Astronomy and Culture

by Edith W. Hetherington, Norriss S. Hetherington

Overview

While astronomy is a burgeoning science, with tremendous increases in knowledge every year, it also has a tremendous past, one that has altered humanity's understanding of our place in the universe. The impact of astronomy on culture - whether through myths and stories, or through challenges to the intellectual status quo - is incalculable. This volume in the Greenwood Guides to the Universe series examines how human cultures, in all regions and time periods, have tried to make sense of the wonders of the universe. Astronomy and Culture shows students how people throughout time have struggled with the complexities apparent in the night sky, complexities that modern science has only just begun to understand.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313345364
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/20/2009
Series:	Greenwood Guides to the Universe
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

EDITH W. HETHERINGTON has a PhD degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and has taught English and English as a second language at several schools, including Razi University in Iran. More recently, she was admitted to the California Bar, and now is the Export Compliance Officer for Chevron Information Technology Company. She has traveled widely in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and has a first hand acquaintanceship with many of the places mentioned in this book as well as their art and literature.

NORRISS S. HETHERINGTON is the director of the Institute for the History of Astronomy and a Visiting Scholar with the Office for the History of Science and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of several books, including Planetary Motions: A Historical Perspective (Greenwood Guides to Great Ideas in Science, 2006). He was a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow in Studies in Interrelationships between Human Values and Science and Technology.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword ix

Preface xi

1 Archaeoastronomy 1

2 Mythology 15

3 Babylonian Astronomy and Culture 41

4 p in the Sky 49

5 Calendars 69

6 The Copernican Revolution 95

7 Extraterrestrial Life and Science Fiction 107

8 Breaking the Circle 131

9 The Newtonian Revolution 149

10 Astronomy and Religion 161

Epilogue 179

Glossary 187

Annotated Bibliography 203

Index 215

Editorial Reviews

"Although slender, this cultural studies guide offers a vibrant outline of astronomy’s influence on a variety of societies, from the enigmatic Celtics onward. Independent scholar Edith Hetherington and author Norriss Hetherington (Planetary Motions) divide the book into ten themed chapters, covering subjects as complex and divergent as ancient archaeoastronomy and astronomy’s embattled relationship with religion. ...this highly accessible, engaging read is ideal for curious laypeople. Moreover, it is the only astronomy reference to offer such a broad subject survey, expanding its scope beyond a single culture or time period." - Library Journal

"This book introduces the discipline of archaeoastronomy to students and scholars by reviewing ancient mythologies about the universe, revealing Babylonian concepts of astronomy, charting the development of calendars and documenting the Copernican and Newtonian Revolutions. The authors also discuss the precarious relationship between religion and astronomy such as the debate between creationism and evolution." - Reference & Research Book News

"When a book crosses disciplines it is important to have quality collaboration. This combination of an English scholar and an astronomer makes science accessible and accurate." - ARBAonline

"Astronomy and Culture is a book of exceptional breadth. . . . The book's cultural approach could fill a void in available resources on the history of astronomy for undergraduates, who could benefit from the annotated bibliography and the recommended reading for each chapter. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; general readers." - Choice

From the Publisher

Although slender, this cultural studies guide offers a vibrant outline of astronomy's influence on a variety of societies, from the enigmatic Celtics onward. Independent scholar Edith Hetherington and author Norriss Hetherington (Planetary Motions) divide the book into ten themed chapters, covering subjects as complex and divergent as ancient archaeoastronomy and astronomy's embattled relationship with religion. Although it may lack the scholarly rigor required by researchers, this highly accessible, engaging read is ideal for curious laypeople. Moreover, it is the only astronomy reference to offer such a broad subject survey, expanding its scope beyond a single culture or time period.

Library Journal