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IN THE first of a trilogy of novels based around the history of astronomy, Stuart Clark charts the struggle between helio and geocentric models of the solar system, through the life stories of Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei. The story’s backdrop is the great Christian schism and widespread fears surrounding the Jesuits, witchcraft and the Inquisition.

He preserves the important facts while skillfully immersing the reader in the turbulent events of 17th-century Europe. We follow Kepler’s almost interminable compilation of a set of star and planet data of unprecedented accuracy called the Rudolphine Tables, which led on from his work for astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Clark paints a less favourable picture of Galileo and his politically naive clashes with the Catholic Church, which led to his difficulties with the Inquisition.

If Kepler wasn’t already your favourite historical astronomer, he will be after reading this book.