David H. DeVorkin

Hubble imaging space and time

Robert William Smith

Offers a look at the history of the Hubble telescope, its controversial early days, the dramatic images it has captured of outer space, and what it has revealed about the origins and history of our own solar system and the universe beyond.

Imaging Space and Time

Hubble

The exploration of the upper atmosphere was given a jump start in the United States by German V-2 rockets - Hitler's "vengeance weapon" - captured at the end of World War II. The science performed with these missiles was largely determined by the missile itself, such as learning more about the medium through which a ballistic missile travels. Groups rapidly formed within the military and military-funded university laboratories to build instruments to investigate the Earth's upper atmosphere and ionosphere, the nature of cosmic radiation, and the ultraviolet spectrum of the Sun. Few, if any, members of these research groups had prior experience or demonstrated interests in atmospheric, cosmic-ray, or solar physics. Although scientific agendas were at first centered on what could be done with missiles and how to make ballistic missile systems work, reports on techniques and results were widely publicized as the research groups and their patrons sought scientific legitimacy and learned how to make their science an integral part of the national security state. The process by which these groups gained scientific and institutional authority was far from straightforward and offers useful insight both for the historian and for the scientist concerned with how specialties born within the military services became part of post-war American science.

How the Military Created the US Space Sciences After World War II

Science With A Vengeance

Henry Norris Russell

"A marvelous book, written about one of the history's greatest astronomers, and written by one of the greatest historians of astronomy. As Henry Norris Russell shaped modern astronomy a century ago, this book gives a valued glimpse into a time long gone. DeVorkin's thoroughly researched and beautifully written book brings the man, and his time, to life again."--David H. Levy "In the 1920s, Princeton astronomer Henry Norris Russell stood as a giant among his peers. At the vanguard of uniting modern physics with observation, he set the standard for astronomy for the twentieth century. In this masterful biography, noted historian David DeVorkin chronicles one of the most exciting eras in astronomical history and the man who was at its focal point. Combining meticulous research with a lucid prose, DeVorkin shows how an anxiety-ridden scholar, both savvy and ambitious, first revealed how stars are born, live, and die. An enthralling study of an astrophysicist's mind at work."--Marcia Bartusiak, author of Thursday's Universe and Through a Universe Darkly "DeVorkin's work on Russell is an outstanding contribution to the history of modern astronomy and American science. In spite of its high scholarly level, it will make a good read for general readers as well as historians of science, astronomers, physicists, and others engaged in scientific work. It is the first biography of Henry Norris Russell, and as a contribution to the history of American astrophysics it is better than any other book I know of."--Helge Kragh, author of Quantum Generations "DeVorkin's biography reveals how Russell used his talents, achievements, and connections to accelerate the integration of physical theory into American astrophysical practice. In doing so, it greatly enriches our understanding of several themes within the history of science. . . . DeVorkin's scholarship is truly impressive. This study will be mandatory reading for those in the history of modern astronomy, in the history of twentieth-century American science, and in scientific biography. In addition, it will find substantial readerships among practicing astronomers, Princeton alumni and faculty, and readers of American biography. I strongly recommend it."--Karl Hufbauer, author of Exploring the Sun: Solar Science since Galileo

Dean of American Astronomers

Robert W. Smith

"To celebrate NASA s Hubble Space Telescope and its 25 years of accomplishments, let The Hubble Cosmosfill your mind with big ideas, brilliant imagery, and a new understanding of the universe in which we live. Relive key moments in the monumental Hubble story, from launch through major new instrumentation to the promise of discoveries to come. With more than 150 photographs including Hubble All-Stars the most famous of all the noteworthy images The Hubble Cosmosshows how this telescope is revolutionizing our understanding of the universe."

David H. DeVorkin

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