Excursions in Astronomical Optics

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• The End of Eden: The Comet That Changed Civilization

  Presents compelling evidence that civilizations worldwide became warlike and monotheistic after Earth passed through the tail of a comet in 1500 B.C. • Explores the violent effect of debris from comet 12P/Pons-Brooks on peaceful cultures such as the Olmec of Mexico and the Megalithic people who built Stonehenge • Shows how this comet’s appearance was [...]

• Totality: Eclipses of the Sun

  A total eclipse of the Sun is the most awesome sight in the heavens. Totality takes you to eclipses of the past, present, and future, and lets you see–and feel–why people travel to the ends of the Earth to observe them. An absolutely indispensable resource for anyone who plans to observe an eclipse, and a [...]

• Astrological Planets & Other Heavenly Bodies, Part 1

  “Wandering Stars” Seen from the Earth the planets may appear tiny and insignificant. And yet humans have always been fascinated by these bodies that appear as points of light in the night sky, and wondered about their movement through the heavens. The ancient Greeks noticed that some lights in the sky stayed in the same [...]

• Galileo’s Glassworks: The Telescope and the Mirror

  The Dutch telescope and the Italian scientist Galileo have long enjoyed a durable connection in the popular mind–so much so that it seems this simple glass instrument transformed a rather modest middle-aged scholar into the bold icon of the Copernican Revolution. And yet the extraordinary speed with which the telescope changed the course of Galileo’s [...]

• Pluto Confidential: An Insider Account of the Ongoing Battles over the Status of Pluto

  When the International Astronomical Union adopted a new definition of a “planet” in August 2006, Pluto became a dwarf planet, drawing a divisive line in science and public opinions. The controversy of whether Pluto is a planet continues years later, and passion about the decision remains, pitting scientist against scientist and invoking sentiments and nostalgia [...]