and the World Community of Physicists and Astronomers 3 Einstein Enters the World Stage 3 The Astronomy Community 7 The Astrophysics Revolution 9 European Brains and American Money 20 California Astronomy: The Nation's Leader 25 CHAPTER TWO: Astronomers and Special Relativity: The First Publications 28 Henry Crozier Plummer and the Problem of Aberration 28 Edmund Taylor Whittaker: Relativity and the Ether 31 Relativity and Subjectivism 36 Using Relativity to Calculate Planetary Orbits 38 American Astronomers' Introduction to Relativity 40 PART TWO: 1911-1919 Astronomers Encounter Einstein 45 CHAPTER THREE: The Early Involvement, 1911-1914 47 Einstein's Two Predictions 47 Solar Eclipses, "Vulcan," and the Principle of Relativity 50 Einstein Finds an Astronomer 55 Puzzles in the Sun's Spectrum 65 The Russian Eclipse of 1914 76 CHAPTER FOUR: The War Period, 1914-1918 85 Troubles with Freundlich 85 Einstein's Breakthrough 87 The "Freundlich Affair" 90 News of Einstein's Breakthrough Spreads 94 Mixed Reactions to a Complicated Theory 98 Constructing the Universe 103 Challenges from Solar Observations 108 Lick Astronomers Go Eclipse Hunting 114 Einstein Liberates Freundlich 119 CHAPTER FIVE: 1919: A Year of Dramatic Announcement 125 Evershed's Earth Effect versus Relativity 125 Delays and Technical Challenges at Lick 126 Enter the British 129 The Lick Verdict: "Einstein Is Wrong" 131 The British Declare, "Einstein Is Right" 140 CHAPTER SIX: Men of Science Agog 146 Reactions to the British Eclipse Results 146 Pressure from the Press 153 The Role of Arthur Eddington 157 Einstein the National Treasure 160 Hale Realizes His Vision 165 PART THREE: 1920-1925 Astronomers Put Einstein to the Test 169 CHAPTER SEVEN: Tackling the Solar Redshift Problem 171 Evershed and St. John Declare the Case Unresolved 171 "Einstein's Third Victory" 173 Unraveling Complexities--Evershed versus St. John 175 Evershed Votes for Einstein 179 CHAPTER EIGHT: More Eclipse Testing 183 Personnel Changes at Lick 183 Conflicting Announcements on the Goldendale Results 185 Preparations for the Australian Eclipse 194 The 1922 Eclipse: All Eyes on Lick 200 CHAPTER NINE: Emergence of the Critics 213 Reactions to the Lick Results 213 T.J.J. See versus the Lick Observatory 216 An Antirelativity Coalition in the East 225 The Ether Attempts a Comeback 231 CHAPTER TEN: The Debate Intensifies 236 Another Chance to Test Einstein 236 Mount Wilson and Lick Vote for Einstein 241 The Antirelativity Campaign Gains Momentum 243 Confrontation 252 A New Line of Evidence to Test Einstein 257 PART FOUR: 1925-1930 Final Acceptance 263 CHAPTER ELEVEN: Relativity Triumphs 265 The 1925 Eclipse: Dissension in the Antirelativity Coalition 265 The Relativity Debate circa 1925 269 Announcements for and against the Ether 273 Announcement of the Sirius B Results 277 John A. Miller and the Eclipse Tests 282 Dayton C. Miller and the Ether Drift 287 The 1928 Climax: Three More Pronouncements 290 Reluctant Acceptance 296 CHAPTER TWELVE: Silencing the Critics 300 Charles Lane Poor versus the Lick Observatory 300 Antirelativists Rally in the East 307 The Final Showdown 310 EPILOGUE: The Emergence of Relativistic Cosmology 315 FINAL REFLECTIONS 321 How Scientists Accept Theories 321 Astronomers' Reception of Relativity 323 Relativity and Us 324 Notes 327 Bibliography 365 Index 385

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""Marvellous. . . . Ellis's explanations of complex scientific and technological challenges faced along the journey are an exemplar of how to bring approachability and clarity to potentially tricky subjects, but it is the fascinating incidental details that really grab the attention. Offering a rare insight into how professional astronomy actually 'gets done', they elevate this to must-read status for anyone interested in the ways of modern science."---BBC Sky at Night Magazine, Giles Sparrow"[If] astronomy is your thing . . . this is genuinely an essential read and highly recommended."---Brian Clegg, Popular Science"A wonderful book."---Phillip Helbig, The Observatory

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