Table of Contents

Part 1 Reinventing the Cosmos The Circle Game What if the Sun be Centre to the World? Crossed Eyes and Wobbling Stars Part 2 The Heavens Erupt The Turbulent Lens The Wrangler of Pisa The Archimedean Engine A Coal Cellar with a View Double Vision Part 3 Dismal Swamp The Twice-Built Telescope Quest for Precision So Many Grasshoppers The Star in the Lyre The Subtle Weave Index

About the Author

ALAN W. HIRSHFELD, astronomer at the University of Massachusetts.

Reviews

"A thrilling detective story!"
--Owen Gingerich, Research Professor of Astronomy and the History of Science, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
"A wonderfully told story of the challenge of measuring our place in the universe. It reaches the stars and the ride is exciting and irresistible."
--Margaret J. Geller, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
"One of the great stories of scientific history . . . Hirshfeld sheds light on the important problem of finding our cosmic place."
--David H. Levy, Science Editor, "Parade," and discoverer of 21 comets
"Alan Hirshfeld's authoritative and gripping tale of the search for stellar parallax makes me proud to be a part of such a relentlessly curious and persistent species."
--Chet Raymo, columnist, "Boston Globe," author of "365 Starry Nights" and professor of physics and astronomy at Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts
"An excellent book. I'm sure it will be of great value to many readers."
--Sir Patrick Moore, host of the BBC's "The Sky at Night"
"Alan Hirshfeld has done for the measurement of the cosmos what Dava Sobel did for the measurement of longitude. Readers will never again look into the night sky the same way."
--Michael Shermer, Publisher, "Skeptic "magazine, author of "How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science"
"Alan Hirshfeld has done a magnificent job, in keeping with the best tradition of astronomical history."
--Leif J. Robinson, Editor Emeritus, "Sky & Telescope"