The Haunted Observatory: Curiosities from the Astronomer's Cabinet [Hardcover]

Richard Baum (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1591025125 | ISBN-13: 978-1591025122 | Publication Date: August 16, 2007

For many centuries observers of the night sky interpreted the moving planets and the surrounding starry realms in terms of concentric crystalline spheres, in the centre of which hung the Earth - the hub of creation. But with the discoveries of Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton, astronomers were suddenly struck by a momentous truth: the solar system was neither small nor intimate, but extended an unfathomable distance toward countless even more distant stars. The endless possibilities of these astounding developments fired scientists' imaginations, leading both to further discoveries and to flights of fancy. While newly discovered facts are important and interesting, the quaint curiosities and spectral "ghosts" that led scientists astray have a fascination of their own. This is the subject of astronomer Richard Baum in this elegant narrative about the mysteries and wonders of celestial exploration. The fabled "mountains of Venus", a "city in the moon", ghostly rings around Uranus and Neptune, bright inexplicable objects seen near the sun, and the truth behind Coleridge's "Star dogged Moon" in his famous poem about the Ancient Mariner - these are just some of the intriguing twists and turns that astronomers took while investigating our starry neighbors. Baum vividly conveys the romance of astronomy at a time when the vistas of outer space were a new frontier and astronomers, guided only by imagination and analogy, set forth on uncharted seas and were haunted for a lifetime by marvels both seen and imagined.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In every field of scientific research, fitful progress is the norm, and comes only after numerous dead ends, backtrackings and wild goose chases that make up "the flotsam and jetsom of scientific advance"; Baum, a British astronomer and author (In Search of Planet Vulcan, with William Sheehan), has put together a fascinating collection of this outmoded ephemera in this alternate history of science, populated by the famous and the forgotten. Each chapter tackles a different story, for instance Herschel's discovery of Uranus (an inspiration for many Enlightenment gentlemen) and the establishment of the first modern observatory, in 1781, by astronomer Johann Schroter in 1781 (a poignant story of discovery and war). Baum helps contemporary readers understand why observations were interpreted as they were, and how centuries-old records still have value today, but he doesn't make it easy: his prose can be convoluted, and long passages describing observational data are difficult to follow. Still, for amateur and professional astronomers, and those interested in the history of science, the gems contained here are worth the effort.
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Review

"...provides a rare treat for the patient reader...[a] well-told tale...Perhaps the biggest thing this book contributes is its efforts to build a desire on the part of readers to go look at the night sky for themselves. And surely that is worth a lot." -- Science Books & Films, April 1, 2008.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (August 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591025125
• ISBN-13: 978-1591025122
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, Wonderful Information., December 23, 2007

By 

Nelson E. Dahl - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Haunted Observatory: Curiosities from the Astronomer's Cabinet (Hardcover)

This is a truly excellent book, an amazingly fascinating 'read' for anyone
interested in astronomy. The book moves right along in an enjoyable way and provides an excellent insight to many areas of astonomy and astonomers that otherwise would be unknown. Well worth the modest price and highly enjoyable!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid exploration recommended both for general-interest and school collections., March 4, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haunted Observatory: Curiosities from the Astronomer's Cabinet (Hardcover)

Major astronomical discoveries have their histories in many popular books for lay readers - but what about oddities and spectral 'ghosts' that have led scientists to different conclusions over the decades? Astronomer Richard Baum provides a lively survey of these wonders and ideas in The Haunted Observatory: Curiosities from the Astronomer's Cabinet, from the legendary 'mountains of Venus' to strange objects seen near the sun. These legends, speculations and science ideas which proved faulty are as intriguing as the astronomical theories which stood the test of time, and provide both college-level students of astronomy and lay readers alike with a vivid exploration recommended both for general-interest and school collections.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious Astronomical Observations in Recent Centuries, August 21, 2009

By 

G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Haunted Observatory: Curiosities from the Astronomer's Cabinet (Hardcover)

In pushing back the frontiers in any science, many phenomena may be observed that are difficult to explain in light of contemporary thought. Also, instruments that are used are often pushed beyond their specified limits such that the data obtained could be interpreted a bit too subjectively, and thus perhaps differently by different researchers. Astronomy is no exception. In this intriguing book, that spans the last few centuries, the author recounts several such instances - certain astronomical observations were made but were very difficult to correctly interpret at the time. Examples include: apparent polar ice caps on Venus, a possible ring observed around Neptune, the search for moons in orbit around our moon, occasional comet-like features of Venus, etc. The writing style is clear, authoritative, quite detailed, often technical yet frequently quite engaging. Direct quotations from the individuals involved are quite numerous throughout. The book is composed of a series of essays, earlier versions of some being published in 1973. Because of its rather technical nature (i.e., astronomical jargon, celestial coordinates, etc.), this book is likely to be appreciated the most by astronomers (armchair, amateur and professional), as well as science buffs; however, general readers can learn much from this book without dwelling too much on the nitty-gritty details. A short but useful glossary of technical terms is included.