Full Description
The story of Hubble and Humason is one for the ages—and in particular, the Cosmic Age. In this compelling book, science writer Ron Voller digs deep into how and why the two scientists continued to investigate their theory of universal expansion in the face of persistent doubt, contrary theories, and calamitous world events.
The evolution of this dynamic duo's tenuous friendship and professional partnership is in many ways as intriguing as their groundbreaking work on the evolution of the universe. The book therefore traces their lives from their childhoods into their burgeoning careers, revealing how a World War and their own personal differences stood in the way of initial cooperation. It then shows how despite all this, the two opposites eventually came together in the pursuit of something far greater than themselves.
This grand story is inextricably interwoven with that of Albert Einstein, Willem de Sitter, and other great physicists of the era, all of whom tookpart in the staggering quest to make sense of the Big Bang and what followed.
"Edwin Hubble has often been considered as an island of sorts—a lone wolf of astronomy. But Voller's book shows otherwise, as he examines Milt Humason's essential contributions to our understanding of the expanding universe." - Daniel Lewis, Dibner Senior Curator, History of Science & Technology, The Huntington Library
Contents
Chapter 1. Two Centuries Of Astronomical Discovery.- Chapter 2. A Portrait (1928).- Chapter 3. Childhood And Other Mysteries (1889-1909).- Chapter 4. Per Aspera Ad Astra (1910-1917).- Chapter 5. Merging Orbits (1918-1922).- Chapter 6. Rising Stars (1923-1927).- Chapter 7. Eclipsing Binaries (1928-1929).- Chapter 8. Bang! Goes The Universe (1929-1931).- Chapter 9. Grading Reality On A Curve (1932-1934).- Chapter 10. Cosmology And The Human Condition (1935-1936).- Chapter 11. War: Ultimate Disruptor (1937-1945).- Chapter 12. Aging Companion Stars (1946-1953).- Chapter 13. Shockwave: The Death Of A Star (1954-1961).- Chapter 14. The Last Horizon (1961-1991).
