The universe : a historical survey of beliefs, theories, and laws

The universe has been both a subject of study and supplier of fresh mysteries. This book tackles a topic that is infinitely broad with extreme precision and careful organization, bringing the far reaches of the universe squarely into the hands and minds of readers. Cover Page......Page 1 TITLE......Page 3 ISBN 9781615300556 (eBook)......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 5 INTRODUCTION......Page 12 EARLIEST CONCEPTIONS OF THE UNIVERSE......Page 21 ASTRONOMICAL THEORIES OF THE ANCIENT GREEKS......Page 23 THE SYSTEM OF ARISTOTLE AND ITS IMPACT ON MEDIEVAL THOUGHT......Page 26 CHAPTER 2: THE COPERNICAN REVOLUTION......Page 28 GALILEO......Page 29 KEPLER’S LAWS OF PLANETARY MOTION......Page 36 TYCHONIC SYSTEM......Page 39 NEWTON’S LAW OF GRAVITATION......Page 42 CONTRIBUTIONS OF EDMOND HALLEY......Page 43 HALLEY AND NEWTON......Page 44 TRACKING COMETS AND STARS......Page 47 THE DISCOVERIES OF WILLIAM HERSCHEL......Page 49 THE HERSCHEL LEGACY......Page 54 TAKING ASTRONOMY TO A NEW LEVEL......Page 55 NEWCOMB’S TABLES AND CONSTANTS......Page 58 CHAPTER 4: PERCEPTIONS OF THE 20TH CENTURY......Page 60 SHAPLEY’S CONTRIBUTIONS......Page 62 GRAVITATION AND THE GEOMETRY OF SPACE-TIME......Page 64 EINSTEIN’S MODEL......Page 68 FRIEDMANN-LEMAÎTRE MODELS......Page 69 BOUND AND UNBOUND UNIVERSES AND THE CLOSURE DENSITY......Page 73 HUBBLE’S RESEARCH ON EXTRAGALACTIC SYSTEMS......Page 74 THE HUBBLE LAW......Page 75 HENRY NORRIS RUSSELL......Page 78 SIR ARTHUR EDDINGTON......Page 82 THE NATURE OF SPACE AND TIME......Page 85 THE HOT BIG BANG......Page 86 THE COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND......Page 88 PRIMORDIAL NUCLEOSYNTHESIS......Page 92 THE DEUTERIUM ABUNDANCE......Page 93 INHOMOGENEOUS NUCLEOSYNTHESIS......Page 94 MATTER-ANTIMATTER ASYMMETRY......Page 95 SUPERUNIFICATION AND THE PLANCK ERA......Page 96 INFLATION......Page 99 STEADY STATE THEORY AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE COSMOLOGIES......Page 101 DARK MATTER AND DARK ENERGY......Page 103 DARK MATTER......Page 104 DARK ENERGY......Page 106 ANAXIMANDER......Page 109 ARISTARCHUS OF SAMOS......Page 110 ERATOSTHENES OF CYRENE......Page 112 HIPPARCHUS......Page 113 PTOLEMY......Page 117 AL-BIRUNI......Page 121 JOHANN BAYER......Page 122 GIAN DOMENICO CASSINI......Page 123 JOHN FLAMSTEED......Page 124 JOHANNES HEVELIUS......Page 125 NICOLAS-CLAUDE FABRI DE PEIRESC......Page 126 JEAN RICHER......Page 127 OLE RØMER......Page 128 JEAN-SYLVAIN BAILLY......Page 129 JOHANN BODE......Page 130 JACQUES CASSINI......Page 131 JOSEPH-NICOLAS DELISLE......Page 132 NICOLAS DE LACAILLE......Page 133 JOHANN MAYER......Page 134 DAVID RITTENHOUSE......Page 135 JOHANN TITIUS......Page 136 JOHN COUCH ADAMS......Page 137 SIR GEORGE AIRY......Page 138 FRIEDRICH ARGELANDER......Page 139 WILLIAM CRANCH BOND......Page 140 WILLIAM WALLACE CAMPBELL......Page 141 SIR GEORGE DARWIN......Page 142 CHARLES-EUGÈNE DELAUNAY......Page 143 JOHANN FRANZ ENCKE......Page 144 JOSEPH VON FRAUNHOFER......Page 145 SIR DAVID GILL......Page 146 BENJAMIN GOULD......Page 147 GEORGE HILL......Page 148 PIERRE JANSSEN......Page 149 JOHANN VON LAMONT......Page 150 WILLIAM LASSELL......Page 151 SIR JOSEPH LOCKYER......Page 152 PERCIVAL LOWELL......Page 153 MARIA MITCHELL......Page 154 WILHELM OLBERS......Page 155 EDWARD PICKERING......Page 156 LEWIS RUTHERFURD......Page 157 GIOVANNI SCHIAPARELLI......Page 158 FRIEDRICH VON STRUVE......Page 159 HERMANN VOGEL......Page 160 RUDOLF WOLF......Page 161 CHARLES ABBOT......Page 162 VIKTOR AMBARTSUMIAN......Page 163 PATRICK BLACKETT......Page 165 SIR HERMANN BONDI......Page 166 I. S. BOWEN......Page 167 MARGARET BURBIDGE......Page 168 ANNIE JUMP CANNON......Page 169 SUBRAHMANYAN CHANDRASEKHAR......Page 170 ROBERT DICKE......Page 171 SIR FRANK DYSON......Page 172 VITALY GINZBURG......Page 173 THOMAS GOLD......Page 174 STEPHEN W. HAWKING......Page 175 OTTO HECKMANN......Page 176 EJNAR HERTZSPRUNG......Page 177 ANTONY HEWISH......Page 178 SIR JAMES JEANS......Page 179 SIR HAROLD SPENCER JONES......Page 180 ROY P. KERR......Page 181 NIKOLAY ALEKSANDROVICH KOZYREV......Page 182 GERARD KUIPER......Page 183 MALCOLM LONGAIR......Page 184 MARCEL MINNAERT......Page 185 JAN OORT......Page 186 ERNEST ÖPIK......Page 187 SIR MARTIN RYLE......Page 188 CARL SAGAN......Page 189 ALLAN SANDAGE......Page 190 MAARTEN SCHMIDT......Page 191 KARL SCHWARZSCHILD......Page 192 HARLOW SHAPLEY......Page 193 WILLEM DE SITTER......Page 194 BENGT STRÖMGREN......Page 195 OTTO STRUVE......Page 196 JOSEPH H. TAYLOR, JR.......Page 197 CLYDE W. TOMBAUGH......Page 198 ROBERT TRUMPLER......Page 199 FRITZ ZWICKY......Page 200 GLOSSARY......Page 201 FOR FURTHER READING......Page 203 INDEX......Page 205 Our Search for knowledge about the universe has been remarkable, heartbreaking, fantastical, and inspiring, and this search is just beginning. The Universe is part of a 7 book series that takes readers through a virtual time warp of our discovery. From the nascent space programs of the 1960's to today's space tourism and the promise of distant planet colonization, readers will be transfixed. Throughout this journey of the mind, Earth-bound explorers gain keen insight into the celestial phenomena that have fascinated humans for centuries. Thrilling narratives about indefatigable scientific contributors and technological advances will rouse the imagination. Each book is lavished with photographs and illustrations that transport readers more deeply into the interstellar action. Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales-storied lands that have sparked the global imagination through their legends and centuries-old traditions-often seem to be eclipsed by the neighboring England. While there are many similarities between them, each is culturally distinct, with languages, traditions, and identities not shared by the others. But even as Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales each work to safeguard their unique heritages, they have also worked together and with England, despite the often tense relationships between them that have at times made coexistence difficult and independe