tailieunhanh - ASTRONOMY OF TO-DAY

The object of this book is to give an account of the science of Astronomy, as it is known at the present day, in a manner acceptable to the general reader. It is too often supposed that it is impossible to acquire any useful knowledge of Astronomy without much laborious study, and without adventuring into quite a new world of thought. The reasoning applied to the study of the celestial orbs is, however, of no different order from that which is employed in the affairs of everyday life. | ASTRONOMY OF TO-DAY The Total Eclipse of the Sun of August 30th 1905. The Corona from a water-colour sketch made at Burgos in Spain during the total phase by the French Artist Mdlle. Andrée Moch. ASTRONOMY OF TO-DAY A POPULAR INTRODUCTION IN NON-TECHNICAL LANGUAGE By CECIL G. DOLMAGE . . . Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society Member of the British Astronomical Association Member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Membre de la Société Astronomique de France Membre de la Société Belge d Astronomie With a Frontispiece in Colour and 45 Illustrations Diagrams THIRD EDITION LONDON SEELEY AND CO. LIMITED 38 Great Russell Street 1910 PREFACE The object of this book is to give an account of the science of Astronomy as it is known at the present day in a manner acceptable to the general reader. It is too often supposed that it is impossible to acquire any useful knowledge of Astronomy without much laborious study and without adventuring into quite a new world of thought. The reasoning applied to the study of the celestial orbs is however of no different order from that which is employed in the affairs of everyday life. The science of mathematics is perhaps responsible for the idea that some kind of difference does exist but mathematical processes are in effect no more than ordinary logic in concentrated form the shorthand of reasoning so to speak. I have attempted in the following pages to take the main facts and theories of Astronomy out of those mathematical forms which repel the general reader and to present them in the ordinary language of our workaday world. The few diagrams introduced are altogether supplementary and are not connected with the text by any wearying cross-references. Each diagram is complete in itself being intended to serve as a pictorial aid in case the wording of the text should not have perfectly conveyed the desired meaning. The full page illustrations are also described as adequately as possible at the foot of each. As to .