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Gecenin Işıltılı Örtüsü: Yıldızlar İnsanlık Tarihimize Nasıl Yön Verdi?
Biraz önceki manzara çoktan kaybolmuş, manzaranın yerini birer birer ortaya çıkan yıldızlar almıştı. Yıldızlar kısa süre içinde gökyüzünü öyle bir kapladı ki bu manzara karşısında hayrete düşmemek elde değildi. Yönümü bulmak için bana kılavuzluk eden takımyıldızlar, gökyüzünde beliren sayısız yıldız arasında kayboluverdi. Çok iyi bildiğimi zannettiğim gökyüzünde kaybolmuş hissetmek, baş döndürücü bir deneyimdi. İçime dolan yoğun duygular yerini büyük bir coşkuya bırakmıştı.
Ayaklarımın altında çöl toprağı, üstümde yıldızlar serilmişken; yüzüme çarpan soğuk hava ve zihnimde canlanan hayallerin ateşiyle gecenin ışıltılı örtüsünün altında öylece duruyordum, aslında bir yandan da uzayın bir parçasıydım. İşte o anda, gökyüzüne ilişkin sırları keşfedebilme arzum her zamankinden de fazla alevlenmişti.
Gecenin Işıltılı Örtüsü: Yıldızlar insanlık tarihimize nasıl yön verdi? yıldızlar üzerinden insanlık tarihine ve toplumsal kültüre yakın bir okuma sunarken günlere, aylara, yıllara, burçlara, şairlere, yazarlara, doğaya, evrene, topluma dair pek çok önemli bilgiyi ve dönemi yıldızlar üzerinden açıklıyor.
Ayaklarımın altında çöl toprağı, üstümde yıldızlar serilmişken; yüzüme çarpan soğuk hava ve zihnimde canlanan hayallerin ateşiyle gecenin ışıltılı örtüsünün altında öylece duruyordum, aslında bir yandan da uzayın bir parçasıydım. İşte o anda, gökyüzüne ilişkin sırları keşfedebilme arzum her zamankinden de fazla alevlenmişti.
Gecenin Işıltılı Örtüsü: Yıldızlar insanlık tarihimize nasıl yön verdi? yıldızlar üzerinden insanlık tarihine ve toplumsal kültüre yakın bir okuma sunarken günlere, aylara, yıllara, burçlara, şairlere, yazarlara, doğaya, evrene, topluma dair pek çok önemli bilgiyi ve dönemi yıldızlar üzerinden açıklıyor.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2020
89 people are currently reading
2241 people want to read
About the author
Stuart Clark
90 books44 followersStuart Clark was born in England in the sleepy little town of Ashford, Middlesex. To those not intimate with British geography, that can more simply be described as Greater London.
Science, particularly Biology, always interested Stuart and after school, he went on to Bristol University where he graduated with a BSc in Microbiology.
He worked for two years as a technical author for a large scientific publishing company before deciding that he really wanted to go back to University and do a Masters degree in Science Communication, which he completed at Imperial College, London.
After years of intermittent study and work, Stuart decided to take a sabbatical and spent almost two years experiencing the sights and sounds of Australasia and South-East Asia. He spent a year of that time living and working in Sydney, Australia.
When he’s not working or writing, Stuart spends his time scuba diving and attempting to play golf.
Stuart emigrated to the United States in 2005 and now lives with his wife and daughter in New York.
Source: shelfari
Science, particularly Biology, always interested Stuart and after school, he went on to Bristol University where he graduated with a BSc in Microbiology.
He worked for two years as a technical author for a large scientific publishing company before deciding that he really wanted to go back to University and do a Masters degree in Science Communication, which he completed at Imperial College, London.
After years of intermittent study and work, Stuart decided to take a sabbatical and spent almost two years experiencing the sights and sounds of Australasia and South-East Asia. He spent a year of that time living and working in Sydney, Australia.
When he’s not working or writing, Stuart spends his time scuba diving and attempting to play golf.
Stuart emigrated to the United States in 2005 and now lives with his wife and daughter in New York.
Source: shelfari
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
October 13, 2022
110th book of 2022.
Recently, my girlfriend and I have decided to better our knowledge on astronomy/space/physics. We are both graduates of English/History/Creative Writing, so these are not our subjects, but we have, together, become obsessed. A few weeks ago we saw Brian Cox live, during his Horizons Tour, talk about space, black holes, reality, etc., on a big stage with a huge screen behind him giving amazing visual representations of stars exploding and planets being formed. And now, we are finding all sorts of books to continue reading and learning about our newfound field of interest.
Clark’s book is fascinating for a layman like myself. He begins at the beginning, and talks about the relationship early humans had with the stars: what did it mean for them? Why did they look at the stars? What do some of the early structures we know of today (Stonehenge, the Pyramids) have to do with the stars? He talks about the invention of Heaven. He writes some mindboggling little sentences explaining how, looking at cave paintings of constellations, we can see that when we look up at the stars and their patterns, we are having the same thought processes humans had thousands of years ago. Clark points out, several times, that though the original humans lacked knowledge, their minds are not so different from ours, and they felt all the things we feel today.
I found the middle part of the book slightly less interesting as Clark unpicks the history calendars and timekeeping and the zodiacs. Though it is interesting to see how things were explained and answered for so long ago, generally I found the detail in the calendar formations a little dry. Soon though, he pushes on, and we find ourselves with Newton and the discoveries of his era. Then we find ourselves in the 20th century and the space race begins. A lot of the general stuff I knew already, but of course there is greater detail here. (Namely, about Ham, the monkey who was sent into space by the US. His capsule was found in the sea and 4-year-old Ham was completely unharmed other than a slightly bruised nose. He lived for another twenty-two years.) By the end, Clark then ruminates on the astronauts after they came home, and I found the final chapter very poignant.
In the end, he says the astronauts struggled to put their experiences into words. How could you? He quotes Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who piloted the command module as the men were on the moon, who said, ‘‘The pity of it is that so far the view [of Earth from space] has been the exclusive property of a handful of test pilots, rather than the world leaders who need this new perspective, or the poets who might communicate it to them.’’ Clark, with Collins, empowers writers in believing that they are needed to attempt to put into words what it is like to be in the void of space, to look at our blue marble from the moon, like the famous and beautiful ‘Earthrise’ photograph. When Clark wrote this, I suppose he meant it to be comforting, awe-inspiring. My girlfriend and I are continually amazed by space because of something he defines in the book, the ‘sublime’, the terrifying and the beautiful, at once. There is something horribly daunting about space’s emptiness but also oddly comforting, too. For me, reading it, like the astronauts back in ’69, it made me angry at the world. Reading today about Ukraine again, and fears that Putin’s losing war may turn to tactical nuclear missiles, and the West using the verb ‘annihilate’ in their warning, it is hard not to be. As Apollo 14 astronaut said, ‘‘You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.’’’
Recently, my girlfriend and I have decided to better our knowledge on astronomy/space/physics. We are both graduates of English/History/Creative Writing, so these are not our subjects, but we have, together, become obsessed. A few weeks ago we saw Brian Cox live, during his Horizons Tour, talk about space, black holes, reality, etc., on a big stage with a huge screen behind him giving amazing visual representations of stars exploding and planets being formed. And now, we are finding all sorts of books to continue reading and learning about our newfound field of interest.
Clark’s book is fascinating for a layman like myself. He begins at the beginning, and talks about the relationship early humans had with the stars: what did it mean for them? Why did they look at the stars? What do some of the early structures we know of today (Stonehenge, the Pyramids) have to do with the stars? He talks about the invention of Heaven. He writes some mindboggling little sentences explaining how, looking at cave paintings of constellations, we can see that when we look up at the stars and their patterns, we are having the same thought processes humans had thousands of years ago. Clark points out, several times, that though the original humans lacked knowledge, their minds are not so different from ours, and they felt all the things we feel today.
I found the middle part of the book slightly less interesting as Clark unpicks the history calendars and timekeeping and the zodiacs. Though it is interesting to see how things were explained and answered for so long ago, generally I found the detail in the calendar formations a little dry. Soon though, he pushes on, and we find ourselves with Newton and the discoveries of his era. Then we find ourselves in the 20th century and the space race begins. A lot of the general stuff I knew already, but of course there is greater detail here. (Namely, about Ham, the monkey who was sent into space by the US. His capsule was found in the sea and 4-year-old Ham was completely unharmed other than a slightly bruised nose. He lived for another twenty-two years.) By the end, Clark then ruminates on the astronauts after they came home, and I found the final chapter very poignant.
In the end, he says the astronauts struggled to put their experiences into words. How could you? He quotes Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who piloted the command module as the men were on the moon, who said, ‘‘The pity of it is that so far the view [of Earth from space] has been the exclusive property of a handful of test pilots, rather than the world leaders who need this new perspective, or the poets who might communicate it to them.’’ Clark, with Collins, empowers writers in believing that they are needed to attempt to put into words what it is like to be in the void of space, to look at our blue marble from the moon, like the famous and beautiful ‘Earthrise’ photograph. When Clark wrote this, I suppose he meant it to be comforting, awe-inspiring. My girlfriend and I are continually amazed by space because of something he defines in the book, the ‘sublime’, the terrifying and the beautiful, at once. There is something horribly daunting about space’s emptiness but also oddly comforting, too. For me, reading it, like the astronauts back in ’69, it made me angry at the world. Reading today about Ukraine again, and fears that Putin’s losing war may turn to tactical nuclear missiles, and the West using the verb ‘annihilate’ in their warning, it is hard not to be. As Apollo 14 astronaut said, ‘‘You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.’’’
October 30, 2020
"Shakespeare saw the same stars in the same patterns that we do. So did Galileo, Columbus, Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, and the first man-ape to look up in curiosity. From space age back to the stone age, to be beneath the night is to witness something that every other human who has ever lived has also seen. It is our common heritage"
Stuart Clark's history of our relationship with our night sky got me on the first page with the quote above. This is a book about history, religion, science, politics, and power. It is about humanity's search for connection to our wider universe.
I love books that show me the connections between historical events and scientific advances, or between a religion's dominion and the political moves that happen in the background. I had so many "ahhh, that why that happened" moments while reading I just couldn't wait to turn the next page and find out something else new.
Stuart Clark's history of our relationship with our night sky got me on the first page with the quote above. This is a book about history, religion, science, politics, and power. It is about humanity's search for connection to our wider universe.
I love books that show me the connections between historical events and scientific advances, or between a religion's dominion and the political moves that happen in the background. I had so many "ahhh, that why that happened" moments while reading I just couldn't wait to turn the next page and find out something else new.
December 7, 2022
not me falling in love all over again with the night sky
April 6, 2022
This book had Everything. I have rambled about it so much to friends while reading, I am absolutely and utterly obsessed with everything in this, from the history and philosophy and science to the humanity and awe and joy. It is very dense so it took me a long while to get through it just because I usually read 10-20 pages and then needed Time To Reflect And Think.
I've screamed about it in joy to my mother several times. I don't even know what I want to say here except to tell you to read it, because I want to reread this once a year, because it feels like reading an epiphany, like I understand humanity in a way I never have before. It feels like through reading this, I finally understand where we come from as a whole, and how all those things I learned about in school come together to form a united whole. (That's what I'm reeling from the most: I learned to hate so many subjects in school because the teachers sucked and the school system sucked etc etc... I feel like I finally understand why. School somehow tried to kill my curiosity, even if it didn't manage. This book managed to rekindle it, managed to remind me why I am so infatuated with this world we live in, how art and science and people and nature are ONE THING, how maths is in everything and how beautiful that is, even if I learned to hate maths in school ... oh, how I hated physics in school too! And yet now I want to learn everything and dig so much deeper into all these topics this book mentioned, because I finally feel like I have the full picture (or at least, a thousand puzzle pieces now fit together into a greater whole, and I feel like I knew the shape of the puzzle before but never Really Knew it? And now I do! I cried tears over this because it felt so huge and grand and beautiful, people are amazing and we've come so far and we have so much further yet to go... can you believe this is the world we get to live in? We've always been people, we've always been curious, we've always been filled with awe and wonder... I feel so much awe and wonder right now. Imagine!! My genes go back to the very very first living organism, as do those of everything else, and all of those go back to the explosions of generations of stars, so many many billions of years and series of incredible, tiny events, all of which had to happen to make this life I am living possible ... I have learned so many things, and I am in awe. What magic, what delight, that we get to live in this world, in this time of discovery and exploration. I wish I'd learned in school that all of the subjects we were taught are One Thing. I had sort of realized this, but I'd never TRULY known the connections, not like this, not until now. The only thing I have to add is that its view is fairly western/european because by the end it focuses a lot on the discoveries and scientific explorations of certain very western scientists. This makes sense, I suppose, but I will have to do some research into what other peoples were up to during these times :D
Thank you for this wonderful novel, I will cherish it forever (and make everyone read it). (Also may I just say but the cover is gorgeous of the edition I have...)
Please read this book.
I've screamed about it in joy to my mother several times. I don't even know what I want to say here except to tell you to read it, because I want to reread this once a year, because it feels like reading an epiphany, like I understand humanity in a way I never have before. It feels like through reading this, I finally understand where we come from as a whole, and how all those things I learned about in school come together to form a united whole. (That's what I'm reeling from the most: I learned to hate so many subjects in school because the teachers sucked and the school system sucked etc etc... I feel like I finally understand why. School somehow tried to kill my curiosity, even if it didn't manage. This book managed to rekindle it, managed to remind me why I am so infatuated with this world we live in, how art and science and people and nature are ONE THING, how maths is in everything and how beautiful that is, even if I learned to hate maths in school ... oh, how I hated physics in school too! And yet now I want to learn everything and dig so much deeper into all these topics this book mentioned, because I finally feel like I have the full picture (or at least, a thousand puzzle pieces now fit together into a greater whole, and I feel like I knew the shape of the puzzle before but never Really Knew it? And now I do! I cried tears over this because it felt so huge and grand and beautiful, people are amazing and we've come so far and we have so much further yet to go... can you believe this is the world we get to live in? We've always been people, we've always been curious, we've always been filled with awe and wonder... I feel so much awe and wonder right now. Imagine!! My genes go back to the very very first living organism, as do those of everything else, and all of those go back to the explosions of generations of stars, so many many billions of years and series of incredible, tiny events, all of which had to happen to make this life I am living possible ... I have learned so many things, and I am in awe. What magic, what delight, that we get to live in this world, in this time of discovery and exploration. I wish I'd learned in school that all of the subjects we were taught are One Thing. I had sort of realized this, but I'd never TRULY known the connections, not like this, not until now. The only thing I have to add is that its view is fairly western/european because by the end it focuses a lot on the discoveries and scientific explorations of certain very western scientists. This makes sense, I suppose, but I will have to do some research into what other peoples were up to during these times :D
Thank you for this wonderful novel, I will cherish it forever (and make everyone read it). (Also may I just say but the cover is gorgeous of the edition I have...)
Please read this book.
November 11, 2024
“in that moment, my longing to know the secrets of the night sky burned more brightly than ever. (…) Our connection to the night sky is inescapable, it is instinctive, it is what it means to be human.”
while working on stories largely involving astronomy and astrology, i needed to expand my knowledge of it to fully emerge myself into writing. This book has initiate so many new ideas for my stories and world-building. i enjoyed how Clark doesn’t take opinionated sides on different cultural and scientific facts and how he explained it was easy to understand without having to be a scientist or philosopher yourself. Sometimes the information got a bit dragged out but still interesting enough to continue.
Learning about the history of human kind through the stars is such a clever way of storytelling in itself. Highly recommend!
while working on stories largely involving astronomy and astrology, i needed to expand my knowledge of it to fully emerge myself into writing. This book has initiate so many new ideas for my stories and world-building. i enjoyed how Clark doesn’t take opinionated sides on different cultural and scientific facts and how he explained it was easy to understand without having to be a scientist or philosopher yourself. Sometimes the information got a bit dragged out but still interesting enough to continue.
Learning about the history of human kind through the stars is such a clever way of storytelling in itself. Highly recommend!
November 8, 2025
3.5 This book helped me get a better overview of the development of our relationship with the nightsky from the beginning of humanity until resent day.
January 16, 2023
Kes mind tunnevad, teavad, et elus on üpris vähe asju, mida ma armastan rohkem kui öist taevast. Seega, niipea kui ma „Öötaeva all“ lõpuks ette võtsin, armusin sellesse otsekohe. Raamat haaras ja võlus juba esimesest leheküljest. Enam-vähem kõike, mida ühest taevast ja kosmosest jutustavast raamatust võiks oodata, siit ka leiab. Lugeja viiakse rändama aega nii enne kui ka pärast teadusrevolutsiooni, alustades esimeste inimeste sidemest öötaevaga ja lõpetades käesoleva sajandiga, mil oleme kosmosega seotud tihemini kui eales varem, olgugi et me sellele igapäevaselt sugugi ei mõtle.
Stuart Clark selles mõttes ei diskrimineeri, et kuigi suur osa raamatust on teaduslikust vaatenurgast, siis tehakse ruumi ka müütidele, religioonile, astroloogiale ja isegi muusikale. Mina igatahes küll varem ei teadnud, mismoodi võiks muusikat taevakehadega siduda. Nii põnev!
Mõned minu lemmikud seigad rääkisid sellest, miks Veenust nimetatakse nii koidu- kui ka ehatäheks, kuidas teleskoop ohustab kirikut ja kust Vincent van Gogh oma tähistaeva maali jaoks inspiratsiooni sai. Ja kuuludes nn „Harry Potteri“ põlvkonda, oli mul loomulikult väga vahva lugeda Siiriuse kohta. Ma ei teadnud või olin vähemalt unustanud, et Siirius on öise taeva heledaim täht ning sellest eredamalt paistavad vaid Päike, Kuu, Jupiter ja Veenus.
„Öötaeva all“ pakkus hästi palju mõtteainet ja julgen seda soovitada kõigile, kel on astronoomiahuvi või kes lihtsalt armastavad öötaevast imetleda. Mulle tuli üllatusena, et lisaks harivale sisule tõi teos nii mõneski kohas toredate lugude ja seikadega ka muige näole. Mõnus, tore ja hariv lugemine!
Suur-suur aitäh kingituse eest, Rahva Raamatu kirjastus!
Stuart Clark selles mõttes ei diskrimineeri, et kuigi suur osa raamatust on teaduslikust vaatenurgast, siis tehakse ruumi ka müütidele, religioonile, astroloogiale ja isegi muusikale. Mina igatahes küll varem ei teadnud, mismoodi võiks muusikat taevakehadega siduda. Nii põnev!
Mõned minu lemmikud seigad rääkisid sellest, miks Veenust nimetatakse nii koidu- kui ka ehatäheks, kuidas teleskoop ohustab kirikut ja kust Vincent van Gogh oma tähistaeva maali jaoks inspiratsiooni sai. Ja kuuludes nn „Harry Potteri“ põlvkonda, oli mul loomulikult väga vahva lugeda Siiriuse kohta. Ma ei teadnud või olin vähemalt unustanud, et Siirius on öise taeva heledaim täht ning sellest eredamalt paistavad vaid Päike, Kuu, Jupiter ja Veenus.
„Öötaeva all“ pakkus hästi palju mõtteainet ja julgen seda soovitada kõigile, kel on astronoomiahuvi või kes lihtsalt armastavad öötaevast imetleda. Mulle tuli üllatusena, et lisaks harivale sisule tõi teos nii mõneski kohas toredate lugude ja seikadega ka muige näole. Mõnus, tore ja hariv lugemine!
Suur-suur aitäh kingituse eest, Rahva Raamatu kirjastus!
May 16, 2024
Que fuerte, me he acabado (por fin) el libro en el que se basa mi tfg… no somos NADAA!!! es una lectura rara, quien querria leer las conexiones entre el humano y el cielo nocturno qjfksjdjsj peroo es muy facil de leer y adictivo. COMO NO SOMOS CONSCIENTES DE LO IMPORTANTE QUE ES EL CIELO PARA NUESTRA SOCIEDAD Y LO BASADOS Q ESTAMOS EN ELLO… wow, soy otra persona nueva!!
Todo el mundo debería, al menos, leer algunas partes de este libro ya que en el fondo es nuestra herencia como ser humano: las estrellas!!
y como evoluciona todo woww INCREIBLEE
chapó, me saco el sombrero me bajo los pantalones y me saco una teta ⭐️
Todo el mundo debería, al menos, leer algunas partes de este libro ya que en el fondo es nuestra herencia como ser humano: las estrellas!!
y como evoluciona todo woww INCREIBLEE
chapó, me saco el sombrero me bajo los pantalones y me saco una teta ⭐️
March 11, 2022
Inimkonna lugu, mille keskmes on meie suhe öötaevaga. Kuidas päike, tähed ja nende asetsus meid mõjutab, mis kutsub pilku tähistaevasse naelutama isegi, kui tähetarkus ei ole sinu hobiks? Mida me saame tähtede ja tähtede seisu järgi ennustada, selgitada ja tagantjärele kindlaks teha?
Mulle meeldis! Ladusalt kirjutatud hariv raamat, mida oli mõnusalt lihtne lugeda, samas ise väga palju sellest saades!
Lugedes meenud kohe Tõnu Viik "Astronoomialoengud", kuid "Öötaeva all" on olemuselt veidi lihtsam lugedai. Selline raamat, mida kindlasti loeks kunagi veel v��i kuskilt mingeid vastuseid ostsida.
Mulle meeldis! Ladusalt kirjutatud hariv raamat, mida oli mõnusalt lihtne lugeda, samas ise väga palju sellest saades!
Lugedes meenud kohe Tõnu Viik "Astronoomialoengud", kuid "Öötaeva all" on olemuselt veidi lihtsam lugedai. Selline raamat, mida kindlasti loeks kunagi veel v��i kuskilt mingeid vastuseid ostsida.
May 11, 2023
A really slim volume that does exactly what it says.
I really appreciated how the author managed to portray the different viewpoints without any bias. He also managed very often to peak my interest and curiosity and awe for the universe we live in. But, to be fair, I am an easy subject in this as nothing gets me as emotional as the universe.
I think I didn't learn as much as I did in other popscience books I've read and also the source citing in here is far from immaculate, but I think it is still a good read.
I really appreciated how the author managed to portray the different viewpoints without any bias. He also managed very often to peak my interest and curiosity and awe for the universe we live in. But, to be fair, I am an easy subject in this as nothing gets me as emotional as the universe.
I think I didn't learn as much as I did in other popscience books I've read and also the source citing in here is far from immaculate, but I think it is still a good read.
September 19, 2022
Absolutely fascinating book!
November 13, 2025
"Maybe the final frontier is not in the stars, but in ourselves"
January 2, 2024
I was very excited to pick this one up as it combines two of my interests – astronomy, and anthropology!
This was a fascinating book about the evolving relationship of humanity with the night sky. Starting with the dawn of humanity, Stuart Clark looks at how humans have used the night sky for navigation, for marking the passage of time, for religious inspiration, and more. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the zodiac. While I don’t believe in astrology, I found it really interesting to find out how far back our ideas about the zodiac go, and how important they were in Greek philosophy.
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I also really enjoyed the later chapters which discussed how our scientific understanding has altered our relationship with the night sky. I really got a sense for how monumental early scientific discoveries would have been at the time.
As interesting as this book was, though, it was painfully focussed on Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. For a book that claimed to be about humanity’s relationship with the night sky, it was almost entirely centred on Western society, with no mention of the Chinese zodiac, South American traditions, and much more. I would have preferred a much more comprehensive view which could have afforded links to be drawn between different cultures.
Ultimately, this book didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping, but was still a fascinating read.
This was a fascinating book about the evolving relationship of humanity with the night sky. Starting with the dawn of humanity, Stuart Clark looks at how humans have used the night sky for navigation, for marking the passage of time, for religious inspiration, and more. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the zodiac. While I don’t believe in astrology, I found it really interesting to find out how far back our ideas about the zodiac go, and how important they were in Greek philosophy.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
I also really enjoyed the later chapters which discussed how our scientific understanding has altered our relationship with the night sky. I really got a sense for how monumental early scientific discoveries would have been at the time.
As interesting as this book was, though, it was painfully focussed on Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. For a book that claimed to be about humanity’s relationship with the night sky, it was almost entirely centred on Western society, with no mention of the Chinese zodiac, South American traditions, and much more. I would have preferred a much more comprehensive view which could have afforded links to be drawn between different cultures.
Ultimately, this book didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping, but was still a fascinating read.
March 7, 2024
Wow wow wow
I am in awe of our universe
But why the fuck can I only see like two stars in the night sky I want a refund
I truly believe light pollution is stopping me from being happy the sick bastard
I am in awe of our universe
But why the fuck can I only see like two stars in the night sky I want a refund
I truly believe light pollution is stopping me from being happy the sick bastard
March 4, 2023
One the most beautiful books on the history of astronomy that I've read...
December 2, 2025
Kui oled ka üks neist, kes linnast eemal olles öösel taevast vahtima võikski jääda ja kui sulle inimkonna ajalugu natukenegi huvi pakub, siis julgen öelda, et see raamat sobiks ka vabalt sinu lugemislisti (kui see pole veel loetud muidugi 🤭).
Stuart on ise astronoom ja oma ala tõeline entusiast, seda kiirgab lihtsalt tema kirjutise igalt leheküljelt. Tekst pole kuivalt teaduslik, aga samas tõsiseltvõetav ning raamatu lõpust leiab ka ligemale 120 viidet erinevatele allikatele, mida ta kasutanud on. Soovitan väga!
Stuart on ise astronoom ja oma ala tõeline entusiast, seda kiirgab lihtsalt tema kirjutise igalt leheküljelt. Tekst pole kuivalt teaduslik, aga samas tõsiseltvõetav ning raamatu lõpust leiab ka ligemale 120 viidet erinevatele allikatele, mida ta kasutanud on. Soovitan väga!
Want to read
June 23, 2025---
Voor het lezen
Tot aan de sterren, en daar voorbij..!
February 1, 2023
I LOVE THE STARS
August 11, 2022
Clark traces the fascination with the night sky that has become emblematic of all human cultures. He starts with what the archeological remains and ethnographic studies of hunter-gatherers can tell us about early man’s relationship to the sky. He progresses through the astronomical/astrological advances made by peoples like the ancient Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, on to the Arab and European middle ages and leading to the break of astronomy and astrology. He follows how our new scientific understanding of the heavens led both to the space programs of recent memory and the backlash of Theosophy and New Age that sought to re-mystify the stars. The book is a great chronicle of all that the stars have meant to humanity and all that they can mean as we continue to pursue their exploration.
October 11, 2022
Üliilusa kujundusega raamat. Saab palju lisateadmisi astronoomia, astroloogia, arheoloogia ja muu ajaloost ning guugeldasin palju-palju veel kõrvale, sest kirjeldatud oli ka mitmeid kunstiteoseid ja maamärke, mille juurde tahtsin kohe pilti saada. Autor on üles ehitanud raamatu nii, et ta saaks rääkida kõigest, millest heaks arvab, sest jutuks tulevad teemad, mille jaoks tolleaegsed tegelased on tema arvates inspiratsiooni saanud vaadates öist tähistaevast. See muutis raamatu üsna laialivalguvaks, aga no vaadates ise augustis-septembris hilisõhtul taeva pool, siis on ikka inspireeriv küll. Ükskõik milleks.
June 1, 2021
This was a fantastic introduction to astrology and how humans have interacted with the stars since the Hunter-gatherers. Written simply enough that a novice could follow, this was incredibly interesting and full of so many familiar names heard throughout history.
October 22, 2021
"Our connection to the night sky is inescapable, it is instinctive, it is what it means to be human."
did-not-finish
April 12, 2022Putting aside on page 76. A great book, but not in the mood to read this right now. Will continue later.
September 9, 2022
It was educational for a layman like me
May 26, 2024
En el año 1982 se estrenó en España la serie Cosmos, de Carl Sagan. Por aquel entonces tenía yo 10 años y la verdad, todo aquello me interesaba más bien poco. Muchos años después se estrenó una nueva versión, está vez con Neil deGrasse Tyson que, está vez sí, devoré dos veces seguidas con auténtica fruición. Comencé a leer un poco sobre el tema y compré unos prismáticos para astronomía. Sin miedo a exagerar, puedo asegurar que observar el cielo en determinadas condiciones puede cambiarte la vida. La galaxia de Andrómeda, la Nebulosa de Orión, las Pléyades, los satélites Galileanos de Júpiter... Todo ello al alcance de nuestros ojos simplemente con unos prismáticos y alejándonos un poco de la ciudad. A no ser que seas de granito, esas visiones te ofrecen una perspectiva de tí mismo absolutamente diferente y suponen una cura de humildad importante. Ese sentimiento de lo sublime que describió Longino, pasó por la pluma de Kant y parece que murió con el fin del romanticismo realmente ha acompañado al ser humano desde que el primer sapiens levantó la vista hacia el cielo. Desde los cazadores-recolectores hasta que el hombre logra salir al espacio y observar la tierra desde el exterior ese asombro socrático, que cubre la astronomía con una pátina filosofica indeleble ha sido combustible y motor del progreso científico de forma exponencial. Y todo eso nos lo cuenta Stuart Clark de una manera tan amena y entretenida que el libro se devora como una novela. Repleto de curiosidades pero sobre todo de personas increíbles que en tiempos no tan tolerantes se jugaron incluso la vida para que toda la humanidad avanzará a pasos de gigante, el libro es una fuente de conocimiento sin desperdicio. Recomendable 100%.
August 8, 2022
The facts aren't new, but the arrangement is beautiful.
"By reaching into the night sky, we can now look back at Earth and feel awe-struck by its beauty. We have inverted the traditional way of thinking. It is no longer space that is the awesome thing: it is the fragile balance of Earth. This is the true legacy of the space race – not Teflon or any of the other supposed technological spin-offs, but the realisation that our home planet is not as big as we think from the surface.
The wider truth is that the night sky now has a greater influence on us that at any other time in history. We are more connected to the cosmos than ever before, yet unaware of it because we have normalised it. We now use satellites for communications, for weather forecasting , for navigation. There are even prototype clocks that gather the radio signals from fast-spinning starts to tell the time more accurately than most clocks on Earth. We use space now for all the same things that the earliest hunter-gatherers used it for. We have come full circle ��� we just do it more reliably nowadays because of technology."
"By reaching into the night sky, we can now look back at Earth and feel awe-struck by its beauty. We have inverted the traditional way of thinking. It is no longer space that is the awesome thing: it is the fragile balance of Earth. This is the true legacy of the space race – not Teflon or any of the other supposed technological spin-offs, but the realisation that our home planet is not as big as we think from the surface.
The wider truth is that the night sky now has a greater influence on us that at any other time in history. We are more connected to the cosmos than ever before, yet unaware of it because we have normalised it. We now use satellites for communications, for weather forecasting , for navigation. There are even prototype clocks that gather the radio signals from fast-spinning starts to tell the time more accurately than most clocks on Earth. We use space now for all the same things that the earliest hunter-gatherers used it for. We have come full circle ��� we just do it more reliably nowadays because of technology."
December 9, 2022
Although it took me a long time finishing book. It is one that affected me emotionally. And I only could give 5 stars. Normally this isn’t the type of genre I read, I dint regret picking up this book.
His way of writing makes you easily understand what’s being said. Our how he calls it: “Science popularisation”
The way he brings you through time and history, is really well done. Making you wonder and feeling awe with them (all the person’s in the book) and in the end the writer self.
Let me convince you to read this book based in one quote: “This dead of midnight is the noon of thoughts, and wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars”
This is a sentence from the poem: “Night Thoughts” written by Edward Young (1742)
Thank you for reading my review and I hope this book will affect you beautifully as it did to me.
His way of writing makes you easily understand what’s being said. Our how he calls it: “Science popularisation”
The way he brings you through time and history, is really well done. Making you wonder and feeling awe with them (all the person’s in the book) and in the end the writer self.
Let me convince you to read this book based in one quote: “This dead of midnight is the noon of thoughts, and wisdom mounts her zenith with the stars”
This is a sentence from the poem: “Night Thoughts” written by Edward Young (1742)
Thank you for reading my review and I hope this book will affect you beautifully as it did to me.
June 12, 2023
The first few chapters were especially boring and just what you’d expect from the title. The middle chapters were really interesting and filled with unprecedented information. The writer talks about the backstories of a lot of the questions we have about the universe, including our own little earth and earth system. His writing style is not exactly to my liking, largely artless but very straight to the point. Perhaps that is due to his scientific background where they typically write in this such style. The concluding chapter feels very forced and is the equivalent of a student spewing out something pathological at the end of his essay to be can have a conclusion of sorts.
Regardless, the author does a great job of teaching us everything he set out to. The contents of the book really are interesting and it was entirely fascinating to see how the night sky contoured our history.
Regardless, the author does a great job of teaching us everything he set out to. The contents of the book really are interesting and it was entirely fascinating to see how the night sky contoured our history.
January 1, 2025
Oh my god this book is something Ive been looking for but didn't know exactly that I was looking for it if that makes sense.
I wanted to learn about the night sky, the stars, the moon, all things celestial but I didn't want to read a dense book about the science of the creation of the universe. Im just an average person that would probably never be able to understand the complexities of it all but I did want to know the history. And the first page/intro in this book took the words that I was trying to find. It stated that the stars are so awe inspiring because they are immortal.
And that is exactly what I had never truly thought about the stars.
The ending of this book also made me cry. Who would have thought a history book of the stars would make me feel so much more whole and human.
I love it!
First 5 star read of 2025 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I wanted to learn about the night sky, the stars, the moon, all things celestial but I didn't want to read a dense book about the science of the creation of the universe. Im just an average person that would probably never be able to understand the complexities of it all but I did want to know the history. And the first page/intro in this book took the words that I was trying to find. It stated that the stars are so awe inspiring because they are immortal.
And that is exactly what I had never truly thought about the stars.
The ending of this book also made me cry. Who would have thought a history book of the stars would make me feel so much more whole and human.
I love it!
First 5 star read of 2025 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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