Introduces students to the impact of Copernicus, Newton and other great scientists on the scientific understanding of the solar system.
Foreword Introduction An Introduction to the History of Science Babylonian Planetary Astronomy Plato and Saving the Phenomena Eudoxus and Concentric Spheres Eccentrics and Epicycles Equivalence Astronomy and Physics Saving the Phenomena Quantitatively Ptolemy's Exposition of Mathematical Sstronomy Reality or Mathematical Fiction? The Greatest Astronomer of Antiquity or The Greatest Fraud in the History of Science? Islamic Planetary Astronomy Revival in the West Copernicus and Planetary Motions The Copernican Revolution Breaking the Circle Isaac Newton and ravity The Newtonian Revolutiuon Glossary Timeline Bibliography
Norriss S. Hetherington is the director of the Institute for the History of Astronomy and a Visiting Scholar with the Office of the History of Science and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley. He has written extensively on the history of astronomy and cosmology, and has edited Encyclopedia of Cosmology: Historical, Philosophical, and Scientific Foundations of Modern Cosmology, and Cosmology: Historical, Literary, Philosophical, Religious, and Scientific Perspectives.
Hetherington covers the history of attempts to understand planetary
motion, starting with the Babylonians, continuing through Plato and
Ptolemy, and ending with Copernicus and Newton. He has written
extensively on this subject and is the director of the Institute
for the History of Astronomy at Berkeley. His expertise is evident
in his clear, insightful overview of astronomy and the
personalities of the people who pursued it, but what is unique is
the ease with which he connects science to the cultures in which it
was practiced. The index includes Bach, Julius Caesar, Dionysius,
John Donne, Frederick II, Goethe, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas
Jefferson, Mohammed, Moliere (Moliere) , Mozart, Voltaire, and even
God. The writing is authoritative but also accessible and humorous:
the conflict between Descartes' and Newton's understanding of
gravity is summarized by the statement that In Paris everything was
explained by a pressure that nobody understood; in London
everything was explained by an attraction that nobody understood
either. A thorough, engaging study. Highly recommended. General
readers; lower- and upper-division undergraduates.
*Choice*
Focusing on classical planetary mechanics from the period from
Plato through Newton, this book is a feast for those interested in
the history of astronomy….Here….[i]s a clear and concise exposition
of the thinking of some of the greatest minds in the history of
science on the queen of all disciplines….Throughout the book are
fascinating boxes and sidebars on social and humanistic issues
related to the astronomy of the time, and the author has also
included useful instrumental exercises by which the reader can
delve into the subject further….[t]his is an exceptional text that
will prove useful in introductory and intermediate-level
history-of-science courses….[I] recommend the book highly to anyone
who simply is curious about how we have come to know the structure
of our solar system and the place of humankind in the universe.
*Science Books & Films*
Director of the Institute to the History of Astronomy, Hetherington
begins by reviewing the history of science in general to provide a
framework. Then he traces the evolution of modern ideas about how
planets move from Babylonian planetary astronomy to the Newtonian
revolution. Among the stages are Plato, eccentricities and
epicycles, Ptolemy, Islamic planetary astronomy, and the Copernican
revolution. No knowledge of astronomy is assumed.
*SciTech Book News*
Now and again a resource comes along that provides a new look at an
old, even ancient, topic. In this book, teachers of higher-level,
secondary physics classes, along with their students, can discover
a new perspective on the historical development of theories
involving planetary motion. The author approaches the physics
concepts of gravity, laws of motion, forces, and fields, among
others, through its explanation of how great scientists of the past
actually developed them….This books helps us understand the history
that has brought us to our current physics practice, understanding,
and instruction. As a resource for teachers or required reading for
students, this book can help to provide a unique foundation for
future physics classes. Through a detailed timeline and
bibliography that supports its contents with research, its approach
to the presentation of the material will truly keep readers
involved.
*NSTA Recommends National Science Teachers Association*
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