When astronomers today look up at the night sky they picture a
spectacular and infinite universe--full of pulsars, quasars, and black
holes and ruled by arcane laws of space and time. Once, ancient
astronomers looked up and saw only points of light tracing calm
movements across the heavens. But they too were moved to wonder about
the meaning of what they saw. In Astronomy through the Ages, Sir
Robert Wilson tells the story of how our understanding of the universe
has evolved through history--of how the sedate and stable star field of
ancient times has been replaced by the vast and explosive universe we
know today. Wilson, one of the most distinguished astronomers of the
twentieth century, begins by tracing the astronomical studies of the
ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks and reviews important early
contributions from India, China, and the Islamic world. He explains the
development of the sun-centered model of the universe in Renaissance
Europe. He then tells how the development of the telescope, photography,
and spectroscopy pushed back the limits of the observable universe and
eventually brought astronomy into the twentieth century. Finally, he
describes the rapid advances in radio and space astronomy and other
methods over the past fifty years that have ushered in a new "golden
age" of astronomy. These advances have not only allowed observation of
deep space but also enabled scientists to unlock the secrets of the
universe itself from its origin to its possible fate. Wilson himself has
played an important role in these discoveries as the developer of one of
the most successful astronomical satellites ever launched, the
International Ultraviolet Explorer. While focusing on the human side of
astronomical discovery, Wilson also provides readers with a basic
understanding of difficult concepts, explaining relativity and quantum
mechanics without using technical language or mathematics. Remarkable in
its scope and clarity, Astronomy through the Ages provides an
accessible view of historical discoveries and modern advances and shows
why excitement about astronomy is even greater today than when Galileo
first gazed in wonder at the rings of Saturn.
Originally published in 1998.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand
technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from
the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
