by Tony Vinayak

In the past couple of months, I read a few books that delve into astronomy – some more than the others. Here is a short overview to help you decide if they are to your taste:

A Brief History of Time Keeping

The book delves into the art and science of keeping track of passage of time. We’ve all seen those sundials, hourglasses, grandfather clocks, and take for granted the quartz crystal buzzing away in that Rolex that is part of the heirloom. What mechanism does your iPhone use for telling time? Google it

The book is a fascinating journey through ages as humans discovered the periodicity and variations of days and seasons. How did we come to define 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour, rather than stick to decimal system? How did we arrive at the unintuitive distribution of number of days in each month of the year with no well-defined mathematical pattern? How long has the modern-day “Gregorian” calendar been around, and how did it come about? Lots of history covered in the book.

In latter chapters the book also delves into my favorite topic: General Theory of Relativity, how gravity bends light, and, gasp, how gravity impacts time and its consequences on timekeeping.

The book does delve into fair bit of physics along the way, so it is definitely for those who like that subject.

Our Moon

The book’s author was actually on one of our monthly meets, which spurred me to get a copy of the book.

If you were to be walking around on moon, would there be any odor you would smell? Is it all black-and-white on its terrain, or are there some dashes of color? Why do astronauts feel disoriented when they walk on moon? Is moondust for real? How was moon created billions of years ago? Does the phase of moon really have impact on our moods? Is it a coincidence that human menstrual cycle is similar in duration as a lunar month? How much did people know about moon before Galileo peered through his telescope? Why does moon still hold fascination for human landings and exploration?

If these are the questions that pique your interest, then this book is for you. Rebecca is a science journalist who did a thorough research on moon to compile this dossier. The editing could’ve been a bit tighter though as, as times, the book gets a bit repetitive. All in all, a fascinating read.

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth

Col. Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut who made several trips to space aboard the Space Shuttle and Soyuz spacecrafts and spent a good amount of time on the International Space Station (ISS). This book is his memoir of his experiences: the prep work that goes into becoming and Astronaut, what the lift-off experience is like, life inside the ISS, the hard landing upon return.

Book explains in much detail how life in space is different from life on earth. Absence of gravity manifests itself in very many surprising ways in space. When you brush your teeth, you have no choice but to swallow the toothpaste (yuck). Your spine grows a couple of inches due to decompression. You invariably get congested in your sinuses since the fluids have nowhere to settle. Your cardiovascular system atrophies due to gross underuse. But those magnificent views from up there! It takes a day of recovery on earth for every day spent in space. Col. Hadfield spent five months in space in his final mission, so the recovery time upon arrival was inordinate.

A well-written book, with much attention to detail. Enjoyed it. I still harbor the desire for space tourism – hopefully it will be an affordable reality in my lifetime!