Twenty years after the Viking missions of the 70s, we are finally going back to Mars. No fewer than ten missions are planned for the period between 1996 and 2003, and it is likely that human explorers will follow soon after--perhaps by the middle of the twenty-first century. When they do, they will owe much to the Mars of romance, to the early pioneers whose discoveries and disappointments are brought to life in The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery. In this timely and vividly written account, William Sheehan traces human fascination with Mars back to the naked-eye...
Twenty years after the Viking missions of the 70s, we are finally going back to Mars. No fewer than ten missions are planned for the period between 19...
A perfect companion for planet chasers who watched Venus cross the face of the sun on June 8th, 2004 and are anxious for the next transit in 2012 (there won't be another until 2117). In addition to their compleat guide to viewing this century's transits, the authors provide historical accounts of
A perfect companion for planet chasers who watched Venus cross the face of the sun on June 8th, 2004 and are anxious for the next transit in 2012 (the...
Astronomy is by far the most popular of the physical sciences, enticing enough to become a major cultural preoccupation for many, and for some an enthralling scientific activity which veritably rules their lives. What is the nature of that seemingly unstoppable attraction? In this lively and compelling account, William Sheehan professional psychiatrist, noted historian of astronomy, and incurable observer - explores the nature of that allure through the story of man's visual exploration of the planets.
In this volume, the first of a trilogy, Sheehan starts with observational...
Astronomy is by far the most popular of the physical sciences, enticing enough to become a major cultural preoccupation for many, and for some an e...
Presented for the first time in popular form is the fascinating true story of the search for the phantom planet Vulcan. As with legends of "the lost continent of Atlantis," scientists and dreamers alike have sought to prove that Vulcan is more than just a myth. Historians of astronomy Richard Baum and William Sheehan have combed the continents, digging through dusty letters and journals, to unravel this mysterious and captivating tale. The planet first assumed a shadowy reality against a backdrop of war and revolution early in the nineteenth century. Le Verrier, the autocratic Director of the...
Presented for the first time in popular form is the fascinating true story of the search for the phantom planet Vulcan. As with legends of "the lost c...
Written by William Sheehan, a noted historian of astronomy, and Christopher J. Conselice, a professional astronomer specializing in galaxies in the early universe, this book tells the story of how astronomers have pieced together what is known about the vast and complicated systems of stars and dust known as galaxies.
The first galaxies appeared as violently disturbed exotic objects when the Universe was only a few 100 million years old. From that tortured beginning, they have evolved though processes of accretion, merging and star formation into the majestic spirals and...
Written by William Sheehan, a noted historian of astronomy, and Christopher J. Conselice, a professional astronomer specializing in galaxies in the...
