Starlight Detectives: How Astronomers, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe

A wondrous tale of cosmic exploration and the colorful characters who ushered astronomy into the modern age

In 1929, Edwin Hubble announced the greatest discovery in the history of astronomy since Galileo first turned a telescope to the heavens. The galaxies, previously believed to float serenely in the void, are in fact hurtling apart at an incredible speed: the universe is expanding. This stunning discovery was the culmination of a decades-long arc of scientific and technical advancement. ...