The Immortal Fire Within - Paperback

by William Sheehan (Author)

This first full-length biography of Edward Emerson Barnard tells the remarkable tale of endurance and achievement of one of the leading astronomers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. As "a man who was never known to sleep", Barnard scoured the heavens endlessly, leaving an astonishing legacy of observations that make him one of the greatest observers of all time. This book traces Barnard's life from impoverished origins to status as an internationally recognized astronomer. His success as a professional astronomer unfolds in 1842 as he discovers the fifth satellite of Jupiter (the first since Galileo) and pioneers wide-angle photography of the Milky Way, which leads to the recognition of dark nebulae--clouds of dust on the galactic plane. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book provides a complete history of Barnard's fascinating life and work, based largely on previously unpublished archival material, that will be of interest to astronomers and historians of science.

Back Jacket

This, the first full-length biography of Edward Emerson Barnard, tells the remarkable tale of endurance and achievement of one of the leading astronomers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. As a 'man who was never known to sleep', Barnard scoured the heavens endlessly, leaving an astonishing legacy of observations - of planets, satellites, comets, double stars, bright and dark nebulae, and globular clusters - that make him one of the greatest observers of all time. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this book includes many of Barnard's famous wide-field photographs of comets and the Milky Way. It provides a complete history of Barnard's fascinating life and work, based largely on archival material hitherto unpublished. It also offers unusual insight into the astronomers he knew and observatories with which he was associated and will be of interest to astronomers and historians of science.