Many of you might know something about the amazing story of astronomer Milton Humason. Born in 1891, he dropped out of school at age 14 and eventually became a mule skinner on Mt. Wilson, near Los Angeles, during the period of World War I. He then took a job as janitor at the newly inaugurated Mt. Wilson Observatory and self-educated to the point where he transformed into an astronomer, helping Edwin Hubble and others with crucially important research on the nature of galaxies and the universe.
Astronomy enthusiast Ronald L. Voller has produced a spectacularly rich and detailed biography of Humason, something we did not have until now. The new book is The Muleskinner and the Stars: The Life and Times of Milton La Salle Humason, Astronomer (196 pp., hardcover, Springer-Verlag, New York, 2015; $34.99, ISBN 978–1–4939–2879–8).
I highly recommend this thoroughly entertaining book to anyone who loves astronomy, scientific biography, or the power of the human spirit. It is a masterfully researched and entertaining work, and you will not be disappointed by making it a nightly companion.
Follow these links to see the Amazon page and the Springer page for the book.
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