First light

the search for the edge of the universe

Corgi ed.
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November 15, 2022 | History

First light

the search for the edge of the universe

Corgi ed.
  • 1 Want to read

"First Light is perhaps the best book about astronomy ever written. It tells the story of the men and women at the Palomar Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains of California who peer through the amazing Hale Telescope at the farthest edges of space, attempting to solve the riddle of the beginning of time. "Science is a lot weirder and more human than most people realize," Preston writes in his foreword to this revised and updated edition of his first book, and he skillfully weaves together stories of the eccentricities of his characters and the technical wonders of their work to create a riveting narrative about what scientists do and why they do it." "The telescope itself is the main character. It is huge, seven stories tall, the heaviest working telescope on earth, with a mirror that is two hundred inches wide and took fourteen years to cast and polish. The telescope is used by astronomers like James E. Gunn, a "gadgeteer" who scavenges for junk parts and fashions them into sensitive instruments he uses to look into the glittering depths of the universe. Preston's rendering of the obsessions and adventures of Gunn and his colleagues is a witty and illuminating portrait of scientists in action and a luminous story of what modern astronomy is all about."--Jacket.

Publish Date
Publisher
Corgi Books
Language
English
Pages
318

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: First light
First light: the search for the edge of the universe
1998, Corgi Books
in English - Corgi ed.
Cover of: First light
First light: the search for the edge of the universe
1996, Random House
in English - 1st rev. ed.
Cover of: First Light
First Light: The Search for the Edge of the Universe
1996, Random House
in English
Cover of: First light.
First light.
1992, Abacus
in English
Cover of: First light
First light: the search for the edge ofthe universe
1991, Scribners
in English
Cover of: First light
First light: the search for the edge of the universe
1988, New American Library
in English
Cover of: First light
First light: the search for the edge of the universe
1987, Atlantic Monthly Press
in English - 1st ed.
Cover of: First light
First light: the search for the edge of the universe
1987, Atlantic Monthly Press, Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated
in English - 1st ed.

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Published in
London
Genre
Popular works.

Classifications

Dewey Decimal Class
520
Library of Congress
QB44.2 .P74 1998

The Physical Object

Pagination
318 p. :
Number of pages
318

Edition Identifiers

Open Library
OL92874M
ISBN 10
0552997846
LCCN
99203439
LibraryThing
204448
Goodreads
40239

Work Identifiers

Work ID
OL761341W

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History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
November 15, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
December 2, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
June 25, 2010 Edited by IdentifierBot added LibraryThing ID
April 14, 2010 Edited by Open Library Bot Linked existing covers to the edition.
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from Scriblio MARC record