{"product_id":"minding-the-heavens-the-story-of-our-discovery-of-the-milky-way-paperback","title":"Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eLeila Belkora\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for the first edition: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A terrific blend of the science and the history.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMartha Haynes, \u003ci\u003eGoldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University, New York, USA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The book is a treat... Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePeter Hepburn, \u003ci\u003enow Head Librarian, College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, California, USA\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eToday, we recognize that we live on a planet circling the sun, that our sun is just one of billions of stars in the galaxy we call the Milky Way, and that our galaxy is but one of billions born out of the Big Bang. Yet, as recently as the early twentieth century, the general public and even astronomers had vague and confused notions about what lay beyond the visible stars. Can we see to the edge of the universe? Do we live in a system that would look, from a distance, like a spiral nebula? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis fully updated second edition of \u003cb\u003eMinding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way\u003c\/b\u003e explores how we learned that we live in a galaxy, in a universe composed of galaxies and unseen, mysterious dark matter. The story unfolds through short biographies of seven astronomers: Thomas Wright, William Herschel, and Wilhelm Struve of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the transitional figure of William Huggins; and Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble of the modern, big-telescope era. Each contributed key insights to our present understanding of where we live in the cosmos, and each was directly inspired by the work of his predecessors to decipher \"the construction of the heavens.\" Along the way, the narrative weaves in the contributions of those in supportive roles, including Caroline Herschel--William's sister, and the first woman paid to do astronomy--and Martha Shapley, a mathematician in her own right who carried out calculations for her spouse.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough this historical perspective, readers will gain a new appreciation of our magnificent Milky Way galaxy and of the beauties of the night sky, from ghostly nebulae to sparkling star clusters.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFeatures: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cli\u003eFully updated throughout to reflect the latest in our understanding of the Milky Way, from our central supermassive black hole to the prospect of future mergers with other galaxies in our Local Group.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cli\u003eExplains the significance of current research, including from the Gaia mission mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cli\u003eUnique and broadly appealing approach. A biographical framework and ample illustrations lead the reader by easy, enjoyable steps to a well-rounded understanding of the history of astronomy.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeila Belkora (Ph.D., Astrophysics) is a science writer. She earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in solar radio astronomy. She has previously taught university physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers. She lives in Southern California and enjoys local astronomy outreach activities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLeila Belkora\u003c\/strong\u003e (Ph.D., Astrophysics) is a science writer. She earned her doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder, specializing in solar radio astronomy. She has previously taught university physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers. She lives in Southern California and enjoys local astronomy outreach activities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 274\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.58 x 10 x 7 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 13, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51787072340256,"sku":"9780367415662","price":89.08,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/d81f527ee8dda7e4aa2f009d2f84c999.webp?v=1780644139","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/minding-the-heavens-the-story-of-our-discovery-of-the-milky-way-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}