Seeing in the Dark
How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering the Wonder
1st Edition
Published on 18. December 2012
400 pages
978-1-4767-1175-1 (ISBN)
Description
In Seeing in the Dark, a poetic love letter to science and to the skies, Timothy Ferris invites us all to become stargazers. He recounts his own experiences as an enthralled lifelong amateur astronomer and reports from around the globe -- from England and Italy to the Florida Keys and the Chilean Andes -- on the revolution that's putting millions in touch with the night sky. In addition, Ferris offers an authoritative and engaging report on what's out there to be seen -- what Saturn, the Ring nebula, the Silver Coin galaxy, and the Virgo supercluster really are and how to find them. The appendix includes star charts, observing lists, and a guide on how to get involved in astronomy.
Ferris takes us inside a major revolution sweeping astronomy, as lone amateur astronomers, in global networks linked by the Internet, make important discoveries that are the envy of the professionals. His ability to describe the wonders of the universe is simply magical, and his enthusiasm for his subject is irresistible.
Ferris takes us inside a major revolution sweeping astronomy, as lone amateur astronomers, in global networks linked by the Internet, make important discoveries that are the envy of the professionals. His ability to describe the wonders of the universe is simply magical, and his enthusiasm for his subject is irresistible.
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Timothy Ferris
Seeing in the Dark
How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering the Wonders of the Universe
Book
07/2003
Simon & Schuster
€29.50
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Person
Timothy Ferris, called "the best popular science writer in the English language today" (The Christian Science Monitor) and "the best science writer of his generation" (The Washington Post), is the author of ten books, including the bestsellers The Whole Shebang and Coming of Age in the Milky Way. He has won the American Institute of Physics prize (twice), the American Association for the Advancement of Science prize, and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he lives in San Francisco and stargazes from his personal astronomical observatory on Sonoma Mountain in California's wine country. Visit his Web site at www.timothyferris.com.
Content
- Intro
- Dedication
- Preface
- Part I: The Shore
- From the Observatory Log: A Primate at Dusk
- Chapter 1: Beginnings
- Chapter 2: Spaceflight
- Chapter 3: The Ozone
- Standing Watch: A Visit with Mr. White Man
- Chapter 4: Amateurs
- How Much Can You See? A Visit with Stephen James O'Meara
- Chapter 5: Professionals
- Picturing the Universe: A Visit with Jack Newton
- Chapter 6: Rocky Hill
- Farsighted: A Visit with Barbara Wilson
- Part II: Blue Water
- Chapter 7: The Realm of the Sun
- Rock Music of the Spheres: A Talk with Brian May
- Chapter 8: The Morning and Evening Star
- Founding Father: A Visit with Patrick Moore
- Chapter 9: Moon Dance
- The Telescope and the Tomb: A Visit with Percival Lowell
- Chapter 10: Mars
- Light at the Edge of Darkness: A Visit with James Turrell
- Chapter 11: Stones from the Sky
- Comet Trails: A Visit with David Levy
- Chapter 12: Vermin of the Skies
- The Camera's Eye: A Visit with Don Parker
- Chapter 13: Jupiter
- Storms on Saturn: A Visit with Stuart Wilber
- Chapter 14: The Outer Giants
- From the Observatory Log: Chimes at Midnight
- Part III: The Depths
- Chapter 15: The Night Sky
- Digital Universe: A Virtual Visit to a Robotic Telescope
- Chapter 16: The Milky Way
- Blues Line: A Visit with John Henry's Ghost
- Chapter 17: Galaxies
- Big Science: A Visit with Edgar O. Smith
- Chapter 18: The Dark Ages
- From the Observatory Log: Minerva at Dawn
- Appendixes
- Appendix A: Observing Techniques
- Appendix B: Notable Periodic Meteor Showers
- Appendix C: Representative Bright Stars
- Appendix D: Messier Objects by Season
- Appendix E: Planets and Their Satellites
- Appendix F: Further Reading
- Appendix G: Star Maps
- About the Author
- Notes
- Glossary
- Index
- Copyright
