The Transit of Venus: The Brief, Brilliant Life of Jeremiah Horrocks, Father of British Astronomy

Used
Paperback
2005
$3.24

There is a missing chapter in the history of astronomy, between the work of Galileo and Newton, and it is a chapter that belongs to England. Most people would name Newton and Edmund Halley as the greatest British astronomers, but both men drew heavily on the works of Jeremiah Horrocks. Like John Harrison, the clockmaker who solved the problem of Longitude, Horrocks was a man ahead of his time. In 1639 he was the first person to see the image of Venus on the face of the Sun. He appreciated the true scale of the solar system, charted the positions of the planets more accurately than ever before, and formulated a valid theory for the wanderings of the moon. In the period before the English Civil War, he was considered the greatest astronomer in the kingdom. He died at a tragically early age but his legacy to science is remarkable.

Synopsis

There is a missing chapter in the history of astronomy, between the work of Galileo and Newton, and it is a chapter that belongs to England. Most people would name Newton and Edmund Halley as the greatest British astronomers, but both men drew heavily on the works of Jeremiah Horrocks. Like John Harrison, the clockmaker who solved the problem of Longitude, Horrocks was a man ahead of his time. In 1639 he was the first person to see the image of Venus on the face of the Sun. He appreciated the true scale of the solar system, charted the positions of the planets more accurately than ever before, and formulated a valid theory for the wanderings of the moon. In the period before the English Civil War, he was considered the greatest astronomer in the kingdom. He died at a tragically early age but his legacy to science is remarkable.

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Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Edition: New Ed
Publisher: Phoenix
Published: 12 May 2005
ISBN 10: 0753818752
ISBN 13: 9780753818756
Book Overview: Like MERCATOR or LONGITUDE this is the fascinating story of man ahead of his time whose work laid the foundations for modern astronomy Will appeal to fans of books like Galileo's Daughter '[This] fascinating book new book charts the short but dramatic life of an extraordinary man who became the father of modern astronomy' Michael Hanlon, Daily Mail 'Horrocks was lucky to live in an exciting period of transition. In antiquity and until the early seventeenth century, astronomy had been little more than applied geometry...charmingly done with no stone left unturned...an admirable book' The Tablet.

Author Bio

Peter Aughton lives in Bristol. He lectures at the University of the West of England. He is the author of the highly praised ENDEAVOUR: THE STORY OF CAPTAIN COOK'S FIRST GREAT EPIC VOYAGE and NEWTON'S APPLE: ENGLAND'S SCIENTIFIC RENAISSANCE.

The Transit of Venus: The Brief, Brilliant Life of Jeremiah Horrocks, Father of British Astronomy

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