The Universe Unveiled: Instruments and Images Through History
Editorial Reviews
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Sextant, octant, armillary sphere; sundial, moondial, astrolabe. Premodern scientific instruments seem romantic and mysterious. Romantic because they can be very beautiful, works of art the like of which cannot be found among more practical, goal-oriented modern instruments. Mysterious because most of us no longer have any idea which instruments were which, or how they were used.
At the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, Stephenson, Bolt, and Friedman help curate one of the best collections of astronomy instruments in the world. The Universe Unveiled is a dazzling catalog of the most beautiful, ancient, and important objects from the Adler (the first planetarium in the Western Hemisphere) and other museums. Alongside hundreds of gorgeous, clear photographs, they have written a text that gives a real, though brief, idea of how the instruments, maps, and charts were actually used. Most of the objects were made in Europe between 1450 and 1800, but the authors also do a creditable job of discussing Chinese and Islamic astronomy. Altogether, the book is a rare combination of eye candy and intellectual nutrition, which could only really be bettered if it were packaged with the actual instruments. As is, it can make your hands itch with a kind of tactile curiosity, while it caters to your eyes and mind. --Mary Ellen Curtin
Review
'... a superb collection of astronomical instruments is celebrated in this lavishly illustrated book.' A. A. Mills, Bulletin of the Science Instrument Society
'The pictures are beautiful, the colour is stunning, the production quality is impressive, and each page of this delightful book reveals yet another group of historical astronomical instruments, book plates, and sky maps that I would love to have adorning my home and office. I enjoyed the book greatly and recommend it strongly.' David W. Hughes, The Observatory
'This is a fascinating, well-written and visually splendid book. ... its glossary, appendix and full descriptions of all of the artefacts, make it a useful work of reference as well as a pleasure to read.' Allan Chapman, Astronomy Now
The Universe Unveiled: Instruments and Images Through History
The Universe Unveiled: Instruments and Images Through History,Bruce Stephenson,Marvin Bolt,Anna Felicity Friedman,Cambridge University Press,052179143X,Astronomical Instruments,Astronomy,Astronomy - General,Charts, diagrams, etc,General,History,Science,Science/Mathematics,Popular astronomy,Science / Astronomy
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