The History of Astronomy

The Story of...

by Anne Rooney

This volume traces humanity's exploration of the heavens from Neolithic times to NASA. Moving beyond early superstitions and cosmology, scientific study began by first making calendars and predicting astronomical events. The invention of the telescope around 1600 marked a watershed in the field of astronomy. Since the first recognition that the planets are other worlds, the wonders of space have puzzled and enthralled us. With a wealth of full-color and archival images and a compelling narrative style, this text charts our fascination with stars from before Stonehenge to the search for exoplanets and extraterrestrial life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

213 pages, Library Binding

Published December 30, 2017

About the author

Anne Rooney gained a degree and then a PhD in medieval literature from Trinity College, Cambridge. After a period of teaching medieval English and French literature at the universities of Cambridge and York, she left to pursue a career as a freelance writer. She has written many books for adults and children on a variety of subjects, including literature and history. She lives in Cambridge and is Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Essex.

Reviews

[Lore · Rating 5 out of 5]

For an astronomy buff, this book does not hold many secrets. Yet it still managed to surprise me with interesting bits. To date, I've read several introductory books on astronomy, yet this one held my interest and conveyed some interesting facts. It's definitely worth a read, whether you're very knowledgeable on the subject, just starting out, or merely curious about astronomy.