Moon: An Illustrated History: From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow

by David Warmflash

Overview

From the moon’s formation, to its potential for future exploration, this richly illustrated volume presents 100 milestones in lunar history.
 
With dazzling images on every spread, and illuminating text by astrobiologist Dr. David Warmflash, Moon: An Illustrated History chronologically presents 100 milestones in the Moon’s development and exploration. Starting 4.5 billion years ago when the Moon formed, this stunning volume moves from the hypotheses of the Moon’s formation (4.5 billion years ago) to sixth-century BCE predictions of solar eclipses, from the twentieth-century Space Race between the US and the Soviet Union to private space companies and possible future lunar colonies. Find out about lunar calendar systems and cults in the Bible; how lunar brightness was used to estimate stellar distances; how advancing telescopes in the seventeenth century allowed us to eye the Moon more closely; how author Jules Verne inspired the Father of Astronautics; the originals of the Saturn V Moon Rocket; the Apollo missions, and so much more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454931980
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Series:	Union Square & Co. Illustrated Histories
Edition description:	Illustrate
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. David Warmflash is an astrobiologist and prolific science writer. He was in the first cohort of NASA astrobiology postdoctoral trainees and served as a member of NASA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Science Definition Team. He has collaborated with The Planetary Society on three experiments that have flown in space, including “the peace experiment” that involved an Israeli and a Palestinian student working with Dr. Warmflash as co-investigators. He has published in scientific journals and popular science publications including Wired UK, Scientific American, Discover, Air and Space, Astronomy Magazine, and others. He contributed to the book George and the Blue Moon by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking, and was interviewed for an article in the Kansas City Star concerning the accuracy of the science in the sci-fi TV series Orphan Black.

Table of Contents

Introduction viii

Acknowledgments xi

4.5 Billion Years Ago Formation of the Moon 1

4.5 Billion Years Ago Moon-Earth Pulling Begins 3

4.3-3.7 Billion Years Ago The Moon and the Origin of Earth Life 5

4.3-3.9 Bullion Years Ago Impacts Carve into Lunar Crust 7

3.9-3.1 Billion Years Ago A Lunar Facelift 9

3.8-3.5 Billion Years Ago Peak of Lunar Volcanic Activity 11

3.2-1.1 Billion Years Ago Eratosthenian Period of Lunar Geological Time 13

1.1 Billion Years Ago Copernican Period of Lunar Geological Time Begins 15

450 Million Years Ago Impact Forms the Aristarchus Crater 17

440-1.5 Million Years Ago Lunar Assistance for Intelligent Land Life 19

c. 8,000 BCE Mesolithic Lunar Calendar 21

23rd Century BCE Humanity's First Author 23

22nd Century BCE Moon Meets the Sun Over China 25

22nd-21st Centuries BCE Sumerian Lunar Calendars 27

18th-17th Centuries BCE Complex Lunar Calendar Systems 29

c. 900-700 BCE Lunar Cults in the Bible 31

763 BCE Assyrian Eclipse 33

747-734 BCE Nabonassar Standardizes the Lunar Calendar 35

c.7th Century BCE Earliest Mention of Selene 37

6th Century BCE Beginnings of Nom religious Astronomy 39

6th Century BCE Thales Stops a War 41

6th Century BCE Spherical Harmony 43

5th Century BCE Anaxagoras Stands Trial 45

5th Century BCE Greeks Understand Lunar Phases 47

c.350 BCE Earth's Curved Shadow on the Moon 49

c.350 BCE Heavenly Perfection Corrupted 51

Early 3rd Century BCE Library of Alexandria 53

3rd Century BCE Aristarchus Measures Lunar Diameter and Distance 55

3rd Century BCE Quarter-Phase Moon and Heliocentrism 57

3rd Century BCE Eratosthenes Calculates Earth's Circumference 59

3rd Century BCE The Hand Reckoner 61

2nd Century BCE Applying Math to the Lunar Orbit 63

c.100 BCE The Antikythera Mechanism 65

1st-2nd Century CE On the Pace in the Moon's Orb 67

c.150 The Almagest 69

500-800 Eastern Astronomers Keep Looking Up 71

9th-11th Centuries Shukuk 73

11th Century Seeing the First Sliver of a New Moon 75

13th Century A New Model for Lunar Motion 77

14th Century Lunar Brightness to Estimate Stellar Distances 79

14th Century Adjusting Lunar-Distance Variation 81

1543 The Moon Orbits Alone 83

1570s Moon and Sun Orbit Earth 85

1581 A Dream of a Lunar Voyage 87

1609 Telescopic Study of the Moon Begins 89

17th Century Advancing Telescopes Eye the Moon More Closely 91

Late 17th Century The Moon Inspires Isaac Newton 93

18th Century Improving Instruments Advance Lunar Astronomy 95

Late 18th Century A Lunar Society in Birmingham 97

1824 Another Doctor Turns His Eyes to the Moon 99

1370s Verne Inspires the father of Astronautics 101

1873-1909 Scientists Consider Lunar Origins 103

1914-22 The Moon Proves General Relativity 105

1926 First Liquid-Fueled Rocket 107

1929 Woman in the Moon 109

1938 BIS Lunar Spaceship Design 111

1930-44 Origins of the Saturn V Moon Rocket 113

1945 Operation Overcast 115

1943-60 New Understanding of Craters 117

1957 Sputnik 119

1958 Explorer I 121

1958-59 A New Discovery and a New Agency 123

1959 First Pictures of the Moon's Far-side 125

1961 Humans Enter Space 127

1961 An American in Space 129

1962 Planning Lunar Missions 131

1962 The Moon Speech at Rice Stadium 133

1963 Human Computers 135

1963-64 Saturn Architecture Takes Shape 137

1964 Two's Company, Three's a Crowd 139

1964 Beginning's of Lunar Science 141

1964-65 Astrogeology 143

1965 Improving Space Capabilities 145

1965-66 Learning to Rendezvous and Dock 147

1966 Neutral Buoyancy 149

1966 Tragedies 151

1967 Apollo 1 Fire 153

1967 Reengineering Apollo 155

1967 Declaring Peace on the Moon 157

1968 Lunar Tortoises 159

1968 Reaching for the Moon 161

1968 Earthrise 163

1969 Dress Rehearsals 165

1969 One Giant Leap 167

1969 Beginnings of Lunar Field Science 169

1969 Making Moonquakes 171

1969 The Lunar Receiving Laboratory 173

1970 A Successful Failure 175

1971 Return to the Moon 177

1971 Extended Missions 179

1972 Descartes Highland 181

1972 Mission to Taurus-Littrow 183

1972 Apollo Biostack 185

1972-74 Cancelled Apollo Missions 187

1970s-80s Elucidating Lunar History 189

1980s-90s Studying Lunar Resources 191

1998 Lunar Prospector and Surface Ice 193

2003-13 New Generation of Moon Probes 195

2018 Preparing for New Missions 197

2019-44 Building a Lunar Infrastructure 199

References 200

Index 209

Image Credits 211

About the Author 212

Editorial Reviews

[Dr.] Warmflash, who trained as an astrobiologist, presents a chronological sequence of moon-themed illustrations—paintings, photos, maps, even an astronomical stamp from Djibouti—each with a facing page of explanatory text. These snippets of history range from the moon’s creation in Earth’s cataclysmic collision with an errant planetoid some 4.5 billion years ago to the future construction of lunar bases. In between are micro-essays on topics such as lunar geology, the moon’s role in calendar-keeping, the emergence of scientific ideas about the moon’s physical nature and space exploration. Especially evocative is the portrait of famed aerospace engineer Wernher von Braun, dwarfed by the gaping exhaust nozzles of the Saturn V rocket he helped pioneer.” —Wall Street Journal
 
“Through the course of human history, the sight of the Moon has captivated humanity’s wildest imaginations, while its nightly presence has been a centerpiece of mythic and scientific hypotheses. Dr. David Warmflash has beautifully chronicled our fascination with—and discoveries from—our nearest neighbor in Moon: An Illustrated History. This fine book should be considered required reading for armchair lunar explorers, young and old.” —Scott Parazynski, MD, NASA Space Shuttle astronaut (STS-66, 86, 95, 100, 120) and author of The Sky Below

"The Moon is the planetary orb that defined my father's life and inspired him to paint the story of man's exploration to its ancient surface. This beautifully artistic book is filled with colorful images, delicate drawings, and fact-filled prose about the lunar body that influences our planet. Naturally, I enjoy the chapter ‘Beginnings of Lunar Field Science’ revealing the Apollo 12 crew of Conrad, Gordon, and Bean's contribution to the study of the Moon. But for me the book's joy lies in learning about the moon myths of the Earth's early civilizations. Moon: An Illustrated History is a valuable addition to my bookshelf, a terrestrial tool that I recommend to explorers, historians, and lovers of the Moon.” —Amy Sue Bean, daughter of moonwalker, astronaut, and artist Alan Bean, lunar module pilot on Apollo 12, commander on Skylab 3

“With this book, and its rich illustrations, astrobiologist David Warmflash weaves a tale of lunar geology and humanity's relationship to the dusty orb.” —Space.com

“Astrobiologist David Warmflash organizes his review of 100 milestones in lunar history based on chronology, page by page, starting 4.5 million years ago with the moon’s formation and ending in anticipation of a “Moon Village” by 2044. With 100 illustrations, the book would fit right in on a coffee table but is compact enough to sit on a nightstand.” —Geekwire.com

“This book addresses just about everything you might want to know about the moon and the intricate ways it’s been intermingled with mankind's existence throughout time. The easy-to-read chapters are short and concise and cover a lot of ground in lunar science, ancient perspectives, past and present lunar explorations, and visions of future endeavors. Each chapter is accompanied by colorful full-page illustrations, diagrams, ancient artifacts, and historic photos, making it all the more engaging. I’m so pleased to include this delightful book in my collection.” —Lucy West, International Space & Science Artist

“Summarizing the Moon's impact on humanity is no small task—that's why I find Dr. David Warmflash's Moon: An Illustrated History to be such a refreshing read. Far from being a door-stopper of a textbook, Warmflash combines short and highly-informative chapters that delve into key points of our relationship with the Moon with beautiful illustrations. This book is as much at home on a coffee table as it is in an academic bookshelf, either for a quick read or as a valued reference resource. If you only have a fleeting interest in that orbiting alien world that shapes our lives every single day, or you're an expert who wants the entire history of the Moon in one book, this publication is for you." —Dr. Ian O'Neill, astrophysicist, science communicator, and editor of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Mercury magazine

“David Warmflash has given us a true gift in this season of Apollo—an in-depth and lavishly designed volume that provides a rare look at the history of the Moon. We learn about theories of its formation and early history, and its effects on the Earth—ranging from the rise of life on our planet to its impact on the human psyche across a dozen cultures. Luscious illustrations explain the concepts well, and the images of the Moon are spectacular. By mid-book we are treated to a history of human spaceflight efforts with the Moon as the ultimate goal, and the book concludes with a look at current missions and the future of lunar exploration. You will find stories and images here that you've not seen before . . . highly recommended.” —Rod Pyle, author, journalist, and editor-in-chief, Ad Astra magazine for the National Space Society

"Based on the latest scientific discoveries, and filled with fascinating detail, Moon: An Illustrated History tells the story of the Earth’s closest companion. In clear language and a keen ear for revealing anecdotes, David Warmflash moves seamlessly from geological time to historical time, from the Moon’s formation 4.5 billion years ago to the Apollo landings and on to the challenge of future exploration. Anything you wanted to know about the Moon in science, myth, and history can be found in this beautiful, richly illustrated book." —Amir Alexander, author of Infinitesimal: How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World

“With this book, and its rich illustrations, astrobiologist David Warmflash weaves a tale of lunar geology and humanity's relationship to the dusty orb.” —Space.com
 

From the Publisher