Astronomy for Amateurs

Flammarion, Camille, 1842-1925Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 394K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Astronomy for Amateurs by Camille FlammarionAuthor: Flammarion, Camille, 1842-1925,Language: English, Class: QB: Science: Astronomy, Release Date: Apr 30, 2008

Editor's review

This is a classic introduction to astronomy for general readers. Its author, Camille Flammarion, was a renowned French astronomer and science writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, skilled at fusing observational facts and scientific principles with literary imagination. The book assumes no background in mathematics or physics: it begins with the starry sky visible to the naked eye, the phases of the Moon, and solar and lunar eclipses, then gradually extends to discussions of the planets, the stars, and the structure of the universe. The language is friendly, the metaphors abundant, and the tone strongly of its era. Its value lies not only in the knowledge itself but in the way of seeing it presents—astronomy experienced as everyday wonder: readers learn again to look up, to identify, to question. For today's readers, some data and conclusions have been superseded by modern astronomy, yet the book retains great charm as a model of science writing and as a window onto the history of science. It suits slow reading on quiet nights, comparing the text with the real sky, and can serve as a bridge for young people's science reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Beginning readers curious about the night sky but lacking a foundation in astronomy
Readers who enjoy classical popular-science prose and the context of scientific history
Primary and secondary science teachers looking for extracurricular material
Parents hoping to cultivate a child's interest in observing nature

Not a good fit for

Professional readers seeking the latest astronomical data and cutting-edge conclusions
Learners who prefer rigorous formula derivations and quantitative analysis
Readers expecting abundant modern astronomical photographs

Reading tips

Start with the opening chapters on the starry sky and the phases of the Moon, then go outdoors on a clear night to identify what you have read.
Don't fret over clearly outdated data; mark it in pencil and supplement it with modern sources.
Read one or two chapters a day, keeping notes on the objects you find most interesting to observe.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is the astronomy in this book still accurate today?

The book was written in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its basic observed phenomena and the broad framework of celestial motion still hold, but specific figures, stellar classification, and cosmic scale have been substantially updated by modern astronomy. Read it as a popular-science classic and a document in the history of science, and check its data against modern sources.

Can I read this book if my English isn't strong?

The original is in English, with a literary style and many long sentences, which poses some difficulty for non-native readers. Use a dictionary or a bilingual edition: read first for the general sense, then return to the details. Reading it alongside a Chinese introduction to astronomy can also lower the difficulty.

Do I need a telescope?

No. Much of the book discusses phenomena visible to the naked eye—the phases of the Moon, planetary brightness, meteors, and solar and lunar eclipses—so the naked eye and a willingness to observe are enough to begin. Binoculars are convenient but not necessary for understanding.

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About the author

Flammarion, Camille, 1842-1925 Author

Camille Flammarion (1842–1925) was a renowned French astronomer and popular science writer who devoted his life to bringing astronomy to ordinary readers. Nine of his works are held in this collection, spanning a remarkably wide range: visionary novels set against the cosmos, such as Lumen and Urania; introductory guides like Astronomy for Amateurs; and works on natural and psychic phenomena, including Thunder and Lightning and Mysterious Psychic Forces. His writing often blends scientific fact with philosophical imagination, touching on celestial myths and humanity's ancient imaginings of the sky, and exerted a broad influence on popular science writing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Public information is limited, so biographical details are not elaborated here.