INTRODUCTION
Man and the stars
SECTION I
The dawn of astronomy: Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Biblical Cosmos
SECTION II
The cosmos becomes a sphere
SECTION III
The geometry of the cosmos
SECTION IV
The skies of Islam
SECTION V
Evangelisation of the cosmos
SECTION VI
The Renaissance of Astronomy
SECTION VII
Galileo: the cosmos through the telescope
SECTION VIII
From Galileo to Newton
Hyginus’
De Astronomia
Bianchini’s planisphere
Ptolemy: the geometry of the spheres
Instruments, the measure of time, and calendars
An alternative to Ptolemy
Bianchini’s planisphere
Bianchini’s planisphere
