Stairway to the Stars: The Story of the World’s Largest Observatory by Barry R. PARKER (PDF)

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The author combines “the history of Mauna Kea, the Hawaiian 13,795-foot-high site of nine telescopes, with vignettes of the astronomers who work there. . . . Stories concerning political, environmental, and scientific battles are . . . [included with] descriptions of telescope construction and use.” (Choice).

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: From Publishers Weekly This history of the Mauna Kea, Hawaii, astronomical observatories by physicist Parker (The Vindication of the Big Bang) is less science than journalism and is unlikely to hold the interest of any but the most amateur astronomers. Mauna Kea-the tallest peak in the Pacific-has four operating observatories and three that are still being constructed, including Keck I and II, the world’s most powerful. How the most expensive observatories of five nations ended up arrayed around the caldera of a 14,000-foot volcano on the playground of the Pacific could have been a rich travelogue of modern science. But Parker oversimplifies the complex world of international big science while inflating the Mauna Kea story with basic astrophysics. Interviews with offsite astronomers and cosmologists remove the reader even further from the scene and serve to emphasize that Mauna Kea’s real significance will be known only when the major telescopes now under construction, including the Smithsonian’s VLA, come on line. Photos. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. From the Back Cover 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. About the Author Barry Parker, Ph.D., is a professor of physics and astronomy at Idaho State University. Read more

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