"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"
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