Planetary Astronomy: From Ancient Times to the Third Millennium

by Ronald A. Schorn

For thousands of years the visible planets of our solar system have captivated experts and the general public alike. With a history more ancient than that of any other of the physical sciences and with recent popularity and prestigiousness, it is difficult to believe that this field was avoided by astronomers and scientists during the first half of the twentieth century.

However, during the field's darkest hours at midcentury, planetary astronomy experienced a dramatic and miraculous rejuvenation, entering an era of solid achievement, mushrooming growth, and spectacular triumphs. Experts credit this unexpected turn of events to the rise of the U.S. space program, in particular the programs beginning in 1958 administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA funds provided both ground-based facilities and spacecraft that made it possible for those scientists to make a series of stunning discoveries.

But, before examining the present, the past must be explored to fully illustrate and understand how times, ways of thinking, and planetary astronomy itself have changed over the millennia.

In Planetary From Ancient Times to the Second Millennium, Ronald A. Schorn presents a firsthand account of the triumphs, tragedies, and fiascos in the field. He covers why the science "fell from grace," presenting both the nonplanetary astronomers' and planetary astronomers' viewpoints. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, direct observation, and extensive documentation to render events with a sense of immediacy and reality, he gives the reader an idea of what situations were like when no one knew the answers.

Schorn's look into the world's oldest science from ancient times to the present offers more than the usual time line of events. This rare "inside" examination will interest readers of space exploration, astronomy, and the history of science.

Genres: Astronomy

416 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Javier Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written from the perspective of a NASA scientist who makes the pains to disentangle the confusion between stellar (astrophysics) and planetary astronomy, the book speaks about the epochal evolution of science since early man and civilization, to its more modern breakthroughs through breathtaking missions of explorations and its attendant discovery and photos of worlds beyond our simple comprehension. Written from the perspective of the late to mid-1990s, many of the questions about the nature and composition of the planets and solar neighborhood are now not only better known, but are also underway through active missions (Pluto's New Horizons, Mars Perseverance Rover, Saturns' Cassini, and many many more. Given the dated nature of the material, one hopes that a revision of the work will reveal what great expeditions and discoveries await us such as James Webb, mans return to stay on the Moon, future trips of Mars, Venus, the Asteroid and Kuiper Belt, and beyond. Very well written, and paced very evenly from beginning to end.