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The Life and Times of the Telescope
by Fred Watson
Book Reviewed by:'Provides a fine overview of the 400-year history of the telescope...Watson relates intriguing stories while providing them with a rich cultural context...gathering all of this material in one place and presenting it in such an engaging style is a considerable accomplishment.'
The telescope is undoubtedly one of the world's most
far-reaching inventions. For the past four centuries the telescope has stood at
the forefront of human discovery. From its humble beginnings in
seventeenth-century Holland, when a simple spectacle-maker first presented his
invention to his country's military leaders, to today's colossal structures
housed in space-age cathedrals, the telescope has unlocked nature's secrets. And
in the past decade, the Hubble Space Telescope has brought us to the very edges
of the universe, and the very beginning of time. How did the telescope—a potent
mix of art, science, and engineering—reach its present level of sophistication?
The history of the telescope is a rich story of human ingenuity and perseverance
involving some of the most colorful figures of the scientific world—Galileo,
Johann Kepler, Isaac Newton, William Herschel, George Ellery Hale, and Edwin
Hubble. Stargazer brings to life the story of these brilliant, and sometime
quirky, scientists as they turned their eyes and ideas beyond what anyone
thought possible. Professor Fred Watson, one of Australia's top astronomers,
writes clearly and skillfully, without technical jargon but with a dash of
humor, explaining the science and technology behind the telescope, and the
enormous impact that it has had for four hundred years on how we have come to
understand our universe.
Chapter 1
Power Telescopes
Boldly Into The New Millenium
There is no better way to sample the state of the art of
telescope-building—nor the promise of what is to come—than by
attending an international telescope symposium, and that is where we start our
story. Such events are not everyday occurrences, but the year 2000 saw a
gathering of such significance that its deliberations will reverberate long and
loud through the annals of astronomy. It was a very large meeting, embracing no
less than thirteen separate conferences. It attracted 1,300 scientists,
engineers, directors of institutions and household-name professors, all with a
common interest in the tools of the astronomer's trade. In that broad forum, the
mysteries of the Universe met the nuts and bolts of engineering, and in the
willing hands of its participants lay the future of the telescope.
The symposium's title brashly declared its spirit: 'Power
Telescopes and ...
If you're passionate about astronomy and things scientific this is obviously a book not to miss; however, even if you're not particularly interested in science you'll likely enjoy browsing this expansive excerpt which will take you on a whistle-stop tour of modern astronomers and their very big toys,..continued
Full Review
(154 words)
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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Dr Fred Watson is Astronomer-in-Charge of the Anglo-Australian Observatory at Coonabarabran in central New South Wales, where he is responsible for the scientific output of Australia's largest optical telescope. His articles have appeared in many well-known journals, including New Scientist, Sky & Telescope and Astronomy Now. He is a frequent broadcaster, and has a monthly phone in show on Australian radio.
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