Starlight Detectives

A Julia Ward Howe Award Finalist and recognized as a top science book by NBC News, *Scientific American*/FSG, Nature.com, *Kirkus Reviews*, and *Discover* magazine, this book delves into the groundbreaking discovery of the expanding universe. In 1929, Edwin Hubble announced that galaxies were hurtling apart, forever changing our understanding of the cosmos. Yet, the decades-long scientific and technical advancements that paved the way for this revelation remained largely untold. Author Alan Hirshfeld unearths this fascinating backstory, introducing a visionary cast of 19th-century amateur astronomers and inventors. From William Bond, who turned his home into an observatory, to astrophotography trailblazers John and Henry Draper, and genius inventors like Léon Foucault and George Hale (founder of Mount Wilson Observatory), Hirshfeld reveals the ambitious dreamers behind the birth of modern astrophysics. He delivers a "masterful balance of science, history and rich narrative" (*Discover* magazine), bringing to life a "climactic discovery... with great verve and sweep" (*Wall Street Journal*). Hirshfeld is a Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory.

Archival Categorization Notes

This literature has been indexed under the primary pillar of Space. It was manually vetted for the Read For Truth database because it provides educational insights into Science, assisting researchers in locating established secondary research within this specific taxonomy.