Moore P. Astronomy

Oldbourne Book Co., 1961. — 253 p.Of all the sciences, astronomy has perhaps the greatest popular appeal. There are two main reasons for this. First, it forces itself upon the attention of everyone; who has not been struck by the beauty of a starlit sky? Secondly, it offers plenty of scope for the amateur student, who can make himself really useful to professional workers. It is true that amateur observers are less important than they used to be half a century ago, but there is still a great deal for them to do.Interest has grown still further since the direct exploration of space began in 1957. Within a decade, space-ships have stepped out of fantasy and into fact; few scientists now doubt that the Moon and some of the planets will be reached in the foreseeable future, though it should be remembered that true interplanetary flight is by no means the only aim of space research. Yet I do not believe that the remarkable surge of interest is due primarily to this cause. Astronomy has an appeal all its own, and would continue to do so even if rocketry had never been developed.