Eclipse: The science and history of nature's most spectacular phenomenon Book

The thousands who flocked to Falmouth, Rouen or Bucarest to witness the Eclipse on 11 August 1999 at its most total were--as J.P.McEvoy points out in his excellent short guide to human knowledge of such phenomena, Eclipse--demonstrating an interest which has obsessed large parts of humanity for thousands of years. The Babylonians used clay tablets for making their astronomical records and which were preserved inside the library which was pulled down later. From these we know a lot about the success of the Babylonians in understanding and predicting eclipses: 2000 years of closely recorded observation made for a real grasp of the cycles of the heavens--even with unsophisticated mathematics and dodgy cosmology. The Greeks and their classical and medieval successors did little more than build on this sound foundation; it was Newton and Halley who largely finished the job of proper calculation. Thereafter it has been a matter of further observation: "The War of Independence was in progress, and King George's troops had captured Maine. Nevertheless, with their sense of fair play and interest in scientific expeditions, the British allowed the Harvard expedition to sail into Penobscot Bay, which, Williams had determined, would be within the path of totality". And in the process eclipses have helped demonstrate the existence of helium and the truth of the General Theory of Relativity... McEvoy is clear and precise about what we need to know about eclipses and often quietly witty about the process whereby we have come to know it. This excellent short guide is ideal for your pocket both for this and the next total eclipse. --Roz KaveneyRead More