{"product_id":"darkness-at-night-a-riddle-of-the-universe-9780674192706","title":"Darkness at Night: A Riddle of the Universe","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhy is the sky dark at night?  The answer to this ancient and celebrated riddle  says Edward Harrison  seems relatively simple: the sun has set and is now shining on the other side of the earth. But suppose we were space travelers and far from any star. Out in the depths of space the heavens would be dark  even darker than the sky seen from the earth on cloudless and moonless nights. For more than four centuries  astronomers and other investigators have pondered the enigma of a dark sky and proposed many provocative but incorrect answers. Darkness at Night eloquently describes the misleading trails of inquiry and strange ideas that have abounded in the quest for a solution.  In tracing this story of discovery--one of the most intriguing in the history of science--the astronomer and physicist Edward Harrison explores the concept of infinite space  the structure and age of the universe  the nature of light  and other subjects that once were so perplexing. He introduces a range of stellar intellects  from Democritus in the ancient world to Digges in the reign of Queen Elizabeth  followed by Kepler  Newton  Halley  Chseaux  Olbers  Poe  Kelvin  and Bondi. Harrisons style is engaging  incisive yet poetic  and his strong grasp of history--from the Greeks to the twentieth century--adds perspective  depth  and scope to the narrative. Richly illustrated and annotated  this book will delight and enlighten both the casual reader and the serious inquirer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44428147916853,"sku":"ByrdShop_0674192702","price":95.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780674192706.jpg?v=1784697796","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/darkness-at-night-a-riddle-of-the-universe-9780674192706","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}