About Us

About the Author

Michael Chriss

Michael Chriss has spent a lifetime in teaching. He was educated in astronomy at the University of Arizona, with further studies in the history of art and science at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Oxford University. His career was at the College of San Mateo, teaching there since 1966 and where he was Chair of the Astronomy Department. His one man play, “Galileo Tonight!”, has been staged at many venues in Canada and the United States. And for over 30 years he has delighted audiences with his lectures on astronomy and related topics on the cruise ships of Royal Viking Line, Crystal Cruises, Holland America, and Viking. At the end of his career he returned to the University of Arizona, where he was walking history. Students taking his course there, “The Philosophy and History of Astronomical Thought”, have, what he calls, The Chriss Experience. That experience and this book come from that course. Michael continues to teach on, at his retirement community in Auburn California, where he now lives.

Books by Michael Chriss

Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered how people learned what they know about the sky? This book tells that story.

The Philosophy and History of Astronomical Thought takes you through thousands of years of discovery, from ancient sky watchers to modern scientists. This book takes us on a journey from the earliest humans who tracked the stars, to the Greek thinkers who searched for the truth about them, to people like Galileo, Newton, and Einstein whose ideas helped us understand the universe and the nature of truth. It is a journey which is not over.

The book explains the major ideas in astronomy and associated philosophy and shows how our view of the universe has changed over time and why that matters.

Written by a passionate teacher with years of experience, this book is perfect for students, teachers, and anyone who is curious about space and science, and how we came to our current beliefs about them.