AURA and its US National Observatories

by Frank K. Edmondson

Overview

The subject of this history is the science and politics of the establishment, funding, construction and operation of two important American observatories, the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). The book is written from the unique perspective of Frank K. Edmondson, a former member of the AURA board of directors. Drawing on oral histories, archival material, as well as the author's personal participation from 1956 to the present, this is a personal account of a period of major innovation in American optical astronomy. Will be of interest to historians and astronomers alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521553452
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/06/1997
Pages:	386
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.87(d)

Table of Contents

Part I. The Beginning; Part II. AURA is Created; Part III. New Directions for AURA; Part IV. Cerro Tololo's Neighbours; Part V. Epilogue.

Editorial Reviews

"The reporting is clear, accurate, and detailed, with ample documentation....its intellectual content and in its social practice....Edmondson has done well what he set out to do and his legacy of information and insight will assist less prudent historians in their speculations." Historical Studies in the Physics and Biological Sciences

"As it contains a great deal of previously unpublished material, this book will be invaluable to anyone trying to understand the history of American optical astronomy since the war. ...this is a unique book that will be of great interest to historians of postwar American astronomy...." David Leverington, Isis

From the Publisher