Includes bibliographical references (p. 385-392) and index.
The naked-eye view of the sky -- Thomas Wright: visionary of stellar systems -- William Herschel: natural historian of the universe -- Wilhelm Struve: seeker of parallax -- William Huggins: pioneer of the new astronomy -- Jacobus Kapteyn: mastermind without a telescope -- Harlow Shapley: champion of the big galaxy -- Edwin Hubble: redeemer of island universes -- The Milky Way revealed.