This lively and entertaining history of the long struggle to measure the distance to the stars will appeal to general readers as well as to amateur and professional astronomers. Readers will encounter fascinating historical characters, from ancient Greeks to 19th-century scientists. Well illustrated, with contemporary pictures plus extensive notes on further reading. 2002 edition.
Author Biography
Alan W. Hirshfeld, an award-winning astronomer at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, earned his undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Princeton and his Ph.D. in astronomy from Yale. He is a coauthor of "Sky Catalogue 2000.0," a two-volume astronomical reference book, and a past winner of a Griffith Observatory/Hughes Aircraft Company national science writing award. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.
