Accidental Astronomy:How Random Discoveries Shape the Science of Space

by: Chris Lintott (Author)

Publisher: Basic Books

Publication Date: 2024/6/11

Language: English

Print Length: 320 pages

ISBN-10: 1541605411

ISBN-13: 9781541605411

Book Description

A "riveting real-life Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (The Telegraph) and "whirlwind tour of wondrous celestial phenomena" (The Idler) shows why so much of astronomy comes down to looking up and lucking out If you lea about the scientific method, you lea that first we hypothesize about something we’ve experienced, and then we look for more of it. This works well enough—but what if you are interested in studying a heretofore unknown comet or supeova? That is the essential problem of the astronomer:the most important discoveries happen without notice!      Indeed, as Chris Lintott argues in Accidental Astronomy, luck defines astronomy. Lintott explores the ways in which happenstance shapes how we investigate the sky. To catch a glimpse of a comet, asteroid, or even a sign of alien life, we must be in the right place at the right time. And if we can’t be there, we must have a team of professionals and amateurs, across the globe, ready to spring into action at a moment’s—or a night’s—notice. For any astronomer, regardless of their experience or resources, the first step to discovery is the same:to stare at the sky and wait.      A celebration of astronomy, stargazing, and cosmic discovery, Accidental Astronomy offers an irresistible window into how luck defines our knowledge of the skies.

About the Author

A "riveting real-life Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (The Telegraph) and "whirlwind tour of wondrous celestial phenomena" (The Idler) shows why so much of astronomy comes down to looking up and lucking out If you lea about the scientific method, you lea that first we hypothesize about something we’ve experienced, and then we look for more of it. This works well enough—but what if you are interested in studying a heretofore unknown comet or supeova? That is the essential problem of the astronomer:the most important discoveries happen without notice!      Indeed, as Chris Lintott argues in Accidental Astronomy, luck defines astronomy. Lintott explores the ways in which happenstance shapes how we investigate the sky. To catch a glimpse of a comet, asteroid, or even a sign of alien life, we must be in the right place at the right time. And if we can’t be there, we must have a team of professionals and amateurs, across the globe, ready to spring into action at a moment’s—or a night’s—notice. For any astronomer, regardless of their experience or resources, the first step to discovery is the same:to stare at the sky and wait.      A celebration of astronomy, stargazing, and cosmic discovery, Accidental Astronomy offers an irresistible window into how luck defines our knowledge of the skies.