Cosmic Discoveries: The Wonders of Astronomy

by David H. Levy, Wendee Wallach Levy

For many millennia the starry night sky has been a source of wonder and awe to men and women who have tried to unravel the mystery of the billion distant lights that fill the heavens after dark. The story of the great discoverers who succeeded in explaining part of the mystery is told here with the joy and infectious enthusiasm that only a fellow discoverer can convey. David Levy, codiscoverer of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, with his wife, Wendee Wallach-Levy, evokes that marvelous moment of "Eureka!" as he masterfully relates each story. He gives the reader a glimpse of the enthralling adventure of cosmic discovery through stories of the most famous and brilliant astronomers. Beyond their personal accomplishments, these scientists expanded all of humanity's understanding of the universe and our place within it.Through Levy's unique perspective on cosmic discovery, he is able to connect his own personal life story with that of astronomers of the past and by extension with the history of the whole universe. As the codiscoverer of the spectacular comet that crashed into Jupiter, Levy formulated a whole new range of exciting questions about the Do comets serve to transport the elements of life from one planet to the next? What is the evidence that a large comet once hit the earth? Will the earth someday be in danger of colliding with another such comet and will we have the technology to stop it?This fascinating book will excite any of us who have stared at the night sky in awe and amazement.

Genres: Astronomy

275 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

David Levy is a prominent astronomer and author, most famous for his co-discovery in 1993 of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with the planet Jupiter in 1994.

Levy was born in Canada, but now lives in Arizona. He has been involved with astronomy, as an observer, promoter, and author, for his entire adult life. Levy has discovered twenty two comets, given innumerable lectures, television appearances, and published articles in the major science and astronomy magazines.

He gained a Phd in English literature in 2010. There is an asteroid named in his honour, Levy 3673. He is married to Wendee Levy.

Reviews

[Charissa Shepard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accessed this book through my local public library after a meeting with the Astronomy Club.
I believe the authors succeeded in presenting a cross section of the big discoverers recognized by the Western world in the field of Astronomy. This was their goal and they definitely reached it with the good balance between enthusiasm and detail versus succinctness and understandability. This book is a great way to familiarize yourself with some highlights (with a determinedly Western cultural bent) and set you on a path to continue your study of a particular person or type of discovery.
I didn't particularly enjoy the language they chose to use between "we" and "I" because it seemed to erase the secondary author and her involvement. On that same note, I noticed more passive language was used when talking about a woman discoverer. I also wished for more acknowledgement of the effect the environment/society/economics/politics has on the way these people were able to study their craft. Sometimes it would be touched on (like in the last chapter) but I felt that it should have been in every chapter with at least one sentences talking about how particular things privileged or disadvantaged certain members of the work.
I felt like this book recognized more women then other books in this field but didn't acknowledge the awkward truth about how mysogyny or classism or racism played a part in homogenizing the group of currently recognized experts into mostly old white guys. Just mentioning the name and discovery of a woman but refusing to talk about why women are a rarity in this field seems to skirt an issue that still effects people like me today. I'm no longer satisfied with token inclusion; I want to see leaders in this field try to have the uncomfortable discussions and acknowledgements because refusing to discuss these things is proving to be an ineffective way to address them.