The Midnight Sky
Familiar Notes on the Stars and Planets

An acclaimed 1869 handbook for amateur astronomers by Edwin Dunkin, who later became President of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Edwin Dunkin (Author)

9781108017459, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 26 August 2010

344 pages, 94 b/w illus.
24.4 x 17 x 1.8 cm, 0.55 kg

When Edwin Dunkin (1821–1898) published this book in 1869, it was received with widespread acclaim by both professional astronomers and the reading public. Dunkin, a distinguished astronomer who published widely in academic journals and later served in the prestigious roles of Deputy Astronomer Royal (1881–1884) and President of the Royal Astronomical Society (1880), is still best known for this work of popular astronomy that has functioned as an indispensable tool for generations of amateurs. Chapter 1 derives from Dunkin's famous 'The Midnight Sky at London' articles, previously published in Leisure Hour, which describe the London midnight sky during each month of the year. Other chapters cover the Southern Hemisphere, the constellations, the properties of fixed stars, the solar system, and meteors and shooting stars. The volume is well illustrated with star maps and engravings. It is a classic work of popular nineteenth-century astronomical writing.

Preface
The midnight sky at London
The midnight sky of the southern hemisphere
The constellations
General notes on the fixed stars
Notes on the solar system
Meteors, or shooting-stars
Index.

Subject Areas: Cosmology & the universe [PGK]