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Starlight Detectives
- How Astronomers, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
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Starlight Detectives
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Summary
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 19th-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 Lon 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.
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What listeners say about Starlight Detectives
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joye C.
- 26-06-20
A must for astrophotographers.
Absolutely brilliant. The accents are amusing but not distracting. A superb story of the joys and struggles to bring astrophysics into the realms of real science.
From the evolution of telescopes and photography, through spectroscopy and motordrives - this homage to the starlight detectives is a must for astrophotographers and lovers of astrophysics.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- @deftly_admiral
- 16-03-18
Good stories let down by ghastly narration.
What did you like best about Starlight Detectives? What did you like least?
Human stories are interesting and engaging. The technical aspects of telescopes are reasonably covered, and I would like to have heard more about the astrophysics that was discovered.
The narration is the worst I have ever heard on any audiobook.
What didn’t you like about Joe Barrett’s performance?
Breathless delivery, all throat and croaking, trying to insert passion into the wrong parts of sentences, which he only partially understands.
Just when you have managed to ignore the incessant breathiness and concentrate on the story, the narrator starts trying what he believes are accents.
My god, the accents.
It is difficult to listen to the letters of an English astronomer when they are voiced by someone apparently doing an impression of Dick van Dyke who has picked up vowels from Yorkshire, Memphis and Mumbai.
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