Seeing in the Dark: How Amateur Astronomers Are Discovering the Wonders of the Universe

Written by Timothy Ferris

Narrated by Timothy Ferris

There is a major revolution sweeping astronomy as amateur astronomers, linked by the Internet, make important discoveries that are the envy of the professionals. In Seeing in the Dark, Timothy Ferris invites us all to become stargazers, capturing the exquisite experience when ancient starlight strikes the eye and incites the mind. He reports from around the globe—from England to the Chilean Andes—on the popular movement that's putting millions in touch with the night sky. Ferris offers a magical description of what is out there to be seen—from the rings of Saturn to remote quasars whose light is older than Earth—and how to find them. Reminding us that the universe is accessible to all, Seeing in the Dark is a poetic love letter to science and the skies, encouraging us to make the glories of the stars a part of our lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phoenix Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 1, 2002
• ISBN: 9781597777742

Timothy Ferris

Timothy Ferris's works include Seeing in the Dark, The Mind's Sky (both New York Times best books of the year), and The Whole Shebang (listed by American Scientist as one of the one hundred most influential books of the twentieth century). A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Ferris has taught in five disciplines at four universities. He is an emeritus professor at the University of California, Berkeley and a former editor of Rolling Stone. His articles and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, National Geographic, Scientific American, The Nation, The New Republic, The New York Review of Books, The New York Times Book Review, and many other publications. A contributor to CNN and National Public Radio, Ferris has made three prime-time PBS television specials: The Creation of the Universe, Life Beyond Earth, and Seeing in the Dark. He lives in San Francisco.