Featured Titles at H.G. Thode Library
Totality: Eclipses of the Sun
"Totality: Eclipses of the Sun is a well-established guide and reference book on solar eclipses. It explains how to observe them; how to photograph and videotape them; why they occur; their history and mythology; and future eclipses - when and where to see them. [It] tells the remarkable story of how eclipses shocked scientists, revealed the workings of the Sun, and made Einstein famous."-- Book Jacket
The Day the World Discovered the Sun: An Extraordinary Story of Scientific Adventure and the Race to Track the Transit of Venus
On June 3, 1769, the planet Venus briefly passed across the face of the sun in a cosmic alignment that occurs twice per century. Anticipation of the rare celestial event sparked a worldwide competition among aspiring global superpowers, each sending their own scientific expeditions to far-flung destinations to time the planet's trek. These pioneers used the "Venus Transit" to discover the physical dimensions of the solar system and refine the methods of discovering longitudeat sea. In this fast-paced narrative, Mark Anderson reveals the stories of three Venus Transit voyages--to the heart of the Arctic, the New World, and the Pacific--that risked every mortal peril of a candlelit age. With time running out, each expedition struggles to reach its destination--a quest that races to an unforgettable climax on a momentous summer day when the universe suddenly became much larger than anyone had dared to imagine.
Archives of the Universe: A Treasury of Astronomy's Historic Works of Discovery
“Astronomy is one of the most vibrant and fast-advancing of modern sciences, but it is also a science with ancient roots. This book offers a unique chance to follow, with an expert guide, the key steps that have led to our current understanding of the cosmos. Marcia Bartusiak offers general readers a lucid commentary on a comprehensive and well-chosen anthology of scientific highlights.” --Martin Rees, professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Cambridge University
Atlas of Historical Eclipse Maps: East Asia 1500 BC -- AD 1900
This 1986 book presents a series of computer-drawn maps and tables for all total and annular eclipses of the Sun calculated to have been observable in East Asia in the 3400 years from 1500 BC to AD 1900. The study of past eclipses is a useful tool in both geophysics and chronology, for example in determining the long-term behaviour of the Earth's rate of rotation. The eclipses of the Sun that occurred in East Asia - notably in China, Korea and Japan - are particularly useful because numerous reliable written records of them are extant.
Chronology of Eclipses and Comets AD 1-1000
Eclipses and comets can now be precisely dated and are therefore an invaluable aid in checking the chronology of historical records. This study covers the whole world and provides a list of eclipses and comets century by century.
The Sky: Mystery, Magic, and Myth
A collection of myths, stories and folklore about the sky.