new review (AstroGuyz.com)
On June 5th-6th, depending on your respective position across the International Date Line, the planet Venus will transit across the face of the Sun for the last time this century. And I can think of no finer reading companion to warm you up for this event than this week’s review, The Day the World Discovered the Sun by Mark Anderson. Out this year from Da Capo Press, this book reads like a fine historical adventure novel, tracing the exploits of three expeditions that raced across the globe to observe the transit of Venus in 1769. This was truly the first international effort of its kind and marked the beginning of journeys made with scientific discovery in mind. …
The Day the World Discovered the Sun tracks the expeditions Jean-Baptiste Chappe to Baja California, Father Maximilan Hell to Vardø Norway, and most famously, the journey of Captain Cook and the Endeavour to the island of Tahiti. Tales of adventure ensue, as parties combat disease, despair, welcome and suspicion in their race to be in place for the celestial show of the century.
