The Explorers of Mars Hill

The Explorers of Mars Hill PDF

Author: William Lowell Putnam

Publisher: Light Technology Publishing

Published: 1994-08-01

Total Pages: 452

ISBN-13: 1622336798

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Established in 1894 in Flagstaff, Arizona by Percival Lowell, the Lowell Observatory on Mars Hill is still remembered as the site of numerous important astronomical firsts. The great recessional velocities of galaxies were first observed here in the years immediately before the first world war, a discovery that ultimately led scientists to the realization that our universe is expanding. In 1930, the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered at Lowell by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh. This volume is a series of vignettes in the observatory's history, from its foundation and early years under Lowell's guidance to its more modern-day accomplishments. It is richly illustrated with photographs from the Lowell archives.

The Lowells of Massachusetts

The Lowells of Massachusetts PDF

Author: Nina Sankovitch

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2017-04-11

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1466878118

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The Lowells of Massachusetts were a remarkable family. They were settlers in the New World in the 1600s, revolutionaries creating a new nation in the 1700s, merchants and manufacturers building prosperity in the 1800s, and scientists and artists flourishing in the 1900s. For the first time, Nina Sankovitch tells the story of this fascinating and powerful dynasty in The Lowells of Massachusetts. Though not without scoundrels and certainly no strangers to controversy , the family boasted some of the most astonishing individuals in America’s history: Percival Lowle, the patriarch who arrived in America in the seventeenth to plant the roots of the family tree; Reverend John Lowell, the preacher; Judge John Lowell, a member of the Continental Congress; Francis Cabot Lowell, manufacturer and, some say, founder of the Industrial Revolution in the US; James Russell Lowell, American Romantic poet; Lawrence Lowell, one of Harvard’s longest-serving and most controversial presidents; and Amy Lowell, the twentieth century poet who lived openly in a Boston Marriage with the actress Ada Dwyer Russell. The Lowells realized the promise of America as the land of opportunity by uniting Puritan values of hard work, community service, and individual responsibility with a deep-seated optimism that became a well-known family trait. Long before the Kennedys put their stamp on Massachusetts, the Lowells claimed the bedrock.

Imagining Mars

Imagining Mars PDF

Author: Robert Crossley

Publisher: Wesleyan University Press

Published: 2011-01-03

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 0819571059

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Mars in the human imagination from the invention of the telescope to the present For centuries, the planet Mars has captivated astronomers and inspired writers of all genres. Whether imagined as the symbol of the bloody god of war, the cradle of an alien species, or a possible new home for human civilization, our closest planetary neighbor has played a central role in how we think about ourselves in the universe. From Galileo to Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert Crossley traces the history of our fascination with the red planet as it has evolved in literature both fictional and scientific. Crossley focuses specifically on the interplay between scientific discovery and literary invention, exploring how writers throughout the ages have tried to assimilate or resist new planetary knowledge. Covering texts from the 1600s to the present, from the obscure to the classic, Crossley shows how writing about Mars has reflected the desires and social controversies of each era. This astute and elegant study is perfect for science fiction fans and readers of popular science.

The View From Mars Hill

The View From Mars Hill PDF

Author: Charles B. Jones

Publisher: Cowley Publications

Published: 2005-04-25

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 1461698723

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What are Christians to make of religious diversity? Are other religions simply wrong? Is this great multiplicity something to appreciate and foster? Is there any way to judge whether one religion is better than another, or are all equally good options? What has brought about such a wealth of diversity and tension in the first place? Charles Jones traces the rich history of Christianity’s many encounters with other religions, from the Roman Empire and Paul’s speech to the Athenians on Mars Hill (Acts 17:16–34) to the “discovery” of non-European peoples, through various currents of philosophy and science, and in both the peaceful and violent meetings of Christianity and other religions today. Jones suggests that there are patterns to the way people meet across religious boundaries. He helps us see the tension between our desire for religious coherence and our need to build bridges to avert conflict and foster good relations—the tension between integrity and openness. By the end of the book, readers will have a sense of the history of Christianity’s engagement with religious diversity, as well as tools to move interfaith life forward. Excellent for parish education and informal discussion groups, this eye-opening guide takes a vital step in our understanding of our roles in a world of religious diversity.

The Planet Mars

The Planet Mars PDF

Author: William Sheehan

Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Published: 2021-10-19

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 081654686X

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Twenty years after the Viking missions of the ’70s, we are finally going back to Mars. No fewer than ten missions are planned for the period between 1996 and 2003, and it is likely that human explorers will follow soon after--perhaps by the middle of the twenty-first century. When they do, they will owe much to the Mars of romance, to the early pioneers whose discoveries and disappointments are brought to life in The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery. In this timely and vividly written account, William Sheehan traces human fascination with Mars back to the naked-eye observers of the planet. He recalls the early telescopic observers who first made out enigmatic markings and polar caps on its surface. Through lively historical anecdotes, he describes in detail the debate over the so-called canals of Mars, which encouraged speculation that the planet might be inhabited. Finally, Sheehan describes more recent theories about the planet, leading up to the present, when unmanned spacecraft have enabled us to make giant strides in exploration. Well documented and sparked with human interest, this book will be a useful companion and guide in interpreting the barrage of headlines about Mars that is sure to come over the next few years. Amateurs will appreciate the contributions that have been made to Martian studies by people like themselves, and professionals will find much original material that has never before been published. The American Mars Global Surveyor is scheduled for launch in November 1996, and soon after the American Mars Pathfinder will make its way toward the red planet. A Russian mission consisting of an orbiter and two landers will be launched in October 1997. These space travelers will write a whole new chapter in the dramatic story of Mars, a planet whose exploration has only just begun. Astronomy Book Club main selection and selections of Book-of-the-Month Club and Quality Paperback Book Club.

Discovering Pluto

Discovering Pluto PDF

Author: Dale P. Cruikshank

Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Published: 2018-02-27

Total Pages: 502

ISBN-13: 0816534314

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The story of Pluto and its largest moon, from discovery through the New Horizons flyby--Provided by publisher.

Discovering Mars

Discovering Mars PDF

Author: William Sheehan

Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Published: 2021-11-09

Total Pages: 769

ISBN-13: 0816544247

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For millenia humans have considered Mars the most fascinating planet in our solar system. We’ve watched this Earth-like world first with the naked eye, then using telescopes, and, most recently, through robotic orbiters and landers and rovers on the surface. Historian William Sheehan and astronomer and planetary scientist Jim Bell combine their talents to tell a unique story of what we’ve learned by studying Mars through evolving technologies. What the eye sees as a mysterious red dot wandering through the sky becomes a blurry mirage of apparent seas, continents, and canals as viewed through Earth-based telescopes. Beginning with the Mariner and Viking missions of the 1960s and 1970s, space-based instruments and monitoring systems have flooded scientists with data on Mars’s meteorology and geology, and have even sought evidence of possible existence of life-forms on or beneath the surface. This knowledge has transformed our perception of the Red Planet and has provided clues for better understanding our own blue world. Discovering Mars vividly conveys the way our understanding of this other planet has grown from earliest times to the present. The story is epic in scope—an Iliad or Odyssey for our time, at least so far largely without the folly, greed, lust, and tragedy of those ancient stories. Instead, the narrative of our quest for the Red Planet has showcased some of our species’ most hopeful attributes: curiosity, cooperation, exploration, and the restless drive to understand our place in the larger universe. Sheehan and Bell have written an ambitious first draft of that narrative even as the latest chapters continue to be added both by researchers on Earth and our robotic emissaries on and around Mars, including the latest: the Perseverance rover and its Ingenuity helicopter drone, which set down in Mars’s Jezero Crater in February 2021.

The Worst Weather on Earth

The Worst Weather on Earth PDF

Author: William Lowell Putnam

Publisher: Light Technology Publishing

Published: 1991-06-01

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1622337018

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"There may be worse weather, from time to time, at some forbidding place on Planet Earth, but it has yet to be reliably recorded." So begins The Worst Weather on Earth: A History of the Mount Washington Observatory. Mount Washington, at 6,288 feet above sea level, is one of the highest elevations in the eastern United States and is subject to some of the fiercest weather patterns in the world. Situated close to major centers of population, it has been an accessible objective for travellers. The curious, the intrepid, the scientific -- Mount Washington has attracted them all. In this age of satellites and advanced instrumentation, the intricacies of weather observation are now taken for granted. However, not so long ago, weather was a blank on the scientific map of understanding. The Worst Weather on Earth chronicles the social and scientific milieu of those who have recorded the weather on the mountain for over one hundred years. Included are chapters such as "Radio on the Rockpile," which covers the pioneering days of radio broadcasting from the Summit, and "Rime and Reason," which presents a fascinating discussion of rime and the problems of icing that were researched extensively on the Summit. The Worst Weather on Earth is rendered more immediate by the liberal use of contemporary accounts; excerpts from letters, reports, and the log notes of the Summit observers abound, giving the flavor and the excitement of over a century of scientific observation and discovery.

How We Survived in UHF Television

How We Survived in UHF Television PDF

Author: William Lowell Putnam

Publisher: Light Technology Publishing

Published: 2011-12-04

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1622336968

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This personal narrative is co-authored by two of the best-known names in American UHF television broadcast management: Kathryn Kitty Broman Putnam and William Lowell Bill Putnam. During the first two decades of Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) television, when the established VHF (Very-High Frequency) stations dominated the TV marketplace, the Putnams built and operated three successful UHF outlets: WWLP-TV in Springfield, Massachusetts; WKEF-TV in Dayton, Ohio; and KSTU-TV in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kitty and Bill recall how they labored for survival during the dozen lean years between 1952 and 1964, and the events along their way to leadership in the world of advertiser-supported analog television. Included are several original poems written by Bill, and tantalizing recipes created for Kitty's long-running local cooking show.