Julia Ward Howe Award Finalist NBC News “Top Science and Tech Books of the Year” selection Scientific American/FSG “Favorite Science Books of the Year” selection Nature.com “Top Reads of the Year” selection Kirkus Reviews “Best Books of the Year” selection Discover magazine “Top 5 Summer Read” “A masterful balance of science, history and rich narrative.” —Discover magazine “Hirshfeld tells this climactic discovery of the expanding universe with great verve and sweep, as befits a story whose scope, characters and import leave most fiction far behind.” —Wall Street Journal “Starlight Detectives is just the sort of richly veined book I love to read—full of scientific history and discoveries, peopled by real heroes and rogues, and told with absolute authority. Alan Hirshfeld’s wide, deep knowledge of astronomy arises not only from the most careful scholarship, but also from the years he’s spent at the telescope, posing his own questions to the stars.” —DAVA SOBEL, author of A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos and Longitude 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. In its shadow lies an untold, yet equally fascinating, backstory whose cast of characters illuminates the gritty, hard-won nature of scientific progress. The path to a broader mode of cosmic observation was blazed by a cadre of nineteenth-century amateur astronomers and inventors, galvanized by the advent of photography, spectral analysis, and innovative technology to create the entirely new field of astrophysics. From William Bond, who turned his home into a functional observatory, to John and Henry Draper, a father and son team who were trailblazers of astrophotography and spectroscopy, to geniuses of invention such as Léon Foucault, and George Hale, who founded the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hirshfeld reveals the incredible stories—and the ambitious dreamers—behind the birth of modern astronomy. Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory, is the author of Parallax: The Race to Measure the Cosmos, The Electric Life of Michael Faraday, and Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes.

Over the course of the nineteenth century a remarkable array of types appeared – and disappeared – in Australian literature: the swagman, the larrikin, the colonial detective, the bushranger, the “currency lass”, the squatter, and more. Some had a powerful influence on the colonies’ developing sense of identity; others were more ephemeral. But all had a role to play in shaping and reflecting the social and economic circumstances of life in the colonies. In Colonial Australian Fiction: Character Types, Social Formations and the Colonial Economy, Ken Gelder and Rachael Weaver explore the genres in which these characters flourished: the squatter novel, the bushranger adventure, colonial detective stories, the swagman’s yarn, the Australian girl’s romance. Authors as diverse as Catherine Helen Spence, Rosa Praed, Henry Kingsley, Anthony Trollope, Henry Lawson, Miles Franklin, Barbara Baynton, Rolf Boldrewood, Mary Fortune and Marcus Clarke were fascinated by colonial character types, and brought them vibrantly to life. As this book shows, colonial Australian character types are fluid, contradictory and often unpredictable. When we look closely, they have the potential to challenge our assumptions about fiction, genre and national identity. The preliminary pages and introduction to this work are available free to download at the Sydney eScholarship Repository: https://hdl.handle.net/2123/16435 Contents Introduction: The Colonial Economy and the Production of Colonial Character Types 1 The Reign of the Squatter 2 Bushrangers 3 Colonial Australian Detectives 4 Bush Types and Metropolitan Types 5 The Australian Girl Works Cited Index About the series The Sydney Studies in Australian Literature series publishes original, peer-reviewed research in the field of Australian literature. The series comprises monographs devoted to the works of major authors and themed collections of essays about current issues in the field of Australian literary studies. The series offers well-researched and engagingly written re-evaluations of the nature and importance of Australian literature, and aims to reinvigorate its study both in Australia and internationally.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dava Sobel, the "inspiring" (People), little-known true story of women's landmark contributions to astronomy A New York Times Book Review Notable Book Named one of the best books of the year by NPR, The Economist, Smithsonian, Nature, and NPR's Science Friday Nominated for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award "A joy to read.” —The Wall Street Journal In the mid-nineteenth century, the Harvard College Observatory began employing women as calculators, or “human computers,” to interpret the observations their male counterparts made via telescope each night. At the outset this group included the wives, sisters, and daughters of the resident astronomers, but soon the female corps included graduates of the new women's colleges—Vassar, Wellesley, and Smith. As photography transformed the practice of astronomy, the ladies turned from computation to studying the stars captured nightly on glass photographic plates. The “glass universe” of half a million plates that Harvard amassed over the ensuing decades—through the generous support of Mrs. Anna Palmer Draper, the widow of a pioneer in stellar photography—enabled the women to make extraordinary discoveries that attracted worldwide acclaim. They helped discern what stars were made of, divided the stars into meaningful categories for further research, and found a way to measure distances across space by starlight. Their ranks included Williamina Fleming, a Scottish woman originally hired as a maid who went on to identify ten novae and more than three hundred variable stars; Annie Jump Cannon, who designed a stellar classification system that was adopted by astronomers the world over and is still in use; and Dr. Cecilia Helena Payne, who in 1956 became the first ever woman professor of astronomy at Harvard—and Harvard’s first female department chair. Elegantly written and enriched by excerpts from letters, diaries, and memoirs, The Glass Universe is the hidden history of the women whose contributions to the burgeoning field of astronomy forever changed our understanding of the stars and our place in the universe.

THE GREATEST BRITISH DETECTIVES - Boxed Set encompasses an era-defining collection of over 190 stories, ranging from murder mysteries and thrilling escapades to profound crime tales, illuminated by the greatest minds of early 20th century British literature. This anthology celebrates a golden age of detective fiction, marked by its stylistic diversity and intricate plotting, establishing a legacy that continues to captivate. The compilation features hallmark works that have shaped the detective genre, offering readers a panoramic view of the literary landscape during this period, without the emphasis on any single author, but rather, highlighting the collective brilliance that has forged this timeless genre. The authors, including luminaries like Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and G.K. Chesterton, come from varied backgrounds but share a common genius for entwining suspense with the subtle intricacies of human nature. Their contributions reflect not only the evolving societal norms and the complexities of the human psyche but also mirror the philosophical and moral dilemmas of their time. These narratives, rooted in different historical, cultural settings and literary movements, together weave a rich tapestry that provides a multifaceted exploration of the themes of justice, morality, and the human condition. This anthology is an indispensable treasure for readers keen on delving into the depths of detective fiction, offering a unique lens through which the evolution of the genre can be appreciated. It stands as an educational journey, a source of entertainment, and a testament to the enduring appeal of the detective story. Readers are encouraged to immerse themselves in this comprehensive collection, not only for its historical and literary value but also for the engaging dialogue it fosters between the epochal works of these master storytellers.

Poppy is thrilled to be back doing the one thing she loves - riding horses at Starlight stables - especially when her aunt and uncle make all her dreams come true with a gift of her very own horse. But there's a catch . . . Poppy must look after the new scholarship girls. Will the bold and troublesome Milly and shy, sensible Katie be the pony-mad friends she's always hoped for? When horses go missing from the local farms, Poppy worries about Crystal, her new horse. Will the girls be able to protect their ponies from the horse thief and find the missing horses at the same time? The first book in an exciting and enjoyable Australian series about the friendship and adventures of three horse-crazy girls.

Discover Beautiful Nebulas, Constellations, Deep Sky Objects and More with Your Telescope David Dickinson, co-author of The Universe Today Ultimate Guide to Viewing the Cosmos, has created the ultimate field guide for backyard astronomers. Whether you want to impress viewers at a star party, or learn what you can see with your new telescope, David shows you how to find the most impressive views the night sky has to offer. Broken down by month and by hemisphere to ensure you get the best possible view, David shows you how to find objects like spiral galaxies, stunning sights in the Milky Way and stars that bring the “wow factor” to astronomy. With 44 sky charts and David’s expertise, it’s like having a pro-astronomer out in the field with you.

A thought provoking study of the powerful impact of images in guiding astronomers' understanding of galaxies through time.