Babylon to Voyager and Beyond: A History of Planetary Astronomy

Description

Babylon to Voyager and Beyond covers planetary research from the time of the Babylonians and Ancient Greeks through those of Kepler, Galileo and Newton to the modern era of space exploration. It outlines the key observational discoveries and theoretical developments in their historical context, covering not only the numerous successes but also the main failures. Planetary astronomy has come a long way since the Babylonians used their extensive numerical skills to predict the positions of the moon and planets. That progress is the story of this book, ending, as it does, with the considerable discoveries of the space age, and the discoveries of planets around other stars. This unique account will appeal to both amateur and professional astronomers, as well as those with an interest in the history of science.

David Leverington held a variety of senior positions in the space industry, and is now retired.

'David Leverington has written a comprehensive, readable, and accessible history of planetary astronomy which will engross astronomers, historians of science and anyone with an interest in science. I recommend it.' The Observatory '... I shall be using this book extensively as a definitive text and recommending it wholeheartedly to my students.' Astronomy Now 'As a reference on the history of planetary science, describing how today's scientific knowledge was attained, this book is very good.' Journal of the British Astronomical Association