The New Astronomy: Opening the Electromagnetic Window and Expanding our View of Planet Earth: A Meeting to Honor Woody Sullivan on his 60th Birthday

ISBN-13: 9789048169429 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 334 str.

Wayne Orchiston

Opis

This is an unusual book, combining as it does papers on astrobiology, history of astronomy and sundials, but after all Woody Sullivan is an unusual man. In late 2003 I spent two fruitful and enjoyable months in the Astronomy Department at the University of Washington (UW) working on archival material accumulated over the decades by Woody, for a book we will co-author with Jessica Chapman on the early development of Australian astronomy. The only serious intellectual distraction I faced during this period was planning for an IAU colloquium on transits of Venus scheduled for June 2004 in England, where I was down to present the Cook paper. I knew Woody was also interested in transits (and, indeed, anything remotely connected with shadows see his paper on page 3), and in discussing the Preston meeting with him it transpired that his 60th birthday was timed to occur just one week later. This was where the seed of Woodfest began to germinate. Why not invite friends and colleagues to join Woody in Seattle and celebrate this proud event? I put the idea to Woody and others at UW, they liked it, and Woodfest was born."

Spis treści

1.Introduction, Points of View: Shadows, Photons, Planets, and Life, Woodruff T. Sullivan, III, 2.Astrobiology, The Biological Universe Revisited, Steven J. Dick Contingency and the Cosmic Perspective, Christopher Chyba, 3.History of Astronomy, Grote Reber (1911–2003): A Radio Astronomy, Pioneer, K.I. Kellermann, Dr Elizabeth Alexander: First Female Radio Astronomer, Wayne Orchiston, Radio Astronomy in Holland Before 1960: Just a Bit More than HI, Richard Strom, Jodrell Bank and the Meteor Velocity Controversy, A.G. Gunn, The Radiophysics Field Stations and the Early Development of Radio Astronomy, Wayne Orchiston & Bruce Slee, Dark Matter and the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, Marshall Cohen, The Discovery of Sgr A*, Bruce Balick, 'Radio Astronomy, Whatever That May Be.' The Marginalization of Early Radio Astronomy, Richard Jarrell, Telescopes Lofted to Space: An Historical Chronology, Peter Abrahams, The History of Space Astronomy: Reflections on the Last Three Decades, Robert W. Smith, SAO During the Whipple Years: The Origins of Project Celescope, David DeVorkin, The Transits of Venus and New Technologies: A Time to Reflect, Ron Brashear, And the Remaining 22 Photons: The Development of Gamma Ray and Gamma Ray Burst Astronomy, Virginia Trimble, 4.Sundials and Art, Gnomonike Techne. The Dialer’s Art and its Meaning for the Ancient World, James Evans, Light Work: Contemporary Artists Consider the Sun, Rebecca Cummins

Blurb

This unique work celebrates the 60th birthday of Professor Woodruff Sullivan III (University of Washington, Seattle). The ‘Woodfest’ conference attracted some of the world’s leading astrobiologists and historians of astronomy, so it is no surprise this book provides a collection of key papers and reviews on the history of astronomy, astrobiology and sundials.

The emphasis on radio astronomy in the historical papers is a fitting reminder that Woody is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading authority in this field. But there are also papers on astrobiology, which reflect his intimate involvement in this exciting multidisciplinary field. The papers on sundials reveal another passion and his quest to make Seattle the sundial capital of North America!

This book will appeal to professional and amateur astronomers, and is a tribute to one of the world’s most remarkable astronomers.