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Myths and Marvels of Astronomy.
A lively popular-science account of astronomy's wonders and the myths that have gathered around the heavens. Richard Proctor guides the general reader through the real marvels of the sky and the errors that once obscured them.
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About this book
The night sky has always drawn out both our finest reasoning and our wildest superstition. In this collection of essays a gifted popular astronomer sets out to separate the genuine marvels of the heavens from the myths, delusions, and pseudo-sciences that have long clung to them.
What it's about
Myths and Marvels of Astronomy gathers essays on astronomical subjects for the general reader. Works of this kind by Proctor typically take up both the real wonders revealed by the science, comets, the planets, the vast scale of the cosmos, and the false beliefs that have surrounded the sky, from astrology to various popular misconceptions, examining each with clarity and a gently critical eye.
Themes
The book turns on the contrast between superstition and genuine understanding, and on the pleasure of the real universe once seen clearly. Proctor is a champion of reason and evidence, keen to show that the truths of astronomy are more marvellous than the myths they replace.
Why it still matters
Popular science of this quality helped bring the discoveries of astronomy to a wide audience, and its patient debunking of pseudo-science remains a model. The particular myths may have changed, but the case for clear thinking about the cosmos is timeless.
Who it's for
Amateur astronomers and stargazers, lovers of popular science and its history, and readers who enjoy the meeting of wonder and reason.
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Myths and Marvels of Astronomy
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