Parallel Lives of Astronomers
Description
Using the "Parallel Lives" approach adopted by the Greek biographer Plutarch, noted historian of astronomy William Sheehan contrasts the lives and research careers of two famous astronomers, Percival Lowell and Edward Emerson Barnard. Drawing on vast archival materials and hitherto unpublished source materials, Sheehan documents in detail the contributions of these two late 19th and early 20th astronomers.
Living at a time when controversies about Mars peaked, when great observatories were being built, and when research increasingly turned away from the Solar System toward the stellar and extra-galactic universe, these observers made spectacular contributions to astronomy. Their work still inspires, and continues in Perseverance rover's explorations of the surface of Mars carrying forward Lowell's dream of showing that Mars may once have been "the abode of life," and in Barnard's pioneering wide-angle photographs of the Milky Way which first showed the sweep, majesty and complexity of the Galaxy.
The work of decades of research and writing, Sheehan has produced what is likely to become the definitive work on these two great astronomers.
" Parallel Lives marks an important contribution to the history of astronomy. The book is masterful and inventive. William Sheehan could hardly have chosen two more compelling-or contrasting-personalities to analyze in this fascinating dual biography."
- David Baron, author of American Eclipse and The Martians , and former Chair in Astrobiology at the Library of Congress.
"Sheehan has united scientific acumen, detailed historical research, penetrating insight into character, and narrative virtuosity-and adapted it all to an ancient Greek model-a remarkable achievement!"
- Michael Armstrong, Assoc. Prof. Emeritus of Classics, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva NY
William Sheehan's many books include the authoritative biography The Immortal Fire Within: The Life and Work of Edward Emerson Barnard and (with Jim Bell) Discovering Mars: A History of Observation and Exploration of the Red Planet , which has been called the "gold standard of books on Mars" (Michio Kaku).
Reviews / Votes
"Parallel Lives is always fascinating, and is a real work of reference. There are plenty of striking illustrations, including many not previously seen. ... this book addresses so many aspects and personalities of the astronomy of a century ago that it must have a wide appeal to institutions and individuals. I can warmly recommend it." (Richard McKim, The Observatory, Vol. 145 (1306), April, 2025)
More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
William Sheehan retired after 30 years in practice as a psychiatrist, earned his MD degree (1987) and completed his psychiatric residency (1992) from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has been a lifelong amateur astronomer and a historian and author of books on astronomy and history of astronomy including : Planets & Perception (Tucson, 1988), Worlds in the Sky (Tucson, 1992), The Immortal Fire Within: the life and work of Edward Emerson Barnard (Cambridge, UK, 1995), The Planet Mars (Tucson, 1996), In Search of Planet Vulcan (with Richard Baum) (New York, 1997), Epic Moon (with Thomas A. Dobbins) (Richmond, VA, 2001), Mars: the lure of the red planet (with Stephen James O'Meara (Amherst, NY, 2001), Transits of Venus (with John Westfall) (New York, 2004), Galactic Encounters (with Christopher Conselice) (Springer, 2015), Celestial Shadows: eclipses, transits and occultations (with John Westfall, 2015), Camille Flammarion's Planet Mars (with Sir Patrick Moore) (Springer 2015), Discovering Pluto: exploration at the edge of the Solar System (with Dale P. Cruikshank) (Tucson, 2018), Neptune: from Grand Discovery to a World Revealed (Springer, 2021), Discovering Mars (with Jim Bell) (Tucson, 2021). He has also written Mercury , Venus (with Sanjay Limaye), Jupiter (with Thomas A. Hockey), and Saturn for Reaktion Books' Kosmos Series. He is a long-time contributing editor for Sky & Telescope , a frequent contributor to Astronomy , the Journal for Astronomical History and Heritage , Scientific American and other journals, and a prolific contributor of essays to the Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. He is also a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2001), and a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Oriental AstronomicalAssociation (2004). He is a past member of the IAU's Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature, and asteroid Sheehan (16037) has been named in his honor.
Content
Chapter 1: The Flower and the Bee.- Chapter 2: Astronomy from the Top Down: Percival Lowell.- Chapter 3: Astronomy from the Bottom Up: Edward Emerson Barnard.- Chapter 4: Rivals of Mars.- Chapter 5: A Tale of Two Telescopes.- Chapter 6: The Spokes of Venus.- Chapter 7: Adventures with the Bruce.- Chapter 8: Percival Returns.- Chapter 9: Canali! Canali!.- Chapter 10: Wisps, Tores, and Good and Bad Reviews.- Chapter 11: A Barnard Ally Ups the Ante.- Chapter 12: Vale Percival.- Chapter 13: Ad Astra Edward.- Chapter 14: Lowell and Barnard Compared.