Starlight Detectives: How Astronomers, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe

A wondrous tale of cosmic exploration and the colorful characters who ushered astronomy into the modern age

In 1929, Edwin Hubble announced the greatest discovery in the history of astronomy since Galileo first turned a telescope to the heavens. The galaxies, previously believed to float serenely in the void, are in fact hurtling apart at an incredible speed: the universe is expanding. This stunning discovery was the culmination of a decades-long arc of scientific and technical advancement. In its shadow lies an untold, yet equally fascinating, backstory whose cast of characters illuminates the gritty, hard-won nature of scientific progress.

The path to a broader mode of cosmic observation was blazed by a cadre of nineteenth-century amateur astronomers and inventors, galvanized by the advent of photography, spectral analysis, and innovative technology to create the entirely new field of astrophysics. From William Bond, who turned his home into a functional observatory, to John and Henry Draper, a father and son team who were trailblazers of astrophotography and spectroscopy, to geniuses of invention such as Léon Foucault, and George Hale, who founded the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hirshfeld reveals the incredible stories—and the ambitious dreamers—behind the birth of modern astronomy.

Alan Hirshfeld (September 29, 1951 – October 4, 2026) was Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he served as the longtime director of the campus observatory, later dedicated in his honor as the Hirshfeld-Dowd Observatory. A regular book reviewer for the Wall Street Journal and contributor to the American Journal of Physics, Sky & Telescope, BBC History Magazine, and American Scientist, he was also the author of many books, including Starlight Detectives: How Astronomers, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe, which was named a “Best Book of the Year” by NBC News, Scientific American, Nature, and Kirkus Reviews.