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The Astronomy Revolution

400 Years of Exploring the Cosmos
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The Astronomy Revolution: 400 Years of Exploring the Cosmos traces the profound impact of the telescope since its invention by Hans Lipperhey. Marking four centuries of astronomical discovery, this richly illustrated volume presents diverse perspectives from an international conference, bridging Eastern and Western views. It covers the evolution of scientific understanding—from galaxy formation and stellar death to the mysteries of dark matter and black holes—and addresses technological advances shaping future research. Beyond science, it engages with philosophical and moral questions about the universe and humanity's place within it, inspiring readers to continue exploring the cosmos.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for young scientists, students, and readers with an interest in astronomy and cosmology, this book offers interdisciplinary insights suitable for those fascinated by both the technical and cultural dimensions of space exploration. It appeals to readers eager to understand the historical and contemporary significance of the telescope and the broader questions of science and society it raises.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Some 400 years after the first known patent application for a telescope by Hans Lipperhey, The Astronomy Revolution: 400 Years of Exploring the Cosmos surveys the effects of this instrument and explores the questions that have arisen out of scientific research in astronomy and cosmology. Inspired by the international New Vision 400 conference held in Beijing in October 2008, this interdisciplinary volume brings together expanded and updated contributions from 26 esteemed conference speakers and invited others.

Looking beyond questions of science to the role of moral responsibility in human civilizations, the book offers the unique vantage points of contributions from both Eastern and Western cultures. Extensively illustrated in full colour, this book consists of six parts.

Aimed at young scientists, the first part presents perspectives on creativity and technology in scientific discovery. In the second part, contributors examine how the telescope has impacted our knowledge of the Universe--from the formation of galaxies to the death of stars.

The third part of the book outlines some of the challenges we face in understanding dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and cosmic rays, and the fourth part discusses new technologies that will be useful in attacking new and unresolved questions.

The fifth part of the book examines the intellectual impact that the telescope has had on society in China and in the West.

The book concludes with an investigation of "big questions": What is the origin of the laws of physics as we know them? Are these laws the same everywhere? How do these scientific laws relate to the moral laws of society? Does what we know depend on cultural ways of asking the questions? Is there life elsewhere? And what about the questions that science cannot answer?

Celebrating the historical significance of the telescope, this unique book seeks to inspire all those involved or interested in the enterprise of astronomy as humankind continues the quest to unveil the heavens.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781439836002

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Inc

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 28 November 2011

Country: United States

Imprint: CRC Press Inc

Contributors:

  • Edited by Owen Gingerich
  • Edited by Donald G. York
  • Edited by Shuang-Nan Zhang

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 178.0mm

Height: 254.0mm

Weight: 1000g

Pages: 452

About the Author

To see video presentations from the New Vision 400 conference celebrating the 400th anniversary of the invention of the telescope, see the New Vision 400 web site. Donald G. York, Chief Editor, is Horace B. Horton Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at The University of Chicago. He was the founding director of the Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, and of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, one of the most ambitious collaborative projects ever undertaken by astronomers. He is also the founder and co-director of the Chicago Public Schools/University of Chicago Internet Project, a neighborhood schools technology initiative. Owen Gingerich, Co-Editor, is Professor Emeritus of Astronomy and of the History of Science at Harvard University and a senior astronomer emeritus at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics). He is co-author of two successive standard models for the solar atmosphere and is a leading authority on the 17th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler and the 16th-century cosmologist Nicolaus Copernicus. A world traveler, he has successfully observed 14 total solar eclipses. Shuang-Nan Zhang, Co-Editor, is Professor and Director of Key Laboratory of and Center for Particle Astrophysics in the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as Research Professor of Physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He is also the chief scientist of the Space Science Division of the National Astronomical Observatories of China and heads the X-ray Imaging Laboratory, which is leading several space x-ray astronomy missions in China, as well as the space astronomy program onboard China's Spacelab and Space Station.

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