Movember, Guy Fawkes' Night, and Kepler (the satellite)

It's November! This means two seasonal things, and there's been a bonus for astronomy this month as well.

Movember has inspired pictures all over social media of the suitably bewhiskered, so it seems churlish not to participate. Here we have a nice comparison picture; on the left is Kepler, and on the right is his sometime employer/mentor/sparring-partner, Tycho. Which do you think had the finer facial hair?

Of course, the night sky was also lit up on the fifth with celebrations of Bonfire Night, a.k.a. Guy Fawkes' Night. At least one astronomer was caught up in the aftermath, when many suspicious characters were rounded up and questioned: you can read all about Thomas Harriot by clicking the link. Partly, he was caught up in the wake of his patron, a local lad (to me), the Wizard Earl of Northumberland.

Also this week, a satellite named after Kepler has busy spotting exoplanets (those which orbit distant stars). It's now likely that about one in five stars have planets! Not a new idea, of course; as far back as the fifteenth century, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (a.k.a. Cusanus) has speculated that the stars were distant suns, complete with their own planets.

And for those of you who haven't seen it, here's the review of my book,  from Sky at Night magazine.

Have a great week!

BOOK OF THE MONTH

BBC Sky at Night magazine listed New Stars For Old as book of the month in their November issue (#102)!

"New Stars For Old brings the history of astronomy to life through a series of 20 highly readable short stories, each of which mixes facts with a good dose of fiction to introduce us to some of the important characters involved. From the Earth-centred theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy through to the visionary genius of Isaac Newton, the basic theme of the book is to outline the often turbulent path taken in the growth and development of the way we think about the Universe.

The chapters are a mixture of letters, narrative accounts and diary entries, which collectively remind us that the figures involved are not simply names drawn from textbooks, but were people in their own right.

The text focuses throughout on the interplay between astronomy, astrology and science, as well as offering an insight into the influences of religion and political culture on the way astronomers worked. Other characters, both fictional and real, are brought into the stories. The ‘Notes’ sections that follow each chapter inform us of which characters are real and which are imaginary, and provide historical background to the science.

In one of the tales, Johannes Kepler remarks that he followed “where (Tycho) left off, and he picked up from Copernicus who followed Regiomontanus, who relied on Peurbach and all the way back to Ptolemy, no, further, to Callipus and Aristotle, to Eudoxus, to un-named Babylonians.” New Stars For Old tells this story very well and brings history to life in an entertaining and informative way."

5 stars (Outstanding)

Brian Jones
Sky at Night Magazine

Sky at Night magazine is available online and from all good newsagents.
www.skyatnightmagazine.com

www.candy-jar.co.uk/marcread

WELCOME TO THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE

Astronomy – the science and study of celestial objects that fill up the universe. It’s an overwhelming concept to many, but the idea of planets, solar systems and galaxies can still be a powerful source of inspiration.

Yet there is one man in particular, whose enthusiasm undeniably matches that same level of wonder – Marc Read.

Having always had an interest in history and science, Marc has studied these fields extensively. Spending much of his education studying this passion, he has been granted a Masters degree in Physics and Philosophy, and a PhD in History and the Philosophy of Science.

Currently living in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, his teaching career has brought him from London to Washington DC, allowing him to share his love for astronomy with like-minded enthusiasts. Now teaching physics and philosophy at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle, Marc lives with his wife and two children.

Since sharing his knowledge and love for astronomy through his teaching, he has now released his first book, New Stars for Old: Stories from the History of Astronomy.

By fusing historical fact with dramatic fiction, Marc has created a fresh and original take on the field of astronomy. Through the eyes of Aristotle, Galileo Sir, Isaac Newton and many others, readers can learn about the science in the context of their day-to-day routine.

Marc Read and the people at Candy Jar Books are thrilled to release New Stars for Old, appealing to fans of popular science, philosophy, historical biography and astronomy.