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Venus in Transit
In 2004, Venus crossed the sun's face for the first time since 1882. Some did not bother to step outside. Others planned for years, reserving tickets to see the transit in its entirety. But even this group of astronomers and experience seekers were attracted not by scientific purpose but by the event's beauty, rarity, and perhaps--after this book--history. For previous sky-watchers, though, transits afforded the only chance to determine the all-important astronomical the mean distance between earth and sun.
Eli Maor tells the intriguing tale of the five Venus transits previously observed and the fantastic efforts made to record them. This is a story of heroes and cowards, of reputations earned and squandered, all told against a backdrop of phenomenal geopolitical and scientific change.
With a novelist's talent for the details that keep readers reading late, Maor tells the stories of how Kepler's misguided theology led him to the laws of planetary motion; of obscure Jeremiah Horrocks, who predicted the 1639 transit only to die, at age 22, a day before he was to discuss the event with the only other human known to have seen it; of the unfortunate Le Gentil, whose decade of labor was rewarded with obscuring clouds, shipwreck, and the plundering of his estate by relatives who prematurely declared him dead; of David Rittenhouse, Father of American Astronomy, who was overcome by the 1769 transit's onset and failed to record its beginning; and of Maximilian Hell, whose good name long suffered from the perusal of his transit notes by a color-blind critic.
Moving beyond individual fates, Maor chronicles how governments' participation in the first international scientific effort--the observation of the 1761 transit from seventy stations, yielding a surprisingly accurate calculation of the astronomical unit using Edmund Halley's posthumous directions--intersected with the Seven Years' War, British South Seas expansion, and growing American scientific prominence. Throughout, Maor guides readers to the upcoming Venus transits in 2004 and 2012, opportunities to witness a phenomenon seen by no living person and not to be repeated until 2117.
Eli Maor tells the intriguing tale of the five Venus transits previously observed and the fantastic efforts made to record them. This is a story of heroes and cowards, of reputations earned and squandered, all told against a backdrop of phenomenal geopolitical and scientific change.
With a novelist's talent for the details that keep readers reading late, Maor tells the stories of how Kepler's misguided theology led him to the laws of planetary motion; of obscure Jeremiah Horrocks, who predicted the 1639 transit only to die, at age 22, a day before he was to discuss the event with the only other human known to have seen it; of the unfortunate Le Gentil, whose decade of labor was rewarded with obscuring clouds, shipwreck, and the plundering of his estate by relatives who prematurely declared him dead; of David Rittenhouse, Father of American Astronomy, who was overcome by the 1769 transit's onset and failed to record its beginning; and of Maximilian Hell, whose good name long suffered from the perusal of his transit notes by a color-blind critic.
Moving beyond individual fates, Maor chronicles how governments' participation in the first international scientific effort--the observation of the 1761 transit from seventy stations, yielding a surprisingly accurate calculation of the astronomical unit using Edmund Halley's posthumous directions--intersected with the Seven Years' War, British South Seas expansion, and growing American scientific prominence. Throughout, Maor guides readers to the upcoming Venus transits in 2004 and 2012, opportunities to witness a phenomenon seen by no living person and not to be repeated until 2117.
232 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 9, 2017
Excellent and accessible account of the history and basic science of the transit phenomenon, primarily concerning Venus and Mercury that are viewed from Earth, but also touches lightly on transits that might be viewed from other planets, coincidences of transits and eclipses, and the inverse mutual event of occultation. I learned about a few notables in astronomy that I did not know about before including one sharing my last name (although I came by it only by an adoption a few generations back).
There appears to be one minor historical error. William Crabtree (who along with Jeremiah Horrocks, whose death at 23 was an incalculable loss to science, were the first people known to have observed a transit of Venus) died in 1644 and the books states "reportedly was killed in 1644 in the battle of Naseby field". This is unlikely even as speculation since the battle of Naseby field took place in 1645.
With wry wit the author urges us to mark our calendars for a variety of future transit events that will take place centuries or millennia in the future. One in particular is that in the future the December transit dates will gradually move into January and that on the way by there will be a transit on December 25, 3818. Here he notes "No doubt those around to watch it will give this Christmas Transit a special spiritual significance. Stay tuned!" I would like to express my hope that after the intervening 1800 or so years have passed there will be few or none who will do so, the few who might will be ignored, and we will also be free of clerics and other hucksters of all sorts getting any attention or profit from eclipses. blood moons, or any other natural phenomena as we sadly see still happening today.
There appears to be one minor historical error. William Crabtree (who along with Jeremiah Horrocks, whose death at 23 was an incalculable loss to science, were the first people known to have observed a transit of Venus) died in 1644 and the books states "reportedly was killed in 1644 in the battle of Naseby field". This is unlikely even as speculation since the battle of Naseby field took place in 1645.
With wry wit the author urges us to mark our calendars for a variety of future transit events that will take place centuries or millennia in the future. One in particular is that in the future the December transit dates will gradually move into January and that on the way by there will be a transit on December 25, 3818. Here he notes "No doubt those around to watch it will give this Christmas Transit a special spiritual significance. Stay tuned!" I would like to express my hope that after the intervening 1800 or so years have passed there will be few or none who will do so, the few who might will be ignored, and we will also be free of clerics and other hucksters of all sorts getting any attention or profit from eclipses. blood moons, or any other natural phenomena as we sadly see still happening today.
July 18, 2012
This is a great overview of the Transit of Venus phenomenon.
It's a slim book and a quick read but it more than ably covers the science and history behind the twice-every-120-years event. I had planned to read at least 3 or 4 books about the Transit of Venus in time for this year’s (2012) happening but this one was so concise explaining everything that I got tripped up in the second book with its confusing explanations, so much so that I just put the other books aside until the transit occurred. I will get back to those other books someday but I highly recommend this one for the quick, clear, and entertaining read that it is.
Best takeaway fact: Edmond Halley, of Halley's comet fame? He basically invented actuarial tables, without which insurance companies wouldn't have been born. Why is that the best takeaway fact? Because it was a recent Jeopardy! answer, which I was able to correctly 'question' because I had read this book!
And really, isn't being right on Jeopardy! the sole reason for learning anything nowadays?
It's a slim book and a quick read but it more than ably covers the science and history behind the twice-every-120-years event. I had planned to read at least 3 or 4 books about the Transit of Venus in time for this year’s (2012) happening but this one was so concise explaining everything that I got tripped up in the second book with its confusing explanations, so much so that I just put the other books aside until the transit occurred. I will get back to those other books someday but I highly recommend this one for the quick, clear, and entertaining read that it is.
Best takeaway fact: Edmond Halley, of Halley's comet fame? He basically invented actuarial tables, without which insurance companies wouldn't have been born. Why is that the best takeaway fact? Because it was a recent Jeopardy! answer, which I was able to correctly 'question' because I had read this book!
And really, isn't being right on Jeopardy! the sole reason for learning anything nowadays?
March 14, 2014
Meh+
The target for this very thin and readable book are people who know very little about science history and astronomy, or those who want a refresher.
The purpose of this book is to create buzz around the 2012 transit.
These are both noble and useful goals that the book satisfies incredibly well. However, I already knew about the previous transits of Venus, and I read this a year too late to be motivated to watch the 2012 event ( I did see it online in real time), there was little here to heat the blood or inspire.
A basic introduction that adds nothing to the information already out there.
The target for this very thin and readable book are people who know very little about science history and astronomy, or those who want a refresher.
The purpose of this book is to create buzz around the 2012 transit.
These are both noble and useful goals that the book satisfies incredibly well. However, I already knew about the previous transits of Venus, and I read this a year too late to be motivated to watch the 2012 event ( I did see it online in real time), there was little here to heat the blood or inspire.
A basic introduction that adds nothing to the information already out there.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews