PDF-(EBOOK)-Echoes of the Ancient Skies: The Astronomy of Lost Civilizations (Dover Books

It should be read by anyone even remotely interested in the long saga of the universes profound and lasting influence on mankinds development New ScientistA grand book Publishers WeeklyDr Krupp teaches us once more to look up at the stars and marvel Ray BradburyThe intriguing world of archaeoastronomy the study of ancient peoples observations of the skies and the impact of what they saw on their cultural evolution is the focus of this eminently readable and authoritative survey Author E C Krupp an astronomer is the director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles California He is one of the worlds greatest experts on archaeoastronomy and the author of numerous books including Beyond the Blue Horizon 1992 and In Search of Ancient Astronomies 1978 His interpretations of skywatching customs from around the world range from everyday pursuits such as measuring time and calculating planting seasons to philosophical issues concerning the role of humanity within the larger context of the universeBeginning with an explanation of how the sky works and how people have relied upon its guidance for centuries Dr Krupp explores ancient and prehistoric observatories from sites in China and Babylonia to Scotland and Peru He relates sky god mythology from many cultures discusses astronomys influence on funerary rites and other vigils and rituals and profiles sacred places such as Stonehenge and the kivas of the American Southwest An extraordinary interdisciplinary work of investigation and discovery this book offers a compelling portrait of the ancient stargazers their beliefs and their customs 208 illustrations Bibliography IndexThis remarkable book written by one of the greatest experts on archaeoastronomy is packed with valuable information Message to Eagle. objects outside the Earth (astronomical objects). Ancient Astronomy. “Ancient” means from . time long past, especially before the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476 A.D.. Many ancient peoples, including in ancient China and India, made detailed observations about the objects in the sky. Early Astronomy . Humans have been fascinated by the sky for all time.. Constellations have helped people navigate, tell stories, are the gods that look over humanity.. Constellations are groupings of stars that form images, much like seeing . 1. Ancient Astronomy. Many ancient cultures took a keen interest in the changing nighttime sky. The records and artifacts that have survived until the present make that abundantly clear. . 2. Ancient Astronomy. This special edition of Apollo Expeditions to the Moon, an official NASA publication, commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the July 20, 1969, Moon landing with a thrilling insider\'s view of the space program.  Essays by participants — engineers, astronauts, and administrators — recall the program\'s unprecedented challenges. Written in direct, jargon-free language, this compelling adventure features more than 160 dazzling color photographs and scores of black-and-white illustrations. Insights into management challenges as well as its engineering feats include contributions from Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Shepard, and other astronauts NASA administrator James E. Webb Christopher C. Kraft, head of the Mission Control Center and engineer Wernher von Braun. Their informative, exciting narratives explore the issues that set the United States on the path to the Moon, offer perspectives on the program\'s legacy, and examine the particulars of individual missions. Journalist Robert Sherrod chronicles the selection and training of astronauts. James Lovell, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13, recounts the damaged ship\'s dramatic return to Earth. Geologist and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt discusses the lunar expeditions\' rich harvest of scientific information. These and other captivating firsthand accounts form an ideal introduction to the historic U.S. space program as well as fascinating reading for all ages. This new expanded edition includes a chronology of the Apollo project, additional photographs, and a new Foreword by historian Paul Dickson that offers a modern retrospective of the Moon landing, discussing its place in the world of space exploration and its impact on American history and culture.   Written by a trio of experts, this is the definitive reference on the Apollo spacecraft and lunar modules. It traces the design of the vehicles, their development, and their operation in space. More than 100 photographs and illustrations highlight the text, which begins with NASA\'s origins and concludes with the triumphant Apollo 11 moon mission. Astronomy as a science began with the Ionian philosophers, with whom Greek philosophy and mathematics also began. While the Egyptians and Babylonians had accomplished much of astronomical worth, it remained for the unrivalled speculative genius of the Greeks, in particular, their mathematical genius, to lay the foundations of the true science of astronomy. In this classic study, a noted scholar discusses in lucid detail the specific advances made by the Greeks, many of whose ideas anticipated the discoveries of modern astronomy.Pythagoras, born at Samos about 572 B.C., was probably the first to hold that the earth is spherical in shape, while his later followers anticipated Copernicus with the then-startling hypothesis that the earth was not the center of the universe but a planet like the others. Heraclides of Pontus (c. 388–315 B.C.), a pupil of Plato, declared that the apparent daily rotation of the heavenly bodies is due, not to a rotation of the heavenly sphere about an axis through the center of the earth, but to the rotation of the earth itself around its own axis. Secondly, Heraclides discovered that Venus and Mercury revolve around the sun like satellites. Perhaps the greatest astronomer of antiquity was Hipparchus, who flourished between 161 and 126 B.C. He compiled a catalog of fixed stars to the number 850 or more, made great improvements in the instruments used for astronomical observations, and discovered the precession of the equinoxes, among other accomplishments. The astronomy of Hipparchus takes its definitive form in the Syntaxis (commonly called the Almagest) of Ptolemy, written about A.D. 150, which held the field until the time of Copernicus.The extraordinary achievements of these and many more Greek theorists are given full coverage in this erudite account, which blends exceptional clarity with a readable style to produce a work that is not only indispensable for astronomers and historians of science but easily accessible to science-minded lay readers. A towering figure in intellectual history and one of the fathers of modern astronomy, the great mathematician Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) is best known for his discovery of the three laws of planetary motion, which paved the way for a dynamic explanation of the heavenly phenomena. At a time when the Ptolemaic view still prevailed in official circles, Kepler undertook to prove the truth of the Copernican world view and through exceptional perseverance and force of intellect achieved that goal. His epochal intellectual feats are completely and thoroughly described in this splendid work, considered the definitive biography of Kepler. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, the author presents a fascinating and erudite picture of Kepler\'s scientific accomplishments, his public life (work with Tycho Brahe, the Danish astronomer mathematical appointments at Graz, Prague, and Linz pioneering work with calculus and optics, and more) and his personal life: childhood and youth, financial situation, his mother\'s trial as a witch, his own lifelong fear of religious persecution, his difficulties in choosing one of eleven possible young women as his second wife, and more, through his last years in Ulm and death in Regensburg.Until his death in 1956, Professor Max Caspar was the world\'s foremost Kepler scholar. He had spent over two-thirds of his life assembling, cataloging, describing, analyzing, and editing Kepler\'s works. To this biography he brought tremendous learning and passionate enthusiasm for his subject, creating an unsurpassed resource on the life and work of one of history\'s greatest scientific minds. Originally published in German and superbly translated into English by C. Doris Hellman, Kepler will fascinate scholars and general readers alike. “A carefully reasoned history of astronomy … clearly the work of a man who loved his subject.” — The Times (London) Literary Supplement.Few histories of astronomy offer the special human dimension of this book. For Professor Pannekoek (University of Amsterdam), the history of astronomy consists of the growth of man’s concept of his world. The study of the cosmos became an essential part of the history of human culture, an adventure of the mind.In this well-balanced account of that adventure, the author is at pains to relate the development of astronomy to the social and cultural background in which it is nurtured. Thus, the effect of changes in political conditions, the influence of geography, and the growth of industry and of communications methods are clearly and incisively described.Dr. Pannekoek begins with an unusually detailed account of astronomy in ancient times, including Babylonian sky-lore, Assyrian astrology, the Ptolemaic worldview, Hellenistic astronomy, the epicycle theory, and Arabian astronomy. The growth of astronomy after Copernicus constitutes the second part of the book, acquainting the reader with the epoch-making work of Kepler and Newton and the astonishing developments of celestial mechanics during the eighteenth century. Part III begins with Herschel, the gifted amateur whose observations opened up new horizons, and ends with Eddington’s pioneering studies of the internal constitutions of stars.Comprehensive, well-written and full of small, revealing details that attest to the scope and depth of the author’s learning, this splendid survey belongs in the library of every astronomer — or anyone interested in the grand mystery of the cosmos and man’s attempts to penetrate it. In Stars Above, Earth Below, Tyler Nordgren examines a range of astronomical topics and makes the connection between them and the landscapes, processes, and cultures which can be seen and experienced within specific U.S. National Parks. For each park and topic the story unfolds in three steps: what does the reader see for him - or herself? What is the scientific cause or explanation of what is seen? And finally, what is the big picture about ourselves, our world, and our Universe? The author takes us the length and breadth of the U.S., from the coast of Maine to the Yellowstone volcano, from the depths of the Grand Canyon to the heights of the Rocky Mountains, exploring the natural links between the features of the parks and those of our Universe. Written by two expert teachers and based on astronomy education research, this workbook guides students through concepts, promotes quantitative literacy, and increases student confidence in their understanding of how the universe works. A book that has been used with great success by countless amateur astronomers, this volume presents complete and detailed instructions and numerous diagrams showing how to construct a do-it-yourself telescope. No complicated mathematics are involved, and no prior knowledge of optics or astronomy is needed to follow the text\'s step-by-step directions, which also offer instruction in the fundamentals of practical optics.Contents: 1. Story of the Telescope. 2. Materials and Equipment. 3. Mirror Grinding. 4. The Pitch Lap. 5. Polishing-Testing-Correcting. 6. The Paraboloid. 7. The Diagonal. 8. Tube Parts-Alignment-The Finder. 9. Eyepieces and Related Problems. 10. The Mounting. 11. Aluminizing and Cleaning. 12. Setting Circles-Equatorial Adjustment. 13. Optical Principles-Atmosphere-Magnitudes. 14. A Second Telescope. Appendixes. Index. Sharing the Skies provides a look at traditional Navajo astronomy, including their constellations and the unique way in which Navajo people view the cosmos and their place within it. In addition, this book offers a comparison of the Navajo astronomy with the Greek (Western) perceptions. Beautifully illustrated with original paintings from a Navajo artist and scientifically enhanced with NASA photography. Written by a trio of experts, this is the definitive reference on the Apollo spacecraft and lunar modules. It traces the design of the vehicles, their development, and their operation in space. More than 100 photographs and illustrations highlight the text, which begins with NASA\'s origins and concludes with the triumphant Apollo 11 moon mission. A masterpiece of historical insight and scientific accuracy, this is the definitive work on Greek astronomy and the Copernican Revolution. Beginning with the ancient Egyptians, it ranges from the Pythagoreans and Plato to medieval European and Islamic cosmologies, concluding with detailed surveys of the works of Copernicus, Brahe, and Kepler.