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Lädt ... The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It (2008)von Robert Zimmerman
Lädt ...
Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. The Hubble Space Telescope has been one of the biggest success stories of modern science. But it didn't start out that way. Zimmerman, a science historian, tells the entire story of the Hubble telescope so far, including the recognition of those scientists and administrators who played a large, but generally unknown, role in getting the telescope funded and built. Later this year a space shuttle mission to the telescope will attempt to keep the scientific discoveries going for another five years or so. This book explains the science and politics behind this decision and others that matter so much to the astronomy community. Zeige 2 von 2 keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
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The Hubble Space Telescope has produced the most stunning images of the cosmos humanity has ever seen. It has transformed our understanding of the universe around us, revealing new information about its age and evolution, the life cycle of stars, and the very existence of black holes, among other startling discoveries. But it took an amazing amount of work and perseverance to get the first space telescope up and running. The Universe in a Mirror tells the story of this telescope and the visionaries responsible for its extraordinary accomplishments. Robert Zimmerman takes readers behind the scenes of one of the most ambitious scientific instruments ever sent into space. After World War II, astronomer Lyman Spitzer and a handful of scientists waged a fifty-year struggle to build the first space telescope capable of seeing beyond Earth's atmospheric veil. Zimmerman shows how many of the telescope's advocates sacrificed careers and family to get it launched, and how others devoted their lives to Hubble only to have their hopes and reputations shattered when its mirror was found to be flawed. This is the story of an idea that would not die--and of the dauntless human spirit. Illustrated with striking color images, The Universe in a Mirror describes the heated battles between scientists and bureaucrats, the perseverance of astronauts to repair and maintain the telescope, and much more. Hubble, and the men and women behind it, opened a rare window onto the universe, dazzling humanity with sights never before seen. This book tells their remarkable story. A new afterword updates the reader on the May 2009 Hubble service mission and looks to the future of astronomy, including the prospect of a new space telescope to replace Hubble. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)522.2919Natural sciences and mathematics Astronomy Telescopes and handbooks Telescopes (See also 535.83 Optics) Famous telescopesKlassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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By the time I was finished reading the preface, I knew I liked the author’s writing style. Somehow, despite being clear and concise, the author’s enthusiasm for the project and respect for the people who made it happen was evident in everything he wrote. I was also impressed by how gripping he made events that were often nothing more than bureaucratic squabbles. The book did start a little slow, but by the time the scientists were fighting budget cuts that could doom Hubble I was drawn in enough that I really cared how things worked out.
Unlike American Chestnut, another book about a big government project, this book didn’t describe people in such a way that I felt I got to know many of them very well. There were several reasons for that. First, the book described too many people for me to become attached to many of them. Second, the number of people meant that we didn’t spend long on any one of them. And finally, the dates when quotes were spoken was often given, which caused me to be confused about where in the timeline we were – had we jumped forward in time or was that just when the quote came from? The lack of a clear sequence of events also made it hard to follow how all of the people connected to one another.
Although I had a hard time “getting to know” all of the people described, I think the inclusion of as many people as possible was part of the author’s intent. Unfortunately, many of the people who sacrificed their personal lives to make the Hubble happen never received the recognition they deserved. While after reading this, I may never want to work on a large government project, I’m glad that many of the people who made that commitment are being recognized in some small way by their inclusion in this book. ( )