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Description
Danish astronomer Ole Romer measures the speed of light using a crude telescope and a mechanical timepiece.
Quick Summary
Finding the Speed of Light is a breezy, 3,300-word adventure that drops readers into the mind of a 17th-century Danish astronomer who cracked one of science's biggest mysteries with nothing but a crude telescope and a hand-wound clock. It's perfect for middle-graders who love a good underdog story, especially those who think science is just equations here they'll see how a clever observation about Jupiter's moons turned into a eureka moment that rewired the world's understanding of light. The tone is friendly and lightly humorous, with sidebars that break down the basics of how Ole R mer timed the eclipses, so kids come away feeling like they could try the experiment themselves. Parents will appreciate that the book stays age-appropriate, with a dash of tension when R mer's predictions are on the line, but nothing too scary just a sense of wonder and accomplishment. If your child enjoys the quick, fact-packed style of the "Who Was?" biographies, they'll love this bite-size snapshot of a breakthrough that's still dazzling scientists today.