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基本説明
The surprising story of the citizen-scientists who hunted for Sputnik. By the author of Giant Telescopes: Astronomical Ambition and the Promise of Technology.
Full Description
When the Soviets launched Sputnik in 1957, thousands of ordinary people across the globe seized the opportunity to participate in the start of the Space Age. Known as the "Moonwatchers," these largely forgotten citizen-scientists helped professional astronomers by providing critical and otherwise unavailable information about the first satellites. In Keep Watching the Skies!, Patrick McCray tells the story of this network of pioneers who, fueled by civic pride and exhilarated by space exploration, took part in the twentieth century's biggest scientific endeavor. Around the world, thousands of teenagers, homemakers, teachers, amateur astronomers, and other citizens joined Moonwatch teams. Despite their diverse backgrounds and nationalities, they shared a remarkable faith in the transformative power of science--a faith inspired by the Cold War culture in which they lived. Against the backdrop of the space race and technological advancement, ordinary people developed an unprecedented desire to contribute to scientific knowledge and to investigate their place in the cosmos.
Using homemade telescopes and other gadgets, Moonwatchers witnessed firsthand the astonishing beginning of the Space Age. In the process, these amateur scientists organized themselves into a worldwide network of satellite spotters that still exists today. Drawing on previously unexamined letters, photos, scrapbooks, and interviews, Keep Watching the Skies! recreates a pivotal event from a perspective never before examined--that of ordinary people who leaped at a chance to take part in the excitement of space exploration.
Contents
Acknowledgments ix Organizations and People xi Introduction: "THEY Said It Couldn't Be Done!" 1 Chapter 1: Cultures of Observation 19 Chapter 2: An Astronomical Engineer 45 Chapter 3: Wanted: Satellite Spotters 72 Chapter 4: Of Spacehounds and Lunartiks 93 Chapter 5: Seeing History through a Small Telescope 139 Chapter 6: Amateurs Provide Strength on the Bench 165 Chapter 7: Moonwatch Grows Up 190 Chapter 8: The Legacy of Moonwatch 223 Explanation of Sources Used 249 Notes to the Chapters 251 Index 293
