Archives of the Universe: 100 Discoveries That Transformed Our Understanding of the Cosmos

Jacket Description/Flap: An unparalleled history of astronomy told through 100 primary documents--from the Maya's first recorded efforts to predict the cycles of Venus to the 1998 paper that posited an accelerating universe. Award-winning science writer Marcia Bartusiak is a wonderfully compelling guide in this sweeping overview. Her authoritative, accessible commentaries on each document provide historical context and underscore the more intriguing and revolutionary aspects of the discoveries. Here are records of the earliest naked-eye celestial observations and cosmic mappings; the discovery of planets; the first attempts to measure the speed of light and the distance of stars; the classification of stars; the introduction of radio and x-ray astronomy; the discovery of black holes, quasars, dark matter, the Big Bang, and much more. Here is the work of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Halley, Hubble, and Einstein, as well as that of dozens of lesser-known scientists who have significantly contributed to our picture of the universe. An enthralling, comprehensive history that spans more than two millennia--this is essential reading for professional astronomers, science history buffs, and backyard stargazers alike. "From the Hardcover edition. Review Quotes: "Extraordinary. . . . A rich archaeological dig. . . . Bartusiak . . .introduces these astronomers with deftly written, insightful commentary. . . . [A] wonderful book." --"Sky & Telescope""[Bartusiak] provides a helpful road map with her lucid explanatory essays and annotation." --"The New York Times""Bartusiak has done astronomy a great favor." --"New Scientist""The reader gets not only a clear and concise history of astronomy . . . in Bartusiak's fine introductions . . . but also excerpts from many of the memorable papers written by the scientists who made the pivotal astronomical discoveries." --"Scientific American"Biographical Note: Marcia Bartusiak is the author of "Thursday's Universe," "Through a Universe Darkly," and "Einstein's Unfinished Symphony." Her work has appeared in many magazines, including "Astronomy," "National Geographic," "Discover," "Science," and "Smithsonian." A two-time winner of the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award, she teaches in the graduate program in science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and lives in Sudbury, Massachusetts, with her husband. Table of Contents: "Preface "I. The Ancient Sky1 Mayan Venus Tables2 Proof That the Earth Is a Sphere3 Celestial Surveying4 Measuring the Earth's Circumference5 Precession of the Equinoxes6 Ptolemy's "Almagest"II. Revolutions7 Copernicus and the Sun-Centered Universe8 Tycho Brahe and the Changing Heavens9 Johannes Kepler and Planetary Motion10 Galileo Initiates the Telescopic Era11 Newton's Universal Law of Gravity12 Halley's Comet13 Binary Stars III. Taking Measure14 The Speed of Light15 The Solar System's Origin16 Discovery of Uranus17 Stars Moving and Changing18 The First Asteroid19 Distance to a Star""20 Discovery of Neptune21 The Shape of the Milky Way22 Spiraling Nebulae IV. Touching the Heavens23 Spectral Lines24 Deciphering the Solar Spectrum25 Gaseous Nebulae26 Doppler Shifts and Spectroscopic Binaries27 Classification of the Stars28 Giant Stars and Dwarf Stars29 Hydrogen: The Prime Element30 Stellar Mass, Luminosity, and Stability31 Sunspot Cycle, Sun/Earth Connection, and Helium32 Origin of Meteors and Shooting Stars33 Cosmic Rays34 Discovery of Pluto V. Einsteinian Cosmos35 Special Relativity and E = mc236 General Relativity and the Solar Eclipse Test37 Relativistic Models of the Universe38 Big Bang Versus Steady State39 White Dwarf Stars40 Beyond the White Dwarf41 Supernovae and Neutron Stars42 Black Holes43 Source of Stellar Power44 Creating Elements in the Big Bang45 Cosmic Microwave Background Predicted46 Creating Elements in the Stars47 A Star's Life Cycle VI. The Milky Way and Beyond48 Cepheids: The Cosmic Standard Candles49 Sun's Place in the Milky Way50 Dark Nebulae and Interstellar Matter51 Discovery of Other Galaxies52 Expansion of the Universe53 Stellar Populations and Resizing the Universe54 Mapping the Milky Way's Spiral Arms55 Source and Composition of Comets VII. New Eyes, New Universe56 Radio Astronomy57 Interstellar Hydrogen58 Molecules in Space59 Van Allen Radiation Belts60 Geology of Mars61 Extrasolar X-Ray Sources62 Quasars63 Evidence for the Big Bang64 Pulsars65 The Infrared Sky and the Galactic Center66 Neutrino Astronomy67 Gamma-Ray Bursts68 Binary Pulsar and Gravity Waves VIII. Accelerating Outward69 Dark Matter70 Gravitational Lensing71 Inflation72 The Bubbly Universe73 Galaxy Evolution and the Hubble Deep Field74 Extrasolar Planets75 The Accelerating Universe "NotesBibliographyAcknowledgmentsIndex "Publisher Marketing: An unparalleled history of astronomy presented in the words of the scientists who made the discoveries. Here are the writings of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, Halley, Hubble, and Einstein, as well as that of dozens of others who have significantly contributed to our picture of the universe. From Aristotle's proof that the Earth is round to the 1998 paper that posited an accelerating universe, this book contains 100 entries spanning the history of astronomy. Award-winning science writer Marcia Bartusiak provides enormously entertaining introductions, putting the material in context and explaining its place in the literature. Archives of the Universe is essential reading for professional astronomers, science history buffs, and backyard stargazers alike. Review Citations:

Kliatt 09/01/2006 pg. 43 (EAN 9780375713682, Paperback)

Library Journal 10/25/2004 (EAN 9780375421709, Hardcover)

Choice 06/01/2005 pg. 1841 (EAN 9780375421709, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Bartusiak, Marcia Marcia Bartusiak, a former MIT Knight Fellow, is the author of two previous books, "Thursday's Universe" and "Through a Universe Darkly," both of which were named Notable Books by the "New York Times," The first woman to receive the presitigious Science Writing Award from the American Institute of Physics, she has also taught science journalism at Boston University.