about the book
Minding The Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way
This fully updated second edition of Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way explores how we learned that we live in a galaxy, in a universe composed of galaxies and unseen, mysterious dark matter. The story unfolds through short biographies of seven astronomers: Thomas Wright, William Herschel, and Wilhelm Struve of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; the transitional figure of William Huggins; and Jacobus Kapteyn, Harlow Shapley, and Edwin Hubble of the modern, big-telescope era. Each contributed key insights to our present understanding of where we live in the cosmos, and each was directly inspired by the work of his predecessors to decipher “the construction of the heavens.” Along the way, the narrative weaves in the contributions of those in supportive roles, including Caroline Herschel--William’s sister, and the first woman paid to do astronomy; Margaret Huggins, who played a key role in getting her husband to use photography; and Martha Shapley, a mathematician in her own right who carried out calculations for her spouse.
Through this historical perspective, readers will gain a new appreciation of our magnificent Milky Way galaxy and of the beauties of the night sky, from ghostly nebulae to sparkling star clusters.
Fully updated to reflect the latest in our understanding of the Milky Way, from our central supermassive black hole to the prospect of future mergers with other galaxies in our Local Group.
Explains the significance of current research, including from the Gaia mission mapping our galaxy in unprecedented detail.
A biographical framework and ample illustrations lead the reader by easy, enjoyable steps to a well-rounded understanding of the history of astronomy.
Praise for the First Edition
"The book is extremely good. It treats the subject matter in an unusual way and I learned a good deal from it! There are dozens of books about Herschel and Hubble, but not Wright or Kapteyn, and all the way through the author has unearthed little-known facts. The result is an engrossing picture of the way in which our knowledge of the Milky Way has been built up. The text is very authoritative and easy to read, it will appeal to both newcomers and specialists. The material has been well chosen. I have not the slightest hesitation in recommending the book...."
The late Sir Patrick Moore, astronomer and presenter of BBC TV’s “The Sky at Night”
"In this interesting and well-written book, Belkora traces the evolution of our concepts by highlighting the careers of seven scientists who made fundamental contributions to the study of the Milky Way. The survey chapters at the beginning and end of the book are helpful in describing why Belkora focused on these particular individuals and in presenting the current view of the Milky Way. The chapters on the scientists offer a stimulating blend of scientific endeavor and personal idiosyncrasies, leaving readers with a deep sense of the scientists and their times. A popular overview of the development of a critical component of modern astronomy . . . Highly recommended."
D.E. Hogg, National Radio Astronomy Observatory in CHOICE, May 2003
"A terrific blend of the science and the history."
Martha Haynes, Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University
"Crisp and precise in conveying astronomical information... a helpful and refreshing account of what is out there and, more particularly, how we have come to find out about it."
Colin Cooke, The Observatory Magazine
"This gem of a book guides the reader on a journey of discovery; the realisation that we live in a vast star city, an island universe called the Milky Way, which is in turn only one of countless galaxies which inhabit the universe ... She gives a wealth of detail, in the most accessible language ... I have no hesitation in recommending 'Minding the Heavens' to all those, both students and tutors alike, interested in the history ot astronomy and in particular the discovery of our Milky Way ... This book is a proud addition to my library.”
Dr Kevin P Marshall, lecturer with the University of Cambridge's Inst of Continuing Eduation
"The book is easy to understand, full of little known facts about the astronomers and their personal lives, peppered with quotes from their personal journals. Everyone will learn something in this mixture of science and history, which Belkora does really well. She knows her stuff, and plies it well with relevant illustrations and well-described colour plates."
Sharon Hough, member of Astronomy Ireland
" . . . Ripping good stories of how parallaxes were first measured, the gaseous nature of some of the nebulae demonstrated, existence of other galaxies proven, and much else."
Virginia Trimble, UC-Irvine and University of Maryland, History of Physics Newsletter, Volume IX, No. 1
"An easily read collection of histories of key astronomers who contributed to our understanding of our galaxy....Filled with illustrations and color plates that are explained in detail and in relation to the text, the book is a treat. Minding the Heavens is not a book for beginning astronomers to learn about our galaxy. Rather, it is akin to a series of good home movies that show us how we came to know our galaxy."
Peter Hepburn, E-Streams