Synopses & Reviews
From the night sky to celestial globes, and from planetary clocks to watches, this lavishly-illustrated book tells of the history of astronomy, the first of all sciences. Astronomy was first used for calendar making, timekeeping, direction finding, celestial predictions and position fixing. The authors show how changes in our thinking about the solar system have been reflected in mechanical devices from antiquity to the 20th century, and our new, technological universe. Also covered are the discoveries about our solar system and how these have been incorporated into mechanical instruments.
Synopsis
An illustrated and fascinating account of the history of astronomy.
Synopsis
An illustrated and fascinating account of the history of astronomy. From the night sky to celestial globes, and from planetary clocks to watches, this lavishly-illustrated book tells of the history of astronomy, the first of all sciences. The authors demonstrate how changes in our thinking about the solar system have been reflected in mechanical devices from antiquity to the twentieth century, and our new, technological universe.
Table of Contents
The Oldest Science x The Night Sky x Celestial Globes and Armillary Spheres x Planetary Clocks x Astrolabes x Copernican Orreries x Galileo, the Pendulum and the Telescope x Clocks x Aids to Navigation x Watches x New Globes and Orreries x The Planetarium x The Technological Universe