TITLE : Cosmic Vistas - A Popular History of Astronomy
AUTHOR : Biman Basu
PUBLISHER : National Book Trust, New Delhi
YEAR : 2002
ISBN : 81-237-3942-7
GENRE : PopUlar Science
PAGES : vii + 131 pages, colour plates
FORMAT : Scanned PDF with bookmarks & covers.
CONTENTS :
Acknowledgements vii
Preface ix
1. In the Beginning 1
2. Patterns in the Stars 7
3. Vedic Concepts 15
4. Earth at the Centre 21
5. Place of the Sun 28
6. Planetary Paths 36
7. Beyond the Eye 44
8. Newton's Genius 53
9. Einstein's Universe 63
10. Amazing Reflectors 71
11. The Radio Sky 80
12. View from Space 93
13. Planetary Worlds 105
14. Measuring the Cosmos 115
The Nakshatras 125
Recommended Reading 127
Index 129
ABOUT THE BOOK : With advancements in observation techniques over the
millennia, mankind's ideas about the cosmos have
changed dramatically. Beginning with naked eye
observation of the ancient astronomers, observation
techniques have progressed dramatically with the
invention of the optical telescope, radio telescope, and
telescopes capable of "observing the cosmos in X-ray and
gamma ray wavelengths. This book presents the exciting
story of the unravelling of the cosmos, beginning with
ancient ideas to the most recent findings made, using
the latest technological tools.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Winner of the 1994 NCSTC National Award for best
science and technology coverage in the mass media,
Biman Basu has been engaged in science popularisation
through print and electronic media for more than threeand-
a-half decades. An M.Sc. in Chemistry from the
University of Delhi, he taught Chemistry at Hans Raj
College before joining the Council of Scientific &
Industrial Research. He edited the popular science
monthly, Science Reporter and has written more than 10
popular science books, of which three, The Story of Man
(1997), Joy of Starwatching (1999), and Marching Ahead with
Science (2001) have been published by NBT.
