Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy 7

ISBN-13: 9781402053009 / Angielski / Twarda / 2006 / 594 str.

Andre Heck

Opis

Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers: extremesoftime-fromthe big bang to in?nity -, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic?eld, etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible, notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation'sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o?ering the largest number of veri?cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.

Spis treści

Foreword,- Editorial 1,- British Astronomy,- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Physics in Greece,- Astronomy in Ukraine,- Focussing European Astronomy,- The International Space Science Institute (ISSI),- The International Space University (ISU),- EuroPlaNet: European Planetology Network,- RadioNet: Advanced Radio Astronomy Across Europe,- Selecting and Scheduling Observing Proposals at NRAO Telescopes,- Selecting and Scheduling Observations at the IRAM Observatories,- Selecting, Scheduling and Carrying out Observing Programmes at CFHT,- The Scholarly Journals of the American Astronomical Society,- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,- Astronomy & Astrophysics,- LISA – The Library and Information Services in Astronomy Conferences,- The ADS Success Story,- The Progressive World Penetration of the Strasbourg Astronomical Data Center (1970-1990),- The Genesis of the IAU WG on Astronomical Data,- Biographical Sources for Astronomers,- German Astronomy in the Third Reich,- The Psychology of Physical Science,- Thinking Like an Astronomer,- Mercury Magazine: The Incarnation of a Society,- Sterne und Weltraum,- Communicating Astronomy with the Public and the Washington Charter,- Communicating X-Ray Astronomy,- Establishing an Effective Education and Public Outreach Program at Gemini Observatory,- Public Outreach at The University of Texas McDonald Observatory,- The Europlanetarium Genk,- The INSAP V Experience on Art and Astronomy,- What Does the New Climate for Dialogue and Debate Mean for Communicating Astronomy?,- Communicating Astronomy,- Updated Bibliography of Socio-Astronomy.

Blurb

This book is the seventh volume under the title Organizations and Strategies in Astronomy (OSA). The OSA series covers a large range of fields and themes: in practice, one could say that all aspects of astronomy-related life and environment are considered in the spirit of sharing specific expertise and lessons learned.

The chapters of this book are dealing with socio-dynamical aspects of the astronomy (and related space sciences) community: characteristics of organizations, strategies for development, operational techniques, observing practicalities, journal and magazine profiles, public outreach, publication studies, relationships with the media, research communication, series of conferences, evaluation and selection procedures, research indicators, national specificities, contemporary history, and so on.

The experts contributing to this volume have done their best to write in a way understandable to readers not necessarily hyperspecialized in astronomy while providing specific detailed information and sometimes enlightening ‘lessons learned’ sections. The book concludes with an updated bibliography of publications related to socio-astronomy and to the interactions of the astronomy community with the society at large.

This volume will be most usefully read by researchers, editors, publishers, librarians, sociologists of science, research planners and strategists, project managers, public-relations officers, plus those in charge of astronomy-related organizations, as well as by students aiming at a career in astronomy or related space sciences.