Great Astronomers
Public-domain ebook
Great Astronomers
Language: en1,252 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Biographies·History - Other·History - Ancient
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #2298.
About this book
Great Astronomers is a scholarly survey of the men who shaped the science of the heavens, written by Robert S. Ball in the late nineteenth century. The work opens with a detailed acknowledgment of the sources that supplied the biographical sketches, noting that several chapters first appeared in “Good Words” and that the sections on Brinkley, Hamilton, Adams and Airy draw on recent commemorative articles and personal correspondences. After these preliminaries, Ball presents a sweeping introduction that links the practical and philosophical origins of astronomy to the achievements of early observers such as Hipparchus, and then outlines the book’s structure: a succession of chapters on figures from Ptolemy through Newton to the contemporary astronomers of his day, each accompanied by illustrative plates of instruments and observatories. The opening thus establishes both the historical breadth of the study and Ball’s intent to intertwine biography with the evolution of astronomical thought.
The prose reflects the Victorian era’s reverent, didactic tone, combining meticulous description with occasional flourish. Ball’s language is formal yet accessible, peppered with extensive footnotes to contemporary scholars and rich visual references that would have appealed to educated readers of his time. Those who enjoy a methodical, portrait‑style narrative of scientific progress, particularly historians of science, amateur astronomers, and readers fascinated by the personal stories behind great discoveries, will find this volume both informative and engaging.
Who appears in Great Astronomers
- Sir William Rowan HamiltonMiddle‑aged Irish gentleman, dark hair, crisp Victorian suit, pocket watch, scholarly expression
- Professor AdamsLate‑victorian English scholar, beard, high‑collared frock coat, spectacles, thoughtful gaze
- Sir George AiryElderly British astronomer, white hair, formal tailcoat, dignified posture, holding a telescope rod
The opening · free to read
While the work was in progress, some of the sketches appeared in "Good Words." The chapter on Brinkley has been chiefly derived from an article on the "History of Dunsink Observatory," which was published on the occasion of the tercentenary celebration of the University of Dublin in 1892, and the life of Sir William Rowan Hamilton is taken, with a few alterations and omissions, from an article contributed to the "Quarterly Review" on Graves' life of the great mathematician. The remaining chapters now appear for the first time. For many of the facts contained in the sketch of the late Professor Adams, I am indebted to the obituary notice written by my friend Dr. J. W. L. Glaisher, for the Royal Astronomical Society; while with regard to the late Sir George Airy, I have a similar acknowledgment to make to Professor H. H. Turner. To my friend Dr. Arthur A. Rambaut I owe my hearty thanks for his kindness in aiding me in the revision of the work.
R.S.B. The Observatory, Cambridge. October, 1895
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
PTOLEMY.
COPERNICUS.
TYCHO BRAHE.
GALILEO.
KEPLER.
ISAAC NEWTON.
FLAMSTEED.
HALLEY.
BRADLEY.
WILLIAM HERSCHEL.
LAPLACE.
BRINKLEY.
JOHN HERSCHEL.
THE EARL OF ROSSE.
AIRY.
HAMILTON.
LE VERRIER.
ADAMS.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
THE OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH.
PTOLEMY.
PTOLEMY'S PLANETARY SCHEME.
PTOLEMY'S THEORY OF THE MOVEMENT OF MARS.
THORN, FROM AN OLD PRINT.
COPERNICUS.
FRAUENBURG, FROM AN OLD PRINT.
EXPLANATION OF PLANETARY MOVEMENTS.
TYCHO BRAHE.
TYCHO'S CROSS STAFF.
TYCHO'S "NEW STAR" SEXTANT OF 1572.
TYCHO'S TRIGONIC SEXTANT.
TYCHO'S ASTRONOMIC SEXTANT.
TYCHO'S EQUATORIAL ARMILLARY.
THE GREAT AUGSBURG QUADRANT.
TYCHO'S "NEW SCHEME OF THE TERRESTRIAL SYSTEM," 1577.
URANIBORG AND ITS GROUNDS.
The book keeps going
Keep reading, and see it illustrated
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
