Why choose a book?
Books are good places to find in-depth background information on a topic. The books on this page and more can be found in the MCC Library and borrowed for three weeks.
Search the Catalog
Locating books in the library
Astronomy call numbers:
Browse these sections in the library to find books on each topic.
QB1-991 Astronomy
QB1-139 General
QB140-237 Practical and spherical astronomy
QB349-421 Theoretical astronomy and celestial mechanics
QB460-466 Astrophysics
QB495-903 Descriptive astronomy
QB500.5-785 Solar system
QB799-903 Stars
QB980-991 Cosmogony. Cosmology
Books on Astronomy
Astronomy by
An introductory illustrated and comprehensive guide to observing and understanding the night sky.
Call Number: QB44.3 G37 2004ISBN: 155297958XPublication Date: 2004
The Clockwork Universe by
The author presents the true story of a pivotal moment in modern history when a group of strange, tormented geniuses--Isaac Newton chief among them--invented science and remade our understanding of the world.
Call Number: Q127.E8 D65 2011ISBN: 006171951XPublication Date: 2011
Hubble : a journey through space and time by
Marking the twentieth anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope, offers a history of the important scientific tool and includes one hundred classic Hubble images selected by NASA experts, with the twenty most significant accompanied by commentary by noted scientists and veteran astronauts.
Call Number: + QB500.268 .W45 2010ISBN: 9780810989979Publication Date: 2010
Lives of the Planets by
In a sweeping look into the manifold objects inhabiting the depths of space, Lives of the Planets delves into the mythology and the knowledge humanity has built over the ages. Placing our current understanding in historical context, Richard Corfield explores the seismic shifts in planetary astronomy and probes why we must change our perspective of our place in the universe. In our era of extraordinary discovery, this is the first comprehensive survey of this new understanding and the history of how we got here.
Call Number: QB501 .C6618 2007ISBN: 9780465014033Publication Date: 2007
Mapping the Sky by
Outlines the basics of stargazing, from choosing the right telescope to taking photographs of the stars. Discover how to tell a star's magnitude by its color, find the most famous constellations, and more.
Call Number: QB43.3 .H3313 2003ISBN: 202059692XPublication Date: 2003
Once Before Time by
In his introduction to a revolutionary theory of the cosmos, Martin Bojowald shows how the big bang theory may give way to the big bounce theory, which describes our universe as an eternal series of expansions and contractions, with no beginning and no end.
Call Number: QB981 .B684 2010ISBN: 9780307272850Publication Date: 2010
Science: a four thousand year history by
Sweeping through the centuries from ancient Babylon right up to the latest hi-tech experiments in genetics and particle physics, Fara's book also ranges internationally, challenging notions of European superiority by emphasizing the importance of scientific projects based around the world, including revealing discussions of China and the Islamic Empire alongside the more familiar stories about Copernicus's sun-centered astronomy, Newton's gravity, and Darwin's theory of evolution. (Amazon)
Call Number: Q125 .F27 2009ISBN: 9780199226894Publication Date: 2009
Seeing in the Dark by
An accessible, nontechnical invitation to get to know the sky, Seeing in the Dark encourages readers to make the glories of the stars a part of their lives. An appendix includes star charts, observing guides, and tips on how you can get involved with the night sky.
Call Number: QB35 .F49 2002ISBN: 0684865793Publication Date: 2002
Setting Sail for the Universe by
This collection brings together twenty-eight of noted astronomer Donald Fernie's best "Marginalia" columns from American Scientist magazine. Published between 1985 and the present (and updated as necessary), the articles focus on the history of astronomy, bringing to life many of the finest minds who have sought to explain what we observe in the night sky. (Back cover)
Call Number: QB15 .F39 2002ISBN: 0813530881Publication Date: 2002
Famous Astronomers
Copernicus' Secret: how the scientific revolution began by
Nicolaus Copernicus gave the world perhaps the most important scientific insight of the modern age, the theory that the earth and the other planets revolve around the sun. He was also the first to proclaim that the earth rotates on its axis once every twenty-four hours. His theory was truly radical: during his lifetime nearly everyone believed that a perfectly still earth rested in the middle of the cosmos, where all the heavenly bodies revolved around it.
Call Number: QB36.C8 R387 2007ISBN: 9780743289511Publication Date: 2007
Galileo in Rome: the rise and fall of a troublesome genius by
The book offers a fascinating account of the six trips Galileo made to Rome, from his first visit at age 23, as an unemployed mathematician, to his final fateful journey to face the Inquisition. The authors reveal why the theory that the Earth revolves around the Sun, set forth in Galileo's Dialogue, stirred a hornet's nest of theological issues, and they argue that, despite these issues, the Church might have accepted Copernicus if there had been solid proof. (Amazon)
Call Number: QB36.G2 A69 2003ISBN: 0195165985Publication Date: 2003
Galileo by
Unlike previous biographers, Heilbron shows us that Galileo was far more than a mathematician: he was deeply knowledgeable in the arts, an expert on the epic poet Ariosto, a fine lutenist. Galileo changed the world not simply because he revolutionized astronomy, but because he conveyed his discoveries so clearly and crisply that they could not be avoided or denied. (Amazon)
Call Number: GPA QB36.G2 H45 2010ISBN: 9780199583522Publication Date: 2010
Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer by
Unknown to all but a few, Newton was a practicing alchemist who dabbled with the occult, a tortured, obsessive character who searched for an understanding of the universe by whatever means possible. Sympathetic yet balanced, Michael White’s Isaac Newton offers a revelatory picture of Newton as a genius who stood at the point in history where magic ended and science began.
Call Number: QC16.N7 W45 1999ISBN: 073820143XPublication Date: 1999
