Sky and Ocean Joined: The US Naval Observatory 1830–2000 1st Edition

by Steven J. Dick (Author)

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ISBN-13: 978-0521037501

ISBN-10: 0521037506

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This volume is, first and foremost, a story of the relations between space, time and navigation, from the rise of the chronometer in the U.S. to the Global Positioning System of satellites, for which the Naval Observatory provides the time to a billionth of a second per day. It is a story of the history of technology, in the form of telescopes, lenses, detectors, calculators, clocks and computers over 170 years. It describes how one scientific institution under government and military patronage has contributed, through all the vagaries of history, to almost two centuries of unparalleled progress in astronomy.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an historical tour-de-force, and I thoroughly recommend it to everyone interested in U.S. astronomical history, positional astronomy, national observatories, naval history, navigation, time-keeping, or the conflict involving civilian and military control of science." Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage

"It provides insight for scholars and general readers interested in naval history and navigation, timekeeping, positional astronomy, and celestial mechanics, and it charts the relationship between astronomy and astrophysics, the rise of national observatories and military patronage." Bulletin of Science Technology and Society

"An amazingly comprehensive and detailed history of the oldest major astronomical observatory in the United States, this excellent book offers mature readers fascinating stories of scientific discoveries (e.g. of the moons of Mars and Pluto), technological developments (e.g. from mechanical clocks working before there were any time zones to today's satellites that provide nanaosecond accuracies worldwide), and personal and political struggles (both governmental and institutional)." Science Books & Films

"Sky and Ocean Joined is quite well written and will certainly appeal to historians of science and technology, as well as naval enthusiasts, physicists, and anyone generally interested in astronomy." Stardust

"Extensively researched over 15 years, this book is well written and well documented with footnotes, select bibliographic essays, appendixes, and indexes. Recommended." Choice

"Sky and Ocean Joined is an outstanding book." Technology and Culture, Robert W. Smith

Book Description

A colourful history of 170 years of scientific discovery at the United States Naval Observatory.

Publisher : Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2007)
Language : English
Paperback : 624 pages
ISBN-10 : 0521037506
ISBN-13 : 978-0521037501
Item Weight : 2.17 pounds
Dimensions : 6.7 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,847,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,673 in Astronomy & Astrophysics
- #4,322 in History of Engineering & Technology
- #8,718 in History of Technology

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Douglas A. O'HANDLEY

Must read as an astronomer

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2002

This is a masterful compilation of the history of the oldest scientific institution of the United States. The perspectives of Dr. Dick were thoughtful and very interesting. Many of the realtionships of the past half century were interesting when viewed from the point of view of today. Many decisions made during the reviewer's tenure at this institution did not strike one at the time as being made with a lot of consideration. From Dr. Dick's review many of them now make a lot more sense in the context of history. They were made by people who had a lot of expertise and a great deal of vision.

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