New books & media
DOI: 10.1063/PT.3.4619
The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science
The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science, Seb Falk, W. W. Norton, 2020, $30.00
Claiming that Dark Ages is a misnomer, Cambridge University science historian Seb Falk says that the Middle Ages saw the development of numerous scientific achievements. In The Light Ages, Falk takes the reader on a “journey through medieval science” as experienced by a 14th-century monk named John Westwyk, who trained at St Albans monastery in the UK. While not much is known about him, other than that he annotated at least two astronomy texts, Westwyk serves as a jumping-off point for a discussion of medieval and monastic life and advances in astronomy. Falk illustrates how those astronomical developments were applied in such areas as religious practices, timekeeping and the calendar, weather forecasting, navigation, and agriculture. —
Astrophotography Is Easy! Basics for Beginners
Astrophotography Is Easy! Basics for Beginners, Gregory I. Redfern, Springer, 2020, $27.99 (paper)
True to its title, this comprehensive how-to book tries to cover everything a novice astrophotographer needs to know: cameras, lenses, and telescopes; imaging methods, mountings, and software; and techniques and tips for capturing such celestial objects and events as the Sun, Moon, stars, eclipses, and auroras. Gregory Redfern draws on his more than four decades of experience as an astrophotographer to provide key guidance to even the most rank amateur and launch them on a lifetime of celestial exploration. An extensive list of reading material and internet links supplements the text. —
Space Stations in Action: An Augmented Reality Experience
Space Stations in Action: An Augmented Reality Experience, Rebecca E. Hirsch, Lerner, 2020, $31.99
Part of Lerner’s Space in Action: Augmented Reality series, Space Stations in Action is a 21st-century pop-up book aimed at readers in grades 3–6. Focusing on the International Space Station (ISS), it features not only images from NASA, Roscosmos, and the European Space Agency but also four augmented-reality experiences, which require a cell phone or tablet and the Lerner AR app. When the handheld device is waved over the designated icon, a 3D interactive image appears, such as one that allows 360-degree views inside different parts of the ISS. The text, written by science writer Rebecca Hirsch, discusses the history of space stations, the ISS, and what it’s like to live and work there. —
