The day the world discovered the sun : an extraordinary story of scientific adventure and the race to track the transit of Venus / Mark Anderson.

1st Da Capo Press ed.

Boston : Da Capo Press, c2012.

vii, 280 p., [4] p. of plates : ill., map ; 24 cm.

On June 3, 1769, the planet Venus briefly passed across the face of the sun in a cosmic alignment that occurs twice per century. Anticipation of the rare celestial event sparked a worldwide competition among aspiring global superpowers, each sending their own scientific expeditions to far-flung destinations to time the planet's trek. Anderson reveals the stories of three Venus Transit voyages-- to the heart of the Arctic, the New World, and the Pacific-- that risked every mortal peril of a candlelit age.

English

July 26, 2012

Includes bibliographical references and index.