A01=Thomas A Hockey
amateur astronomers
Astronomical Telescope
Astronomical Unit
Author_Thomas A Hockey
British Astronomical Association
Category=PDX
Category=PGG
Category=PGS
Central Meridian
Convective Source
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_science
Equatorial Belt
Equatorial Zone
Galileo spacecraft
gas giant research
Giant planet
Great Red Spot
historical astronomy
Hubble Space Telescope Image
Jovian Atmosphere
Jovian system studies
Jupiter's Atmosphere
Jupiter’s Atmosphere
Monthly Notices
Northern Belt
Permanent Spot
Planet Jupiter
Planetary Astronomy
Planetary Disc
Planetary Rotation
planetary science
pre-photography planetary observation
Rotation Period
SEB
Sky
Solar system
South Limb
STB
STZ
telescopic observation
Terrestrial Planets
White Ovals
Product details
- ISBN 9780750304481
- Weight: 566g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 01 Jan 1998
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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Since the earliest times one of the brightest lights in the heavens has been that of Jupiter, mythical king of the gods and the largest planet in the solar system. It was only natural that peoples from the dawn of history would be interested in such a planet and, indeed, Jupiter was one of the first objects to be observed with the telescope. Even today Jupiter captures the public interest like no other planet: a vast gaseous world, home to violent storms (larger than the Earth) that have raged for centuries.
Galileo's Planet: Observing Jupiter before Photography presents the history of humankind's quest to understand the giant planet in the era before photography, a time when the only way to observe the universe was with the human eye. The book provides a comprehensive and fascinating account of the people involved in this quest, their observations, and the results of their findings.
Many of the planetary features studied in detail by today's space probes were once glimpsed by keen-eyed, amateur astronomers. These Earth-bound explorers made up for their modest instruments and viewing conditions with their patience, perseverance, and passion for the night sky. Their greatest challenge was the fifth planet from the Sun and the search for its imagined surface-a revelation of the "real Jupiter." In the process, these part-time observers redefined the meaning of the word "planet." The book recounts their story from the earliest times right up until the invention of the camera.
