History of Astronomy

George Forbes (1849 - 1936)

An attempt has been made in these pages to trace the evolution of intellectual thought in the progress of astronomical discovery, and, by recognising the different points of view of the different ages, to give due credit even to the ancients. No one can expect, in a history of astronomy of limited size, to find a treatise on “practical” or on “theoretical astronomy,” nor a complete “descriptive astronomy,” and still less a book on “speculative astronomy.” Something of each of these is essential, however, for tracing the progress of thought and knowledge which it is the object of this History to describe. - Summary from the Preface

Genre(s): Astronomy, Physics & Mechanics

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Preface Larry Wilson
00:06:06
Play 01 Chapter 1: Primitive Astronomy and Astrology Jennifer Henry
00:12:38
Play 02 Chapter 2: Ancient Chinese and Chaldaeans Jennifer Henry
00:13:14
Play 03 Chapter 3: Ancient Greek Astronomy Ian Virly
00:22:06
Play 04 Chapter 4: The Reign of Epicycles - From Ptolemy to Copernicus Ben Prince
00:11:59
Play 05 Chapter 5: The Discovery of the True Solar System - Tycho Brahe - Kepler Availle
00:25:46
Play 06 Chapter 6: Galileo and the Telescope - Notions of Gravity by Horrocks, etc Availle
00:11:50
Play 07 Chapter 7: Sir Issac Newton - Law of Universal Gravitation Availle
00:15:54
Play 08 Chapter 8: Newton's Successors - Haley, Euler, LaGrange, LaPlance, etc realisticspeakers
00:09:26
Play 09 Chapter 9: Discovery of New Planets - Herschel, Piazzi, Adams, and Le Verrier realisticspeakers
00:17:43
Play 10 Chapter 10: Instruments of Precision - Size of the Solar System realisticspeakers
00:25:44
Play 11 Chapter 11: History of the Telescope - Spectroscope Jennifer Henry
00:15:13
Play 12 Chapter 12: The Sun Justin Ordway
00:20:02
Play 13 Chapter 13: The Moon and Planets Courtney Miller
00:20:59
Play 14 Chapter 14: Comets and Meteors KevinS
00:09:56
Play 15 Chapter 15: The Stars and Nebulae Justin Ordway
00:40:11