HISTORICAL ECLIPSES AND EARTH'S ROTATION by F. Richard Stephenson ( 9780521056335 )

Item Details

Title:

HISTORICAL ECLIPSES AND EARTH'S ROTATION

By:

F. Richard Stephenson

Format:

Paperback

List price:

£68.00

Our price:

£59.50

Discount:

12.5% off

You save:

£8.50

ISBN 10:

0521056330

ISBN 13:

9780521056335

Availability:

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Stock:

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Publisher:

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Pub. date:

24 March, 2008

Pages:

576

Description:

A scientist who has studied eclipses for many years tells their story and explains their importance today.

Synopsis:

This book is intended for geophysicists, astronomers (especially those with an interest in history), historians and orientalists. The culmination of many years of research, it discusses, in depth, ancient and medieval eclipse observations and their importance in studying Earth's past rotation. This was the first major book on this subject to appear in the last twenty years. The author has specialised in the interpretation of early astronomical records and their application to problems in modern astronomy for many years. The book contains an in-depth discussion of numerous eclipse records from Babylon, China, Europe and the Arab lands. Translations of almost every record studied are given. It is shown that although tides play a dominant long-term role in producing variations in Earth's rate of rotation - causing a gradual increase in the length of the day - there are significant, and variable non-tidal changes in opposition to the main trend.

Illustrations:

111 b/w illus. 62 tables

Publication:

Imprint:

Cambridge University Press

Returns:

Returnable

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