Finding Our Place in the Solar System: The Scientific Story of the Copernican Revolution

ISBN-13: 9781107182295 / Angielski / Twarda / 2019 / 392 str.

Todd Timberlake; Paul Wallace

Opis

Details the science behind one of the great intellectual achievements of humankind: the transition from the ancient geocentric cosmos to a modern understanding of planetary orbits. Perfect for readers interested in astronomy, the history of science, and anyone who wants to better understand what science is and how it works.

Recenzje

'… the authors' ability to present complex scientific concepts in the history of astronomy and physics clearly and concisely is invaluable for undergraduate teaching. The figures, diagrams, and appendixes in the book enhance the clarity of their presentation, which was already impressive. This text will be very useful for those teaching the history of ancient, medieval, or early modern science. Even for those whose pedagogy differs markedly from that of Timberlake and Wallace, Finding Our Place in the Solar System could serve as a useful complement to the main themes of a course.' Nicholas A. Jacobson, Isis

Spis treści

Preface; 1. Introduction: mysterious skies; 2. Two spheres: modeling the heavens and the Earth; 3. Wanderers: the Moon and the planets; 4. An Earth-centered cosmos: astronomy and cosmology from Eudoxus to Regiomontanus; 5. Moving the Earth: the revolutions of Copernicus; 6. Instruments of reform: Tycho's restoration of observational astronomy; 7. Physical causes: Kepler's new astronomy; 8. Seeing beyond Aristotle: Galileo's controversies; 9. The system of the world: Newton's universal physics; 10. Confirming Copernicus: evidence for Earth's motions; Appendix A. Mathematical details; Notes; References; Index.