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Chasing Venus: The Race to Measure the Heavens
by
Andrea Wulf
The author of the highly acclaimed Founding Gardeners now gives us an enlightening chronicle of the first truly international scientific endeavor—the eighteenth-century quest to observe the transit of Venus and measure the solar system.
On June 6, 1761, the world paused to observe a momentous occasion: the first transit of Venus between the earth and the sun in more than a...more
On June 6, 1761, the world paused to observe a momentous occasion: the first transit of Venus between the earth and the sun in more than a...more
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Knopf
(first published April 1st 2012)
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A breezy read about a bunch of astronomers in the 1700s who dropped everything to travel all over the world to track the flight of Venus across the sun (which happened only twice in the century, so viewing it had to be from precise locations at precise times) in order to calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun to help with navigational maps.
The key takeaway from this book is that traveling in the 1700s really really sucked. And not like, "oh I have to wait 30 minutes in airport securit...more
The key takeaway from this book is that traveling in the 1700s really really sucked. And not like, "oh I have to wait 30 minutes in airport securit...more
One of the most delightful historical accounts I have read. The author describes herself a historical designer. In this desription she dose not disappoint. The book recounts the 18th century race, by the scientific societies of the most powerful nations, to observe the transit of Venus between the earth and the sun, allowing them to calculate the dimension of the solar system. This endeavor would change the frontier of science forever. The story spans more than 10 years and illuminates what an i...more
Aug 26, 2012
Mark
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People who like to read the backstory to history.
Fifteen years before the Declaration of Independence, the planet Venus passed between the Earth and the Sun, just as it did this past June. The transit of Venus is rare; the transit actually occurs in pairs, eight years apart from each other; and more than 100 years between pairs. If you are around in 2117 you can observe the start of the next transit.
Scientists knew in 1761 that they could determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun by recording key points in the transit of Venus from...more
Scientists knew in 1761 that they could determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun by recording key points in the transit of Venus from...more
The author of the highly acclaimed Founding Gardeners now gives us an enlightening chronicle of the first truly international scientific endeavor—the eighteenth-century quest to observe the transit of Venus and measure the solar system.
On June 6, 1761, the world paused to observe a momentous occasion: the first transit of Venus between the earth and the sun in more than a century. Through that observation, astronomers could calculate the size of the solar system—but only if they could compile d...more
On June 6, 1761, the world paused to observe a momentous occasion: the first transit of Venus between the earth and the sun in more than a century. Through that observation, astronomers could calculate the size of the solar system—but only if they could compile d...more
This is a very interesting book about the 18th century expeditions to measure the transit of Venus in order to determine the distance of the Sun from Earth. The transits happened in 1761 and 1769. Astronomers traveled throughout the world to time the transits and determine the latitude of their locations so the distance to the sun could be calculated. Wulf does an excellent job of picking interesting stories and details of various expeditions and avoids what could have been a very dry and confus...more
A few years ago I read a book about the universe where the authors showed themselves watching the transit of venus through some fairly simple telescopes. They mentioned that the event was fairly rare, only twice per century. I didn't realize and they didn't explain what the big deal was all about. It turns out that for astronomers the Transit of Venus is a really big historical deal. About 300 years ago Edmund Halley (yes, the comet guy) realized that by measuring the time it took Venus to pass...more
It's absolutely amazing what people will endure in the name of knowledge.
This is the story of the international attempts to measure the transit of Venus (as a larger effort to calculate the size of the universe) in the 1760s. And it is truly amazing what astronomers went through to get their data -- wars, tedious hours of calibrations and generalized boredom waiting for something to happen (I did so love the job advertisements for astronomer positions), pilfering natives (quite humorous), ice st...more
This is the story of the international attempts to measure the transit of Venus (as a larger effort to calculate the size of the universe) in the 1760s. And it is truly amazing what astronomers went through to get their data -- wars, tedious hours of calibrations and generalized boredom waiting for something to happen (I did so love the job advertisements for astronomer positions), pilfering natives (quite humorous), ice st...more
A very enjoyable travelogue-like read on the 1761 and 1769 attempts to measure the solar system by way of the transit of Venus across the sun. The book focuses on several individuals who worked on those efforts to obtain measurements of the transit times of Venus and helps to place them in their geographical and historical context. Those of you looking for more science however may wish to stay away, as it's less focused on that and more focused on the personalities involved in the effort.
An interesting historical account of two attempts to determine the size of the universe by measuring the transit of Venus across the sun in 1761 and 1769. It reads like a curated synopsis of diaries from those involved in the many expeditions to remote parts of the world in order to record the needed observations. A quick and enjoyable read.
I saw this book just as the second transit of Vensus was about to occur in June of this year... A well written and research book, Chasing Vensus, is an enjoyable historical account of scientists travelling (and actually cooperating with each other) around the globe in the 18th century in order to observe and measure the transit of Vensus as it moved in front of the Sun. This once in a century event, scientist hoped, can provide data that will allow them to measure the size of the solar system. I...more
Recording the transit of Venus was a real challenge for the Enlightenment philosophers of the 1760s and this book gives a good nuts-and-bolts account of how they got it done.
This is so cool-only happens every 125 years or so-will be visible June 5 here-this book tells the personal and scientific stories of all the scientists who attempted to observe/map the transit in 1874...
I didn't give this book enough time, thus only 3 stars. It is detailed...very...and told in an engaging way. Can't believe the scientists in this...that they figured out as much as they did wit the tools they had and then proceeded to the farthest points of the earth to prove themselves right. I've read The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession by Wulf, and the woman can write. Give this one a go if you are interested in measuring the heavens.
1 like · like · see review
The story of the first cooperative effort of the world's scientists. Really interesting.
Interesting subject, competently treated, but not compelling. The general thesis is that the observation of the transit of Venus in the mid-18th century marked a commencement of international collaboration in science. I just didn't find this proven out in the book; it seems to me the efforts of scientists were rather atomized, and sometimes competitive. Which leaves the book in search of a point to make. The descriptive aspect, then, and the personality sketches are pretty good, but Wulf does no...more
Interesting book on the first large international scientific collaboration. The author did a good job of keeping everyone easy to follow, as the large cast of scientists went around the globe.
It was just ok...too many players to get to know so it came off a little text-bookish for me. Might have been better to read than listen.
Interesting but a bit dry in places...
When I grow up, I plan to be more like Lalande, who "enjoyed public recognition and admitted to being an 'oilskin for insults and a sponge for praise'" (95-6).
I thought Wulf did a good job balancing the main events of the story - the two transits of Venus across the Sun in the 1760s - and the background information of the social and political conditions of the world at that time and the personal lives of the astronomers. I never felt like the story was weighed down by too many digressions, a problem in many books of this kind.
This is my kind of science/history book - what homeschool folk call "living books" - interesting, well-written, telling an important story. Science-y but not hard science.
One of the best history of science books I've read in a while. It's amazing how in the 18th century, this was the first international scientific collaboration. And how for the first time we learned how big our solar system was.
Fun, but a little ponderous.
Great book. Fast read, good stuff.
May 08, 2013
Bryce Holt
is currently reading it
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Andrea Wulf is a biographer. She is the author of The Brother Gardeners, published in April 2008. It was longlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize and received a CBHL Annual Literature Award in 2010. She was born in India, moved to Germany as a child, and now resides in Britain.
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May 25, 2012 10:47am