Nowadays , we take enhanced telescopic images of the night sky for granted , but to reach this position of scientific study involved centuries of painstaking observation by scientists and astronomers who , if not ridiculed , were threatened for what were perceived as heretical ideas . As it charts this fascinating story , Discovering the Universe reveals How Stonehenge may have be used to predict eclipses and how Native Americans in New Mexico would watch the rising of the sun from special platforms • The part played by astronomical observatories in standardizing the measurement of time Why both professional and amateurs alike - from Copernicus , Gallileo and ton to the Herschels , Rutherford and Hubble- has had a part to play in the development of our knowledge of the Universe How astronomers are gleaning new information every day on everything from supernovae to bl holes and using remote - controlled technology ' send new missions to the furthest planets in the solar system . Containing stunning photography and original documents from archives around the world , including NASA and the Hubble Telescope , Discovering the Universe provides a truly illuminating account of man's devotion to the infinite world of astronomy .