John Stanley Plaskett was Canada’s pre-eminent astronomer in the first half of the twentieth century. His legacy lives on in the observatory he founded in Victoria, British Columbia, and the reputation he built for Canada as a nation making vital contributions to basic science. Plaskett’s pioneering work with the most massive stars and his definitive determination of the rotation of the Milky Way Galaxy earned him international recognition of the highest order.

Northern Star explores Plaskett’s unorthodox and fascinating life from his rural roots near Woodstock, Ontario through his days as a technician at the University of Toronto to his initiation in astronomy at the Dominion Observatory in Ottawa. His greatest achievements followed after he persuaded the government of Canada, in spite of the strictures of the First World War, to finance what was then the world’s largest operational telescope. Peter Broughton’s accessible and engaging prose illuminates Plaskett’s numerous achievements and the social, political, economic, and religious milieu surrounding them. This richly illustrated volume invites readers to understand the pull that Plaskett’s passions, personality, and motivations exerted on him during his lifetime.

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"Plaskett’s legacy is covered nicely in this well-produced volume, and that, of course, includes his son, Harry, who became the Savilian Professor at Oxford. The first of the appendices lists his many publications; copious Notes follow – 90 pages of them – and a comprehensive Index concludes the book. A number of monochrome photos help bring the story to life."

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"This is a book that needed to be written. Its appeal may fall between the general public readership and that of active astronomers, but many passages bridge that gap, and it is evident that nothing has been omitted for those who crave detail and further reference. Northern Star will stand as a complete and thorough record of a remarkable Canadian, a definitive account of what he gave to the country and to the world of science."

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"The fact that Broughton was able to write an engaging narrative and produce a most valuable and profusely illustrated book in the history of twentieth century astronomy is a testament to his skills in this labour of love biography."

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"The book’s great strength is the range and depth of Broughton’s research. So thorough it is that it is hard to imagine anyone unearthing any more significant information about Plaskett. Broughton fashions his judgements carefully; the evidence he presents makes a compelling case for Plaskett as a skilled observational astronomer and highly talented institution builder."