Table of Contents

Preface Timeline Introduction abylonian and Chinese Astronomy and Cosmology Greek Astronomy and Cosmology Cosmology from Islam to Copernicus Cosmology from Brahe to Newton Stellar Astronomy: The Universe Beyond the Solar System A Universe of Galaxies: The Triumph of the Island Universe Theory The Expansion of the Universe From Universal Expansion to the Big Bang The Big-Band Universe: Grom 1965 to the 21st Century Glossary Bibliography

Promotional Information

Shows how our ideas about the size, shape, and composition of the universe came to be.

About the Author

CRAIG G. FRASER is a professor in the Institute for History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. He is the editor-in-chief of the journal Historia Mathematica, and has written numerous articles on the history of modern cosmology.

Reviews

The complex relationship between theories (including theories that eventually proved to be incorrect) and observation is a central focus throughout this concise, thought-provoking historical analysis. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.
*Choice*

[A] good account of the development of cosmology over the last two or three millennia.
*Astronomy Now*

From Plato's erroneous promulgation that the planets have circular orbits to calculation in 2003 of Hubble's constant, Fraser offers a lucid introduction to historical perspectives on the nature of the cosmos. The history of Western (including Islamic) cosmology is divided into four periods: early mythologies, classical Greek thought through Copernicus, heliocentric and Newtonian views, and the modern era starting in the 1920s with realization of the multi-galactic nature of the universe. The volume includes a timeline, a glossary, and B&W illustrations.
*SciTech Book News*