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Astronomy · In English · 1886

The Story of the Heavens

A grand tour of the Sun, Moon, planets, comets and stars by the Victorian astronomer Robert Ball, showing what was known in 1886.

50 chapters · about 14 h of reading

Opening the book

Opening the book

How the book begins

Mr. Nasmyth has permitted me to use some of the beautiful drawings of the Moon, which have appeared in the well-known work published by him in conjunction with Mr. Carpenter. To this source I am indebted for Plates VII., VIII., IX., X., and Figs. 28, 29, 30.

Professor Pickering has allowed me to copy some of the drawings made at Harvard College Observatory by Mr. Trouvelot, and I have availed myself of his kindness for Plates I., IV., XII., XV.

I am indebted to Professor Langley for Plate II., to Mr. De la Rue for Plates III. and XIV., to Mr. T.E. Key for Plate XVII., to Professor Schiaparelli for Plate XVIII., to the late Professor C. Piazzi Smyth for Fig. 100, to Mr. Chambers for Fig. 7, which has been borrowed from his "Handbook of Descriptive Astronomy," to Dr. Stoney for Fig. 78, and to Dr. Copeland and Dr. Dreyer for Fig. 72. I have to acknowledge the valuable assistance derived from Professor Newcomb's "Popular Astronomy," and Professor Young's "Sun." In revising the volume I have had the kind aid of the Rev. Maxwell Close.

Contents

  1. 01Opening
  2. 02Chapter I. The Astronomical Observatory
  3. 03Chapter II. The Sun (1/3)
  4. 04Chapter II. The Sun (2/3)
  5. 05Chapter II. The Sun (3/3)
  6. 06Chapter III. The Moon (1/3)
  7. 07Chapter III. The Moon (2/3)
  8. 08Chapter III. The Moon (3/3)
  9. 09Chapter IV. The Solar System
  10. 10Chapter V. The Law of Gravitation (1/2)
  11. 11Chapter V. The Law of Gravitation (2/2)
  12. 12Chapter VI. The Planet of Romance
  13. 13Chapter VII. Mercury
  14. 14Chapter VIII. Venus (1/2)
  15. 15Chapter VIII. Venus (2/2)
  16. 16Chapter IX. The Earth
  17. 17Chapter X. Mars (1/2)
  18. 18Chapter X. Mars (2/2)
  19. 19Chapter XI. The Minor Planets
  20. 20Chapter XII. Jupiter (1/2)
  21. 21Chapter XII. Jupiter (2/2)
  22. 22Chapter XIII. Saturn (1/2)
  23. 23Chapter XIII. Saturn (2/2)
  24. 24Chapter XIV. Uranus
  25. 25Chapter XV. Neptune (1/2)
  26. 26Chapter XV. Neptune (2/2)
  27. 27Chapter XVI. Comets (1/3)
  28. 28Chapter XVI. Comets (2/3)
  29. 29Chapter XVI. Comets (3/3)
  30. 30Chapter XVII. Shooting Stars (1/3)
  31. 31Chapter XVII. Shooting Stars (2/3)
  32. 32Chapter XVII. Shooting Stars (3/3)
  33. 33Chapter XVIII. The Starry Heavens
  34. 34Chapter XIX. The Distant Suns
  35. 35Chapter XX. Double Stars
  36. 36Chapter XXI. The Distances of the Stars (1/2)
  37. 37Chapter XXI. The Distances of the Stars (2/2)
  38. 38Chapter XXII. Star Clusters and Nebulae
  39. 39Chapter XXIII. The Physical Nature of the Stars
  40. 40Chapter XXIV. The Precession and Nutation of the Earth's Axis
  41. 41Chapter XXV. The Aberration of Light
  42. 42Chapter XXVI. The Astronomical Significance of Heat (1/2)
  43. 43Chapter XXVI. The Astronomical Significance of Heat (2/2)
  44. 44Chapter XXVII. The Tides.[44] (1/3)
  45. 45Chapter XXVII. The Tides.[44] (2/3)
  46. 46Chapter XXVII. The Tides.[44] (3/3)
  47. 47C Cadmium in the Sun, 50
  48. 48I Iapetus, 559
  49. 49L
  50. 50V Variable Stars, 429

About this edition

Public domain: the author died in 1913, more than seventy years ago, and the book was first published in 1886. It is free to read, copy and share in the EU, Russia and the United States.

We removed the source's wrapper, rejoined the lines and split the book into chapters. The words are the author's.

Source text