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Accidental astronomy : how random discoveries shape the science of space
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2024
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Library Journal Review
Will humans will ever find life on other planets or make contact with entities in outer space? That is just one of the topics explored in this latest book by Lintott (astrophysics, Univ. of Oxford; The Crowd and the Cosmos: Adventures in the Zooniverse). Perhaps best known for his presenter role on the BBC series The Sky at Night, Lintott is also a leader on Zooniverse, the citizen science platform, and a passionate science communicator who studies galaxy formation. His book focuses on the inadvertent and unexpected nature of findings in the field of astronomy, and it's a fun and engaging read. It's brimming with fascinating tales of surprising and often unforeseen discoveries made by scientists--both experts and amateurs--who dared to investigate the fathomless mysteries of the universe. VERDICT A captivating and approachable narrative. The book's footnotes are a particular highlight, reminiscent of novelist Terry Pratchett's witty and humorous writing style. This title is sure to educate and delight general readers and astronomy enthusiasts and will make an excellent addition to any science collection.--Jennifer Moore
Publishers Weekly Review
In this stimulating study, Lintott (The Crowd and the Cosmos), an astrophysics professor at Oxford University, surveys occasions "when astronomers have stumbled on new truths about the cosmos, either through unexpected discoveries or by suddenly finding new ways to explore." For example, Lintott explains how in the 1960s two engineers attempting to build a massive antenna for terrestrial radio communication ended up detecting microwave radiation from the big bang, proving the event's immediate aftermath "left the Universe in a hot dense state." In the late 2010s, a Cardiff University researcher trying to show that Hawaii's James Clerk Maxwell Telescope could make observations at a certain frequency range unexpectedly found evidence of phosphine molecules (considered a signature of life) in Venus's atmosphere, suggesting that the planet may have at one time harbored living organisms. Abundant footnotes aim to amuse but end up distracting (one laments the "extortionate" data roaming fees that would result from bringing a cell phone to Jupiter). However, they don't detract from detailed case studies that depict the scientific process as detective work. For instance, Lintott describes how astronomers deduced the elongated shape and possible composition of the interstellar object 'Oumuamua, whose passage through our solar system in 2017 took scientists by surprise, from data showing it varied in brightness and lacked a comet's tail. The result is an illuminating look at chance's role in science. Photos. Agent: Will Francis, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (June)
Booklist Review
Lintott's awe-inspiring reflections on the universe's unknowable origin and development is fused with a distinctly human idea, that many of the most profound discoveries in astronomy were not made by "deliberate moves," but rather by "stumbling accidents." A professor of astrophysics at Oxford, Lintott begins by reviewing signals and the telescopes and technology engineered to capture possible alien communications, such as 1977's 'Wow!' signal that remains a mystery to this day. Lintott writes about Saturn's moon, Enceladus, where, in 2005, the Cassini probe chanced a pass so close that data gathered revealed a subterranean saltwater ocean. Water and the warmth created by tidal forces makes Enceladus a candidate for harboring life. Closer to the sun, Lintott examines Venus, phosphine, and the sliver of possibly habitable atmosphere high above its roiling surface. Expanding beyond the solar system, Lintott analyzes images from the Hubble, the JWST, and other magnificent telescopes. That we can monitor light approximately 400,000 years after the Big Bang, that we now know there are countless stars, innumerable and perhaps habitable planets and moons, that we know our sun is here due to a cascade of cosmic coincidences, is testament to human ingenuity and discoveries, many made by chance, and perhaps only the start to our understanding of the universe and possible life within it.
Kirkus Review
An astrophysicist examines why "we exist as the result of a chain of countless accidents." Having written a popular account of his subject in Bang! The Complete History of the Universe, Lintott, professor of astrophysics at Oxford, writes another that steps back to remind readers that, until the past century and with the exception of the Earth, astronomers dealt with subjects that were out of reach. Unable to perform experiments, they attempted to explain what they saw with a confidence that was not always justified, and they regularly changed their minds. "Whenever we have looked longer, deeper, farther or in new ways at the Universe, it has surprised us," writes the author. In reality, the surprises are almost always phenomena that were there all the time. Perhaps the most unwelcome would be one of the roughly 800,000 known asteroids striking the Earth. About 20,000 cross our orbit, with plenty of experts tracking their progress. They assure us that a disastrous collision is guaranteed, if unlikely--similar to the odds of dying in a plane crash. Discovery of the first planets around other stars produced headlines, but it's now clear that uncounted numbers exist. That surprise is sure to be dwarfed by the first evidence of life beyond Earth. Being alive requires so many wildly complex processes that life's development on Earth may be unique, although this is a minority view. Most astronomers believe that life is inevitable given certain conditions, and the presence of billions of earthlike planets in our galaxy alone gives cause for hope. Enthusiasts may gnash their teeth at Lintott's lack of interest in UFOs and insistence that hard evidence for alien life forms is nonexistent, but he is a diligent scientist, and the discovery of a single one will convince experts that the universe is well populated. An entertaining astronomical miscellany. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary
A "riveting real-life Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" ( The Telegraph ), told "with an engaging voice, a diverting sense of humor, and a humble awe for the wonders of the universe" ( Wall Street Journal ), shows why so much of astronomy comes down to looking up and lucking out



If you learn about the scientific method, you learn that first we hypothesize about something we've experienced, and then we look for more of it. This works well enough--but what if you are interested in studying a heretofore unknown comet or supernova? That is the essential problem of the astronomer: the most important discoveries happen without notice! 

 

Indeed, as Chris Lintott argues in Accidental Astronomy , luck defines astronomy. Lintott explores the ways in which happenstance shapes how we investigate the sky. To catch a glimpse of a comet, asteroid, or even a sign of alien life, we must be in the right place at the right time. And if we can't be there, we must have a team of professionals and amateurs, across the globe, ready to spring into action at a moment's--or a night's--notice. For any astronomer, regardless of their experience or resources, the first step to discovery is the same: to stare at the sky and wait. 

 

A celebration of astronomy, stargazing, and cosmic discovery, Accidental Astronomy offers an irresistible window into how luck defines our knowledge of the skies. 
Table of Contents
Introduction: Accidental Astronomy1
Chapter 1Is It Aliens?21
Chapter 2The Fountains of Enceladus61
Chapter 3The Scout from Really, Really Far Away87
Chapter 4Celestial Vermin113
Chapter 5Penguins over Venus139
Chapter 6Staring into Space165
Chapter 7Listening to the Universe189
Chapter 8The Oldest Light of All221
Chapter 9The Changing Sky249
Acknowledgments285
Glossary287
Further Reading291
Index301
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