On the desolate, snow-topped peak of the highest mountain in Hawaii the view of the heavens is truly breathtaking. Since the "discovery" of Mauna Kea in 1963, astronomers worldwide have been vying for the opportunity to stargaze from its vantage point. Nine domes now stand on the peak, making this the world's largest observatory complex. Each dome is the brainchild of extraordinary scientists - pioneers who, amidst fierce competition and frigid, treacherous conditions - fought for their dreams to build the largest, most magnificent telescopes on Earth. Barry Parker, award-winning science writer, relates the intriguing stories of the founding of this observatory complex and goes on to interview some of the great astronomers of our time as they work at this inspiring site. Bringing the public for the first time into the rarefied air of the control rooms, Parker describes what marvelous challenges these astronomers pursue, night after night, through these massive telescopes. Using brilliant, colorful images from the world's most powerful infrared telescopes and data taken by the enormous Keck telescope - the largest in the world - the scientists at Mauna Kea capture visions of the most distant galaxies ever seen, and use them to look deeply into our past to try to determine our future. Through imagination and genius, the scientists at Mauna Kea have made significant strides in formulating answers to the most fascinating astronomical questions. What can the exploding galaxies in the outer reaches of space tell us about our universe in its infancy? Could the enormous black holes at the cores of galaxies actually be "seeds," central to forming these vast systems of stars? Will our universe, like a dying star, come to an end, and, if so, what dramatic events will lead to this fate? Parker clearly and eloquently explains the theories of these astronomers and describes one of their most ambitious efforts-the quest of finding life in other galaxies. Parker, whose earlier work The New York Times Book Review called "physics for poets," has penned a new masterpiece. This unforgettable book evokes the excitement of living and working at this exquisite site and dares us to imagine the awesome forces that power and shape our universe.

Challenges of Astronomy in a unique collection of thirty astronomy experiments ranging from ancient astronomy to cosmology. Each of the experiments contains one or more challenges for the reader. The progression is from the Earth outward through the solar system to the stellar and galactic realm. Topics include the shape of the sky, Stonehenge as a stoneage abacus, determination of the size of the Earth, the distance of the Moon and planets, Kepler's laws, planetary mass and density, the temperatures and atmospheres of planets, the speed of light, the distances of stars, the nature of the quiet and active Sun, photometry and spectroscopy, stars clusters and variable stars, fundamental properties of stars, and Olber's paradox. Challenges of Astronomy is a translation and extensive revision of a German-language resource book for secondary school teachers of science. Physical science teachers will find this edition too a rich resource of experiments to their own milieus, but it is suitable for many other English-language readers too, from northern and southern hemisphere locations. The beginning experiments are suitable for bright high school and non-science major university students while the later experiments which offer increasingly difficult challenges are more suitable for sciences majors. Amateurs with a variety of skills will find this hands-on book entertaining, informative, and useful.

It is a pleasure to present this work, which has been well received in German-speaking countries through four editions, to the English-speaking reader. We feel that this is a unique publication in that it contains valuable material that cannot easily-if at all-be found elsewhere. We are grateful to the authors for reading through the English version of the text, and for responding promptly (for the most part) to our queries. Several authors have supplied us, on their own initiative or at our suggestion, with revised and updated manuscripts and with supplementary English references. We have striven to achieve a translation of Handbuch fUr Sternfreunde which accurately presents the qualitative and quantitative scientific principles con tained within each chapter while maintaining the flavor of the original Ger man text. Where appropriate, we have inserted footnotes to clarify material which may have a different meaning and/or application in English-speaking countries from that in Germany. When the first English edition of this work, Astronomy: A Handbook (translated by the late A. Beer), appeared in 1975, it contained 21 chapters. This new edition is over twice the length and contains 28 authored chap ters in three volumes. At Springer's request, we have devised a new title, Compendium of Practical Astronomy, to more accurately reflect the broad spectrum of topics and the vast body of information contained within these pages."

It is a pleasure to present this work, which has been well received in Gennan-speaking countries through four editions, to the English-speaking reader. We feel that this is a unique publication in that it contains valuable material that cannot easily-if at all-be found elsewhere. We are grateful to the authors for reading through the English version of the text, and for responding promptly (for the most part) to our queries. Several authors have supplied us, on their own initiative or at our suggestion, with revised and updated manuscripts and with supplementary English references. We have striven to achieve a translation of H andbuch flir Sternfreunde which accurately presents the qualitative and quantitative scientific principles con tained within each chapter while maintaining the flavor of the original Ger man text. Where appropriate, we have inserted footnotes to clarify material which may have a different meaning and/or application in English-speaking countries from that in Gennany. When the first English edition of this work, Astronomy: A Handbook (translated by the late A. Beer), appeared in 1975, it contained 21 chapters. This new edition is over twice the length and contains 28 authored chap ters in three volumes. At Springer's request, we have devised a new title, Compendium of Practical Astronomy, to more accurately reflect the broad spectrum of topics and the vast body of infonnation contained within these pages.

Outstanding progress in near-infrared detection technology and in real-time image processing has led astronomers to start undertaking all-sky surveys in the 1--2 mum range (project DENIS in Europe and 2MASS in the U.S.A.), surveys which will have a considerable impact in various areas of astronomy. This book gathers the contributions of more than 80 specialists involved in fields of interest as different as low mass stars, late stages of stellar evolution, star formation, stellar populations of the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, the local structure of the Universe, and observational cosmology. It describes the impact on these fields of the exhaustive data bases and catalogs of stars and galaxies that these surveys will provide. The considerable interest of these documents for the future of infrared space and ground-based projects and the complementarity with other currently ongoing or planned surveys in other spectral ranges are emphasized.

H.T. MacGilLIVRAY Royal Observatory Blackford Hill Edinburgh EH9 3HJ Scotland U.K. lAU Symposium No. 161 on 'Astronomy from Wide-Field Imaging', held in Potsdam, Germany, during 23-27th August 1993, was the first conference organised by the recently-formed Working Group of lAU Commission 9 on 'Wide-Field Imaging'. This Working Group was instigated during the XXIst meeting of the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union in Buenos Aires in 1991, and represented a merging of the former formal lAU Working Group on 'Astronomical Photography' and the informal 'Digitised Optical Sky Surveys' Working Group. Dr. Richard West was 'invited' to be Chairperson, and hence was given the daunting task of organising the Group from scratch. The very fact that the first conference after only two years was a major lAU Symposium says much about the determination and enthusiasm of Richard West to fulfilling the aims of the new Working Group. The siting of the conference in Potsdam in formerly East Germany provided an excellent opportunity to advantage from the political changes in Eastern Europe. Good access to the meeting was possible by scientists from Eastern European countries, allowing exchange of information on the very important Wide-Field facilities in both East and West, information on the rich archives of photographic plates that exist in both East and West, and allowing discussions between scientists facing very similar problems in both East and West.

The idea for another conference on the theme of Infrared Astronomy with Arrays actually goes back to March 1987. At a party held in my home at the end of the Hilo conference, excitement was running high and everyone present was in favor of another meeting. I recall suggesting to Al Fowler that the next meeting could be in Tucson. Despite Al's reply to the effect that Hawaii was a much nicer location, a meeting was held in Tucson three years later. That meeting focussed more on the astrophysics which had been accomplished with the detectors, rather than on techniques and methods. However, it was already apparent in February of 1990 that a new generation of larger m arrays would soon supersede the 64x64 class of devices and so, having just moved from the UK Infrared Telescope unit in Hawaii to join with Eric Becklin in his move to UCLA, it seemed to me that another Hilo-style conference was appropriate, and Eric agreed.

There is deep mystery and profound satisfaction in finding your position on earth by reference to the sun, moon, and stars--not to mention profound relief when the GPS receiver stops working in mid-passage. That is why knowledge of celestial navigation is still a rite of initiation, and its practice still a favorite pastime among serious cruisers.

That this edition of Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen should appear 44 years after the first British edition and 27 years after its first publication in the U.S. is eloquent testimony to the authors clear, concise explanation of a difficult skill. Through those years, Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen has been the best-known, best-loved primer on the subject throughout the English-speaking world. It successfully teaches sailors who have been demoralized by bigger books. It remains the famous little book on celestial navigation.

Among other changes, this edition substitutes the Nautical Almanac for the Air Almanac, discusses the short tables based on H.O. 211, expands the discussion in a few areas, fine-tunes it in others, and shows how to advance a line of position for a running fix from sun sights. The only mathematics involved are straightforward addition and subtraction.

Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen has spawned many imitators over the years, but its still the best--with this new edition more than ever.

The 1990s are proving to be a very exciting p&iod for high angular resolution astronomy. At radio wavelengths a combination of new array instruments and pow erful imaging algorithms have generated images of unprecedented resolution and quality. In the optical and infrared, the great technical difficulties associated with constructing separated-aperture interferometers have been largely overcome, and many new instruments are now operating or are being developed. As these pro grams start to produce observational results they will be able to draw extensively on the experience gained by the radio-interferometry community. Thus it seemed that the time was ripe for a meeting which would bring together workers from all wavelength ranges to discuss the details of the science and art of "Very High Angular Resolution Imaging" . While the main emphasis of Symposium No. 158 was on high resolution tech niques from the radio, mm-wave, infrared and optical bands, it also provided an opportunity for presentation of astronomical results from these techniques. As well as giving our colleagues from the Northern Hemisphere a break from midwinter, the location of the Symposium in Australia recognised the continuing development of astronomical interferometry in this country, especially the recent completion of the Australia Telescope radio array, and the progress toward com missioning of the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer. A number of the par ticipants visited these instruments during the post-symposium tour."

The 1990s are proving to be a very exciting p&iod for high angular resolution astronomy. At radio wavelengths a combination of new array instruments and pow erful imaging algorithms have generated images of unprecedented resolution and quality. In the optical and infrared, the great technical difficulties associated with constructing separated-aperture interferometers have been largely overcome, and many new instruments are now operating or are being developed. As these pro grams start to produce observational results they will be able to draw extensively on the experience gained by the radio-interferometry community. Thus it seemed that the time was ripe for a meeting which would bring together workers from all wavelength ranges to discuss the details of the science and art of "Very High Angular Resolution Imaging" . While the main emphasis of Symposium No. 158 was on high resolution tech niques from the radio, mm-wave, infrared and optical bands, it also provided an opportunity for presentation of astronomical results from these techniques. As well as giving our colleagues from the Northern Hemisphere a break from midwinter, the location of the Symposium in Australia recognised the continuing development of astronomical interferometry in this country, especially the recent completion of the Australia Telescope radio array, and the progress toward com missioning of the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer. A number of the par ticipants visited these instruments during the post-symposium tour."

A reprint edition of a 1966 biography of foremost astronomer George Ellery Hale, who laid much of the foundation of modern astrophysics and observational cosmology. He's best known for the planning and building of the 200-inch Hale Telescope of the Palomar Mountain Observatory. This book features a new introduction by Allan Sandage and an index not included in the original work. Since the history of astrophysics is mostly undocumented, this work provides a rare look at Hale's scientific achievements: his invention of the spectroheliograph, his discovery of the magnetic nature of sunspots, and his legendary leadership in founding the Yerkes, Mount Wilson, and Palomar Mountain Observatories.

Small and large telescopes are being installed all around the world. Astronomers have thus acquired better access to more modern equipment; not in the least to photometers, which are very important tools for the contemporary observer. This development of higher quality and more sensitive equipment makes it very necessary to improve the accuracy of the measurements. This guide helps the astronomer and astronomy student to improve the quality of their photometric measurements and to extract a maximum of information from their observations. The book is based on the authors' observing experience, spending numerious nights behind various instruments at many different observatories.

This comprehensive work takes you on a personal tour of the universe using nothing more than a pair of binoculars. More comprehensive than any book currently available, it starts with Earth's nearest neighbor, the moon, and then goes on to explore each planet in the solar system, asteroids, meteors, comets and the sun. Following this, the reader is whisked away into deep space to explore celestial bodies including stars that are known and many sights less familiar. The final chapter includes a detailed atlas of deep-sky objects visible through binoculars. The appendices include guidance on how to buy, care for and maintain astronomical binoculars, tips and hints on using them, and detailed information on several home-made binocular mounts.

Astronomy has never been a more popular pastime than it is today. The increased availability of less expensive, more powerful, and more sophisticated telescopes has given rise to a new generation of stargazers. And for these beginning astronomers here is the comprehensive book covering everything from the difficult task of selecting an instrument to the equally daunting choices that arise when a telescope is turned to the heavens.

Renowned British astronomer and author James Muirden takes the fledgling astronomer by the hand in his new book, offering tips on:

* the purchase, assembly, and orientation of your new telescope
* how to observe and chart the Sun, Moon, planets, stars and comets
* how to investigate the deep-sky objects -- clusters, nebulae, and other galaxies beyond the Milky Way

The final chapter, "Windows into Space," explores ten carefully selected regions featuring noteworthy examples of double stars, galaxies, and nebulae, as well as more obscure objects seldom examined by astronomers.

How to Use an Astronomical Telescope offers completely revised and updated location charts with detailed coordinates, tables, appendixes, and numerous illustrations and photographs, making it the essential volume for one's first exploration of the cosmos.

Radio techniques were the nrst to lead astronomy away from the quiescent and limited Universe revealed by traditional observations at optical wave lengths. In the earliest days of radio astronomy, a handful of radio physicists and engineers made one startling discovery after another as they opened up the radio sky. With this collection of classic papers and the extensive intro ductory material, the reader can experience these exciting discoveries, as well as understand the developing techniques and follow the motivations which prompted the various lines of inquiry. For instance he or she will follow in detail the several attempts to detect radio waves from the sun at the turn of the century; the unravelling by Jansky of a "steady hiss type static"; the incredible story of Reber who built a 9 meter dish in his backyard in 1937 and then mapped the Milky Way; the vital discoveries by Hey and colleagues of radio bursts from the Sun and of a discrete source in the constellation of Cygnus; the development of receivers and interferometry in the post-war years by the groups led by Ryle in Cambridge and Pawsey in Sydney; the nrst measurements and exciting identiftcations of Taurus A (the Crab Nebula), Centaurus A, Virgo A, Cassiopeia A, and Cygnus A, the last opening the neld of radio cosmology; the early development of synchroton theory; and the prediction and discovery seven years later of the 21 cm line of neutral hy drogen."

The Galactic Centre represents a unique and extreme environment in the Galaxy. It hosts the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, its most concentrated dense gas reservoir and its most extreme star-formation environment. The Galactic Centre is therefore our nearest analogue to both an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and a starburst system. IAU Symposium 322 explores the revolution in our understanding of the Galactic Centre, driven by novel instrumentation including NuSTAR, ALMA, EHT and, in the near future, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). A number of anomalous, non-thermal signals have recently been discovered emanating from the Inner Galaxy. This volume addresses the question: are these signatures of dark matter or other new physics, or symptoms of the region's unusual astrophysics? Graduate students and researchers at the interface between astrophysics and particle physics have much to learn from studying this unique region.

This volume gives an historical overview of the development of professional optical and radio observatories from 1945 to today. It covers the environment in which these facilities were developed by organisations in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, often led by larger-than-life individuals, as well as exploring the financial and political factors that both constrained and encouraged progress. As ever more expensive optical facilities were built, they exploited new technologies to significantly improve their performance: CCDs, active and adaptive optics, and spun honeycomb and segmented mirrors. The second half of this volume turns to the parallel history of radio astronomy facilities throughout the world, finishing with the ALMA observatory in Chile. This is the ground-based companion to the author's previous work on space astronomy, New Cosmic Horizons (2001). It is written for both technical and non-technical readers interested in the modern history of astronomy and its observational facilities.

Covering the astronomical work achieved with telescopes of moderate size, this volume indicates how recent developments in electronics make it possible for these telescopes to cope with problems formerly attacked only by the largest instruments. Because the future accomplishments of the telescopes of moderate size should be tremendously increased, this book considers both what is being accomplished and what scientists may confidently expect to be able to do in the predictable future. In searching for an appropriate topic for the symposium, the astronomers who have contributed to this volume recognized that although much attention has been devoted in recent years to Schmidt type telescopes, radio telescopes, and very large instruments, a great deal of the useful work has been and is being carried out by conventional telescopes of moderate size. Especially in the fields of astrometry and photometry a rather large fraction of the observations are being made with telescopes within, roughly, an aperture range of twelve to forty inches. Although perhaps the most exciting or novel results will be obtained with the giant reflectors, much of our progress depends upon the unspectacular accumulation and discussion of data and, within the limits of stellar magnitude to which they are suited, the smaller instruments can contribute substantially, meriting the definitive research provided in the pages of this book. Outstanding scientists have contributed to this volume their findings in such matters as image tube development; photoelectric problems in astronomy; investigation of image detectors (sensitivity assessment, equivalent quantum efficiencies, etc.); modern computing machines capable of solving photometric problems; the Newton Lacy Pierce Photometer; the infrared technique for stellar photometry; application of the small telescope to photoelectric problems; photoelectric studies of scintillation of starlight; the upper atmosphere as discerned from studies of stellar scintillation; variable star problems, present and future; and stellar spectroscopy with the mode rate size telescope. The result is a book of vital importance to the student of astronomy who wishes to understand the advances in his field made possible by electronic progress.

Capturing the excitement and accomplishments of X-ray astronomy, this second edition now includes a broader range of astronomical phenomena and dramatic new results from the most powerful X-ray telescopes. Covering all areas of astronomical research, ranging from the smallest to the largest objects, from neutron stars to clusters of galaxies, this textbook is ideal for undergraduate students. Each chapter starts with the basic aspects of the topic, explores the history of discoveries, and examines in detail modern observations and their significance. This new edition has been updated with results from the most recent space-based instruments, including ROSAT, BeppoSAX, ASCA, Chandra, and XMM. New chapters cover X-ray emission processes, the interstellar medium, the Solar System, and gamma-ray bursts. The text is supported by over 300 figures, with tables listing the properties of the sources, and more specialized technical points separated in boxes.

Drawing on exciting discoveries of the last forty years, Night Vision explores how infrared astronomy, an essential tool for modern astrophysics and cosmology, helps astronomers reveal our universe's most fascinating phenomena from the birth of stars in dense clouds of gas, to black holes and distant colliding galaxies, and the traffic of interstellar dust from the formation of our Solar System. While surveying the progress in infrared observation, astronomer Michael Rowan-Robinson introduces readers to the pioneering scientists and engineers who painstakingly developed infrared astronomy over the past two hundred years. Accessible and well-illustrated, this comprehensive volume is written for the interested science reader, amateur astronomer, or university student, while researchers in astronomy and the history of science will find Rowan-Robinson's detailed notes and references a valuable resource.

"Eagerly peering into the predawn skies of October 1957, amateur scientists kept watch for a glimpse of a faint dot in the sky: Sputnik! Patrick McCray tells us who these people were and how their observations helped Operation Moonwatch become a rousing success for Fred Whipple and the scientists of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. "Keep Watching the Skies!" highlights this unique alliance of amateur and professional scientists at the dawn of the Space Age. If you are among those who remember the thrill of the first satellites--even more so if you are not--you need to read this book."--Robert P. Kirshner, author of "The Extravagant Universe"

"Patrick McCray has produced a gem! With the aid of meticulous research, he has unearthed the story of Operation Moonwatch and some of the forgotten heroes of the early years of the Space Age. They were the worldwide citizen-scientists who monitored the orbits of the early satellites. He has brought the era alive. A great read for scientists, engineers, historians--and anyone interested in the Space Age."--John Zarnecki, Open University

"A unique and valuable cultural history of what was the largest collaboration between amateur and professional scientists in history, this book will interest anyone who wishes to know more about the early days of the Space Age."--Charles Whitney, professor emeritus of astronomy, Harvard University

""Keep Watching the Skies!" makes a compelling case for the importance of an aspect of the early space race that has largely been ignored: Operation Moonwatch. In contrast to the top-down approach that has dominated histories of the space race, this book gives us a bottom-up view, and it promises to bereceived as a major contribution to the history of science and technology."--Robert Smith, author of "The Space Telescope: A Study of NASA, Science, Technology, and Politics"

This comprehensive text documents the fundamental theoretical developments in astrodynamics and space navigation that led to Man's ventures into space. It includes the essential elements of celestial mechanics, spacecraft trajectories, and space navigation, as well as the history of the underlying mathematical developments. The material presented in the text represents a 25-year evolution in course material by Dr Battin. Former students who benefitted from this material include three of the astronauts who walked on the moon. The text format offers flexibility for the user. Chapters are largely independent of each other and may be read or taught in any order, offering the opportunity to organize an undergraduate or graduate course that meets the needs of students having various levels of background and preparation. Further, the book covers more subject matter than is covered in a single course of instruction, thereby motivating students to stray from the beaten path of the classroom.

When the first X-ray detectors revealed many places in the universe that are too hot to be seen by optical and radio telescopes, pioneering X-ray astronomers realized they were onto something big. They knew that a large X-ray observatory must be created if they were ever to understand such astonishing phenomena as neutron stars, supernovas, black holes, and dark matter. What they could not know was how monumental in time, money, and effort this undertaking would be. "Revealing the Universe" tells the story of the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

From the first proposal for a large X-ray telescope in 1970 to the deployment of Chandra by the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999, this book chronicles the technical feats, political struggles, and personal dramas that transformed an inspired vision into the world's supreme X-ray observatory. With an insider's knowledge and a storyteller's instincts, Wallace and Karen Tucker describe the immense challenges that this project posed for such high-tech industry giants as TRW, Eastman Kodak, and Hughes Danbury Optical Systems (now Raytheon Optical Systems). Their portrayal of the role of NASA is itself an extraordinary case study of multibillion-dollar government decisionmaking, and a cautionary tale for future large space astronomy missions. "Revealing the Universe" is primarily the story of the men and women whose discoveries, skills, failures, and successes made the Chandra X-ray Observatory possible.

"The Heavens on Earth" explores the place of the observatory in nineteenth-century science and culture. Astronomy was a core pursuit for observatories, but usually not the only one. It belonged to a larger group of "observatory sciences" that also included geodesy, meteorology, geomagnetism, and even parts of physics and statistics. These pursuits coexisted in the nineteenth-century observatory; this collection surveys them as a coherent whole. Broadening the focus beyond the solitary astronomer at his telescope, it illuminates the observatory's importance to technological, military, political, and colonial undertakings, as well as in advancing and popularizing the mathematical, physical, and cosmological sciences.
The contributors examine "observatory techniques" developed and used not only in connection with observatories but also by instrument makers in their workshops, navy officers on ships, civil engineers in the field, and many others. These techniques included the calibration and coordination of precision instruments for making observations and taking measurements; methods of data acquisition and tabulation; and the production of maps, drawings, and photographs, as well as numerical, textual, and visual representations of the heavens and the earth. They also encompassed the social management of personnel within observatories, the coordination of international scientific collaborations, and interactions with dignitaries and the public. The state observatory occupied a particularly privileged place in the life of the city. With their imposing architecture and ancient traditions, state observatories served representative purposes for their patrons, whether as symbols of a monarch's enlightened power, a nation's industrial and scientific excellence, or republican progressive values. Focusing on observatory techniques in settings from Berlin, London, Paris, and Rome to Australia, Russia, Thailand, and the United States, "The Heavens on Earth" is a major contribution to the history of science.

"Contributors" David Aubin, Charlotte Bigg, Guy Boistel, Theresa Levitt, Massimo Mazzotti, Ole Molvig, Simon Schaffer, Martina Schiavon, H. Otto Sibum, Richard Staley, John Tresch, Simon Werrett, Sven Widmalm

The ideal gift for all amateur and seasoned astronomers. This is the ideal resource for beginners and experienced stargazers in the United States and Canada, and has been updated to include new and practical information covering events occurring in North America's night sky throughout 2022. This practical guide is both an easy introduction to astronomy and a useful reference for seasoned stargazers. Now includes a section on comets and a map of the moon. Designed specifically for North America. Written and illustrated by astronomical experts, Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion, and approved by the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Content includes: Advice on where to start looking. Easy-to-use star maps for each month with descriptions of what to see. Positions of the moon and visible planets. Details of objects and events in 2022. Now in three editions: Britain and Ireland; North America; Southern Hemisphere.