13 h 24 minAudiobook4 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 13 h 24 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when the sky’s strangest stories meet the patient work of observation?
In Myths and Marvels of Astronomy, Richard A. Proctor explores the border between old beliefs and discoveries that sound like wonders. This collection of essays takes you through astrology, the pyramids of Egypt, comets and Saturn’s rings. An English astronomer writing for ordinary readers, Proctor asks where these ideas come from, why people hold them, and what observation reveals.
The questions are concrete: do the stars rule our lives, and does the Great Pyramid hide scientific knowledge in its measurements? Why do comets inspire fear? Proctor examines the claims without losing sight of the wonder that draws people to the heavens. His nineteenth-century perspective offers a guided look at how measurement slowly takes the place of guesswork.
What you’ll discover
- The roots of astrology Explore how watching regular movements in the sky gives rise to beliefs about human lives.
- Pyramids and hidden knowledge Follow Proctor as he weighs claims of deep scientific knowledge concealed in the Great Pyramid’s measurements.
- Comets and their fears Discover why sudden appearances and long tails make comets seem like warnings.
- Saturn’s remarkable rings Find a real celestial marvel that shows how discovery can be stranger than invention.
- Observation over guesswork Watch careful measurement challenge familiar stories while leaving room for wonder at the sky.
Who will love it
For curious readers who enjoy the history of science, old superstitions and clear explanations of astronomy, from astrology and comet fears to the wonders of Saturn's rings.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Astrology grew from watching the sky
- The pyramids invite more theory than proof
- Comets frightened people before they were understood
- Saturn's rings show real wonders need no myth
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Mythes et merveilles de l’astronomie
by Richard A. Proctor · 1878
Proctor tests astrology, pyramid lore and comet fears against observation, revealing how we come to know the sky.
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In short
Myths and Marvels of Astronomy is a book of essays by Richard A. Proctor, an English astronomer who spent his career explaining the heavens to ordinary readers.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Astrology grew from watching the sky
Proctor treats astrology as a belief with a real history. Early peoples saw that the sun, moon and planets moved in regular ways, and that the seasons followed the sun. It was natural to think that the heavens also shaped human affairs. Astrology was an attempt to read order into the sky and tie it to daily life.
He then shows why the belief lasted for centuries. Even learned men cast horoscopes. Vague predictions are easy to match to events after they happen. Hits are remembered, and misses are quietly forgotten. This is a lesson about human memory as much as about stars.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 4 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1878
- Language
- français
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Proctor, Richard A. Myths and Marvels of Astronomy. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-marvels-of-astronomy.
Proctor, R. A. (2026). Myths and marvels of astronomy. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-marvels-of-astronomy (Original work published 1878)
Proctor, Richard A. Myths and Marvels of Astronomy. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-marvels-of-astronomy.
@book{proctor2026myths,
author = {Proctor, Richard A.},
title = {Myths and Marvels of Astronomy},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/myths-and-marvels-of-astronomy},
note = {First published 1878}
}
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What is Myths and Marvels of Astronomy about?
It is a set of essays on old beliefs and real wonders of the sky. Proctor covers topics such as astrology, the pyramids, comets and Saturn's rings, and compares what people believed with what observation shows.
Who was Richard A. Proctor?
He was an English astronomer and science writer of the nineteenth century who died in 1888. He wrote many books and articles that explained astronomy to ordinary readers, and he lectured widely.
Is Myths and Marvels of Astronomy a true story?
It is not a story but a work of popular science. The essays discuss real history, real beliefs and real observations. It was written in the later nineteenth century.
The author
Richard A. Proctor
1837–1888 · English astronomer and science writer
Richard Anthony Proctor was an English astronomer and writer. He was born in Chelsea, London, in 1837 and died in New York City in 1888. His astronomy books included Other Worlds Than Ours (1870) and Myths and Marvels of Astronomy (1878). He founded the science magazine Knowledge in 1881.
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