Tsunesaburo Okada. “A solar eclipse, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for 101 years.” July 1887, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, www.nao.ac.jp/en/gallery/weekly/2013/20131029-eclipse.html
infographic by Sir Aqui.
Eclipse -- Journeys to the Dark Side of the Moon by
On 21 August 2017, over 100 million people will gather in a narrow belt across the USA to witness the most watched total solar eclipse in history. Eclipse - Journeys to the Dark Side of the Moon, written by the widely read popular science author Frank Close, describes the spellbinding allure of this most beautiful natural phenomenon. The book explains why eclipses happen, reveals their role in history, literature and myth, and focuses on eclipse chasers, who travelwith ecstatic fervour to some of the most inaccessible places on the globe to be present at the moment of totality. The book includes the author's quest to solve a 3000 years old mystery: how did the moon move backwards during a total solar eclipse, as claimed in the Book of Joshua?It is an inspirational tale: how a teacher and an eclipse inspired the author, aged eight, to a life in science, and a love affair with eclipses, which takes him to a war zone in the Western Sahara, to the South Pacific and the African bush. The tale comes full circle with another eight-year old boy - the author's grandson - at the 2017 great American eclipse. Readers of all ages will be drawn to this inspirational chronicle of the mesmerizing experience of total solar eclipse.
In the Shadow of the Moon : the science, magic, and mystery of solar eclipses by
From an award-winning author, astronomer, and anthropologist, an exploration of the scientific and cultural significance of the mesmerizing cosmic display. Since the first humans looked up and saw the sun swallowed by darkness, our species has been captivated by solar eclipses. Astronomer and anthropologist Anthony Aveni explains the history and culture surrounding solar eclipses, from prehistoric Stonehenge to Babylonian creation myths, to a confirmation of Einstein's theory of general relativity, to a spectacle that left New York City in the moon's shadow, to future eclipses that will capture human imaginations. In one accessible and engaging read, Aveni explains the science behind the phenomenon, tracks eclipses across the ancient world, and examines the roles of solar eclipses in modern times to reveal the profound effects these cosmic events have had on human history. Colored by his own experiences--Aveni has witnessed eight total solar eclipses in his lifetime--his account of astronomy's most storied phenomenon will enthrall anyone who has looked up at the sky with wonder. "Aveni's authoritative but accessible text is the clearest statement of the way our perception of eclipses has changed over the centuries." --Stuart Clark, New Scientist "Authoritative and engaging." --Marcelo Gleiser, NPR's 13.7 "A recommended way to share the spirit of the occasion." --Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History magazine "Everything you need to enjoy a solar eclipse--and even predict one, just like the Babylonians did! Aveni's entertaining explorations show the very different impacts eclipses have had on past and present cultures." --David DeVorkin, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Total Eclipses of the Sun by
Eclipses have captured attention and sparked curiosity about the cosmos since the first appearance of humankind. Having been blamed for everything from natural disasters to the fall of kings, they are now invaluable tools for understanding many celestial as well as terrestrial phenomena. This clear, easy-to-understand guide explains what causes total eclipses and how they can be used in experiments to examine everything from the dust between the planets to general relativity. A new chapter has been added on the eclipse of July 11, 1991 (the great Hawaiian eclipse). Originally published in 1995. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Totality: the Great American Eclipses of 2017 And 2024 by
Totality: The Great American Eclipses is a complete guide to the most stunning of celestial sights, total eclipses of the Sun. It focuses on the eclipses of August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024 that pass across the United States. The U.S. mainland has not experienced a total solar eclipse since 1979. This book provides information, photographs, and illustrations to help the public understand and safely enjoy all aspects of these eclipses including how to observe a total eclipse of the Sun, how to photograph and video record an eclipse, why solar eclipses happen, and more.
Your Guide to the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse by
In this book Astronomy Magazine editor Michael Bakich presents all the information you'll need to be ready for the total solar eclipse that will cross the United States on August 21, 2017. In this one resource you'll find out where the eclipse will occur, how to observe it safely, what you'll experience during the eclipse, the best equipment to choose, how to photograph the event, detailed weather forecasts for locations where the Moon's shadow will fall, and much more. Written in easy-to-understand language (and with a glossary for those few terms you may not be familiar with), this is the must-have reference for this unique occurrence. It's not a stretch to say that this eclipse will prove to be the most viewed sky event in history. That's why even now, more than a year before the eclipse, astronomy clubs, government agencies, cities -- even whole states -- are preparing for the unprecedented onslaught of visitors whose only desire is to experience darkness at midday. Bakich informs observers what anyone will need to observe, enjoy, and understand this event.
David Levy's Guide to Eclipses, Transits, and Occultations by
Purifying Empire explores the material, cultural and moral fragmentation of the boundaries of imperial and colonial rule in the British Empire in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It charts how a particular bio-political project, namely the drive to regulate the obscene in late nineteenth-century Britain, was transformed from a national into a global and imperial venture and then re-localized in two different colonial contexts, India and Australia, to serve decidedly different ends. While a considerable body of work has demonstrated both the role of empire in shaping moral regulatory projects in Britain and their adaptation, transformation and, at times, rejection in colonial contexts, this book illustrates that it is in fact only through a comparative and transnational framework that it is possible to elucidate both the temporalist nature of colonialism and the political, racial and moral contradictions that sustained imperial and colonial regimes.
