Abstract
IN spite of the considerable number of elementary works on astronomy, this pleasant little book by Prof. Chant can scarcely be regarded as redundant. It is intended mainly for juveniles, though older people who require a very simple account of the heavens will find it perfectly readable, and will look in vain for pictures of oranges, balls of knitting, lamps, and other similar accessories frequently found in such books. The matter is almost entirely descriptive, dealing with the physical aspects of the heavenly bodies rather than with instruments, methods of observation, or theoretical considerations; an important feature of the book, therefore, as might be expected, lies in its illustrations. There is a large number of well-chosen pictures, among which special mention may be made of some excellent reproductions of planetary photographs taken by Dr. Wright in ultra-violet and red light; but some of the ‘bird's-eye’ views might be improved by the omission of what appear to be cumulus clouds. By the aid of these illustrations a very clear picture is presented of the universe as conceived by astronomers, and the book can scarcely fail in one of its prime objects, namely, “to excite the wonder of young people, to fire their imagination, and to convey to them some notion of the majesty, the mystery, and the sublimity of it all.”
Our Wonderful Universe: an Easy Introduction to the Study of the Heavens.
Prof.
Clarence Augustus
Chant
By. Pp. 191. (London, Bombay and Sydney: George G. Harrap and Co., Ltd., 1928.) 5s. net.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Our Wonderful Universe: an Easy Introduction to the Study of the Heavens . Nature 122, 767 (1928). https://doi.org/10.1038/122767b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/122767b0