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<\/figure><\/div>\n\nEdited by Virginia Trimble and David A Weintraub <\/strong>Princeton University Press <\/p>\n\n \u00a325 HB <\/p>\n\n This book will make you both very angry and amazingly awestruck all at the same time. The energy and enthusiasm in the editors\u2019 prelude alone is infectious. This is a book with an agenda: to allow women \u2013 many of whom have battled decades of institutional sexism \u2013 to tell the stories of their lives and work. This stands out from other \u2018women in science\u2019 books, partly due to the sheer number of women included and partly because of the breadth of experiences it incorporates, all told in the women\u2019s own words.<\/p>\n\n The book begins with a prelude by editors Trimble and Weintraub setting out their intent \u2013 to tell the lives of women in astronomy across the world \u2013 and explaining some of the problems they encountered putting the book together. Chapter one gives short biographies of a large number of historical women in science from 1600 onwards, alongside some pretty shocking facts and dates about some of the barriers women in astronomy have faced. There then follows the stories of 37 female astronomers, told in their own words.<\/p>\n\n This book really makes you think, not only about what these women have achieved, but also about how ridiculous the gender disparity is, and how utterly indefensible the actions of so many male astronomers have been over the years. How, I wondered as I read this, did so many male academics justify offering work and then retracting it, backtracking on pay and introducing arbitrary rules just to make these women\u2019s lives more difficult? Interestingly, many of the women featured married fellow astronomers and this comes across as a very likely reason for them sticking it out when so many other women must surely have been put off and left.<\/p>\n\n One problem, always true of collections of anecdotal experience, is how much we can generalise. From this collection we can only really say what these particular women, who agreed to contribute, experienced. But it is an amazing starting point that will, I hope, inspire many future research projects. An excellent book for anyone interested in astronomy and anyone who ever asked: why have there been so few women? <\/p>\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n Emily Winterburn <\/strong>is a science historian and author of <\/em>The Quiet Revolution of Caroline Herschel <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n What barriers have women astronomers faced throughout history? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n At many times and places, women were not welcome at universities and couldn\u2019t prepare for serious astronomical careers. When they finally did have access only to first (bachelors\u2019) degrees, a position as an observatory computer was about as high as they could aim. Families didn\u2019t always want their women out earning a living and perhaps didn\u2019t want them spending nights alone at a telescope or, worse, with male colleagues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Who were your astronomy role models? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m the only child of a chemist father and retired title-insurance secretary mother, and I once thought I would just grow up, marry and support a family. The first woman astronomer I encountered \u2013 professor of the first astronomy class I took at UCLA \u2013 was Maude Makemson. She was also the first astronomy professor of Vera Cooper (later Rubin). I didn\u2019t set out to be an astronomer. I sort of fell into the territory, which I have never \u2013 well hardly ever (to quote the Captain of the Pinafore) \u2013 regretted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do restrictions remain for women astronomers today? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Demographic research suggests there is still implicit bias against women that affects their chances of graduate admissions, acceptance of papers, funding of proposals, employability, receipt of awards and so forth. Many battles have been won in developed and\/or Europeanised countries, but in some countries even access to intermediate-level education for women is greatly restricted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Virginia Trimble <\/strong>is Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n Colin Burgess <\/strong>Reaktion<\/p>\n\n \u00a325 HB <\/p>\n\n Decades ago, space theorist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky wrote: \u201cI have no difficulty imagining the first man overcoming Earth\u2019s gravity and rushing into space. He is a Russian, a citizen of the Soviet Union.\u201d Twenty-five years after his death, Tsiolkovsky\u2019s prophesy came to pass when Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth on 12 April 1961. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics made a significant contribution to human space exploration, but we rarely hear the full breadth of its involvement.<\/p>\n\n Soviets in Space <\/em>is a delightful short read that captures every moment between the \u2018Rocket Enterprise\u2019 of 1680 Moscow, up to 2021 and the 60th anniversary of Gagarin\u2019s pioneering orbit.<\/p>\n\n The book is packed with facts about lesser-known missions: for instance, Laika was the first dog to orbit Earth, in 1957, but six years earlier, pooches Tsygan (Gypsy) and Dezik were the first animals in space. And while Burgess lists every cosmonaut, spacecraft, space station, engineer and mission plan, the real treat is his ability to conjure the world of space exploration in the Soviet Union at that time. Nicely paced with an easy style, the book leaves the reader with a better appreciation of the depth of work achieved by the Soviet space sector, including rocket engineer Sergei Korolev\u2019s pivotal role and how his untimely death marked the end of the Cold War Space Race. This is a great resource: one for both personal and public library shelves.<\/p>\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n Niamh Shaw <\/strong>is a space writer and a science communicator <\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Daniel E Barth <\/strong>Springer <\/p>\n\n \u00a324.99 PB <\/p>\n\n \u201cOn the day you decide to become a telescope owner\u2026 you become a teacher too\u201d, writes Daniel E Barth in his introduction, and this is so true. As such, this book an absolute must-have for anybody involved with astronomy teaching or outreach at any level. <\/p>\n\n Star Mentor <\/em>is packed with fantastic activities that can be used as teaching aids. Some involve the reader making models for demonstrations, but many are designed as group activities for the classroom or an outreach event, all using low-cost and readily available materials. There are also in-depth astronomy observation and sketching activities and, in the final chapters, a beginner\u2019s guide to telescopes and binoculars.<\/p>\n\n Each section begins with background information and facts, followed by detailed activity instructions. The sections end with an opportunity to reflect on the learning outcomes and include suggested follow-up activities. These vary from simple demonstrations, such as \u2018What Shape is the Moon?\u2019 to demonstrating complex theories such as \u2018Planetary Rings and the Roche Limit\u2019.<\/p>\n\n There are sections that would benefit from additional photos to show the finished models, such as \u2018Exploring Craters in Plaster\u2019 and \u2018How Big is the Moon\u2019s Orbit?\u2019, but overall this book is a truly fantastic resource that will benefit every outreach astronomer, as well as any lone astronomers wanting to improve their observational skills. <\/p>\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n Mary McIntyre <\/strong>is an astronomy writer, speaker and educator <\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n Elizabeth Howell, Nicholas Booth <\/strong>Arcade Publishing <\/p>\n\n \u00a312.99 PB <\/p>\n\n Robotic rovers have been exploring Mars since before Christopher Eccleston was announced as Doctor Who. With new images and findings mounting up constantly, think of this book as a catch-up, assembled from a quarter of a century of Mars exploration interviews. <\/p>\n\n The authors have eyes for detail: we learn how the Curiosity rover and InSight lander see the same clouds from differing angles, being only 400km apart; how the tracks of Curiosity\u2019s wheels spell out \u2018JPL\u2019 in Morse code; how the Perseverance rover carried a Martian meteorite from Earth back to Mars for instrument calibration. <\/p>\n\n The chronology is confusing, however, rather like that of ancient Mars itself. The InSight and Maven missions are covered before Curiosity, then come early Mariner probes and Viking landers, progressing across a 21-year lander gap to microwaveoven-sized Sojourner commencing Mars\u2019s rover era, before moving on to NASA\u2019s latest, Perseverance. The Spirit and Opportunity rovers are largely neglected. <\/p>\n\n While coverage of ESA\u2019s ExoMars rover is sadly outdated now that the war in Ukraine has stranded it on Earth, the plans for the Mars Sample Return mission are eyebrow-raising: a pinpoint landing by NASA within 7.5km of the samplegathering Perseverance, where ESA\u2019s Fetch rover will drive faster than any rover before it to retrieve the samples while outracing freezing winter (as it lacks nuclear heaters). Then the sample container will slam into Earth with no parachute. It might be simpler just to send people\u2026 <\/p>\n\n This book has the right ingredients, but its meandering structure means it is not the clear-cut \u2018detective story\u2019 it promises.<\/p>\n\n \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n Sean Blair <\/strong>writes for the European Space Agency website <\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n <\/p>\n\n New astronomy and space titles reviewed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":33810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"94","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"94","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_94-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_94-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"August-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"August-2022","purple_external_id":"August-2022-94-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"August-2022-94-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086555||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086555||","purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.skyatnight.207","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"075fab74-0a21-4201-866a-899d6c41c40c","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[14],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7.jpg",565,857,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7-198x300.jpg",198,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7.jpg",565,857,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7.jpg",565,857,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7.jpg",565,857,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/0443b479-c3a5-4d03-a833-12e202c582a7.jpg",565,857,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"New astronomy and space titles reviewed","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33816"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33816"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35669,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33816\/revisions\/35669"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/77\/2022\/07\/9e26f253-0320-475f-a9e7-a078b0054ef1.jpg\")
Interview with the editor<\/strong> Virginia Trimble <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSoviets in Space <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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\n\nStar Mentor <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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\n\nThe Search for Life on Mars <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
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