The Project Gutenberg EBook of Side-lights on Astronomy and Kindred Fields
of Popular Science, by Simon Newcomb

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Title: Side-lights on Astronomy and Kindred Fields of Popular Science

Author: Simon Newcomb

Posting Date: June 13, 2009 [EBook #4065]
Release Date: May, 2003
First Posted: October 30, 2001

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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SIDE-LIGHTS ON ASTRONOMY

AND KINDRED FIELDS OF POPULAR SCIENCE

ESSAYS AND ADDRESSES

BY

SIMON NEWCOMB

CONTENTS

PREFACE

I. THE UNSOLVED PROBLEMS OF ASTRONOMY
II. THE NEW PROBLEMS OF THE UNIVERSE
III. THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE
IV. THE EXTENT OF THE UNIVERSE
V. MAKING AND USING A TELESCOPE
VI. WHAT THE ASTRONOMERS ARE DOING
VII. LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
VIII. HOW THE PLANETS ARE WEIGHED
IX. THE MARINER'S COMPASS
X. THE FAIRYLAND OF GEOMETRY
XI. THE ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
XII. CAN WE MAKE IT RAIN?
XIII. THE ASTRONOMICAL EPHEMERIS AND NAUTICAL ALMANAC
XIV. THE WORLD'S DEBT TO ASTRONOMY
XV. AN ASTRONOMICAL FRIENDSHIP
XVI. THE EVOLUTION OF THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATOR
XVII. THE EVOLUTION OF ASTRONOMICAL KNOWLEDGE
XVIII. ASPECTS OF AMERICAN ASTRONOMY
XIX. THE UNIVERSE AS AN ORGANISM
XX. THE RELATION OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD TO SOCIAL PROGRESS
XXI. THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FLYING-MACHINE

ILLUSTRATIONS

SIMON NEWCOMB

PHOTOGRAPH OF THE CORONA OF THE SUN, TAKEN IN TRIPOLI DURING TOTAL
ECLIPSE OF AUGUST 30, 1905.

A TYPICAL STAR CLUSTER-CENTAURI

THE GLASS DISK

THE OPTICIAN'S TOOL

THE OPTICIAN'S TOOL

GRINDING A LARGE LENS

IMAGE OF CANDLE-FLAME IN OBJECT-GLASS

TESTING ADJUSTMENT OF OBJECT-GLASS

A VERY PRIMITIVE MOUNTING FOR A TELESCOPE

THE HUYGHENIAN EYE-PIECE

SECTION OF THE PRIMITIVE MOUNTING

SPECTRAL IMAGES OF STARS, THE UPPER LINE SHOWING HOW THEY APPEAR WITH
THE EYE-PIECE PUSHED IN, THE LOWER WITH THE EYE-PIECE DRAWN OUT

THE GREAT REFRACTOR OF THE NATIONAL OBSERVATORY