General History of Astronomy: Volume 2, Planetary Astronomy from the Renaissance to the Rise of Astrophysics (General History of Astronomy)
Editorial Reviews
Review
'... this is a very comprehensive and high quality work on the history of astronomy ... This series will be a very interesting collection for everybody, scientist, student and amateur, who is interested in the general history of astronomy.' Reviews of Astronomical Tools
'This book illustrates perfectly the skill of the modern astronomical historian. The list of editors and authors reads like a who's who in the subject and the 17 essays provide an excellent secondary source.' Carole Stott, New Scientist
'... when read as an historical introduction to the study of the subject this book could provide the background necessary to fully understand advanced and modern celestial mechanics.' Irish Astronomical Journal
Book Description
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.
General History of Astronomy (General History of Astronomy),Reni Taton,Curtis Wilson,Michael Hoskin,Cambridge University Press,0521351685,Astronomy,Astronomy - General,Astrophysics,History,Science,Science/Mathematics,Solar System,Astronomy, Space & Time,Astronomy--History,History of science,Science / Astronomy
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