Look inside ...    This Wonderful Universe by Agnes Giberne A delightful introduction to the science of astronomy, starting with what can be viewed directly from our location on Earth. In due course, the reader becomes familiar with the moon, the sun, and the planets in our solar system, the meteors and comets that visit us from outer space, as well as the stars and nebulae that reside in outer space. As much as possible, the author puts the reader in the role of discoverer: what can be observed and what can be deduced from the observation. She regularly relates stories of the scientists that made the first discoveries and developed theories to explain their observations. For those who hesitate to read a 100 year-old science book, consider that the author is a master of crafting explanations that engage her audience, sometimes using both illustrations and text to drive home a point. Poetry selections from modern poets and those of bygone eras are included throughout. "It is always interesting to note," says the author, "the manner in which great scientific truths are received by widely differing minds, gifted with poetic insight." A wondrous universe indeed! Furthermore, the author always allows for the possibility that new discoveries may change our thinking. That is just as true today as it was when this book was first published a century ago. Readers with a firm grasp of the historical background may well be eager to investigate on their own what new developments have come to light in the last century.  Ages 13-18 243 pages $14.95

Table of Contents

Front Matter

A Rapid Whirl
Heavenly Bodies
The Shape of Our Earth
Groups of Stars
How To Know the Stars
Some Other Worlds
Our Placid Companion
In Strong Contrast
Sizes and Distances
Air and Water
Mountains and Craters
Day and Night
Cooling Bodies
The Pathway of Venus
Possible Climates
What We See of Mars
Two Little Moons
Canals and Marshes
Is Mars Inhabited?
Little and Great
Still Rather Warm
Is Jupiter Inhabited?
A Wondrous Planet
Mutual Influences
The Power of Attraction
Rough Ore of the Universe
A Reduced Scale
Angles and Triangles
But—the Stars?
One among Many
The Sun's Make
Spots and "Flames"
Suns and Their Planets
Varieties of Stars
Small Wavelets
The Nature of Light
History in Starlight
A General Whirl
Star-Clusters and Nebulae
Far-Reaching!
Immensity—and Man

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