The General History of Astronomy: Volume 2, Planetary Astronomy from the Renaissance to the Rise of Astrophysics - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521120098 ISBN 13: 9780521120098

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2009

Synopsis

Part B of Planetary Astronomy from the Renaissance to the Rise of Astrophysics continues the history of celestial mechanics and observational discovery through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It provides a synoptic view of the main developments and furnishes details about the lives, ideas, and interactions of the various astronomers involved. Twelve different authors have contributed their expertise to this book that begins with the reception of Newton's inverse-square law. In the remainder, a large place is given to the development of the mathematical theory of celestial mechanics from Clairaut and Euler to LeVerrier, Newcomb, Hill, and Poincaré. This emphasis is balanced by other chapters on observational discoveries and the rapprochement of observation and theory (for instance, the discovery of Uranus and the asteroids, use of Venus transits to refine solar parallax, introduction of the method of least squares, and the development of planetary and satellite ephemerides). Lists of "Further Reading" provide entrée to the literature of the several topics. This book will be of great interest to historians of science and astronomers.

About this title

Book Description

Part B of Planetary astronomy from the Renaissance to the rise of astrophysics is the sequel to part A (Tycho Brahe to Newton), and continues the history of celestial mechanics and observational discovery through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Twelve different authors (astronomers, historians of astronomy, celestial mechanists and a statistician) have contributed their expertise in some 18 chapters, each of them intended to be accessible to the interested layman. An initial section deals with stages in the reception of Newton's inverse-square law as exact. In the remainder of the book a large place is given to the development of the mathematical theory of celestial mechanics from Clairaut and Euler to LeVerrier, Newcomb, Hill, and Poincaré - a topic rarely treated at once synoptically and in some detail. This emphasis is balanced by other chapters on observational discoveries and the rapprochement of observation and theory (forinstance, the discovery of Uranus and the asteroids,use of Venus transists to refine solar parallax, introduction of the method of least squares, and the development of planetary and satellite ephemerides). Lists of "Further Reading' provide entrée to the literature of the several topics.

Review

"The editors and authors have succeeded wonderfully in bringing the roots of early planetary astronomy to a wide readership." Sky & Telescope

"...tremendously valuable collection of essays on the history of astronomy by noted scholars." Mercury

"Each of the the 13 chapters (by 11 experts) is a model of concise erudition....summarizes and compares the mathematical methods and empirical results (in the form of astronomical tables) of a lengthy list of astronomers (including Hortensius, Van Lansberge, Horrocks, Wendlin, Boulliau, Shakerly, Wing, Streete, Mercator, the Cassinis, Richer, Picard, De La Hire, Flamsteed, Halley, and Lacaille), who were of considerable significance in their own times but whose contributions have long been ignored by historians too ready to leap from the radical innovations of Kepler at the beginning of the 17th century to those of Newton at the end. Not that Kepler and Newton are absent in this book, for there are, in fact, excellent accounts of the astronomical work of Kepler...and of Newton...." Choice

"...an extremely well-organized account of the development of astronomy in the melting pot during the fertile 17th century....The percentage of technical material, diagrams, tables, and mathematical formulas is large enough to be informative for the astronomer, and small enough--one hopes--not to discourage the general reader from skipping now and then half a column and continue his reading." Kristian Peder Moesgaard, Mathematical Reviews

"...an excellent example of the usefulness of collaboration by experts in presenting material that has been dispersed in a multitude of learned articles and monographs....I can commend his volume to those who seek a well-rounded portrait of a mojor scientific discipline in a crucial transition period." Bernard R. Goldstein, Philosophy of Science

"Together the articles in Volume 2 comprise the best history of celestial mechanics yet written....these books will constitute a substantial contribution to the history of astronomy. The original vision of the project remains intact, and like all good history, this one raises further questions that future astronomers and historians will want to address." Steven J. Dick, Sky & Telescope

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521120098
• ISBN 13: 9780521120098
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 296
• Editor: Taton René, Wilson Curtis, Hoskin Michael